Today I’m featuring a guest post from my lovely local friend Christina over at The Social Butterfly Gal while I’m enjoying the last week before I’m officially a married woman. She’s truly a social butterfly so her social media knowledge is on point, seriously though. I really hope y’all enjoy her post on 5 mistakes creative entrepreneurs make on social media…because you may be making some of these mistakes and not even know it.
Social Media is an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to your business. Showing up is one thing, but mastering and understanding each platform is another. It can be overwhelming- I totally get it! If you’re wondering why you do not see results, maybe it’s because you are doing social media all wrong? Gasp! I know! That statement might be a little hard to swallow. But there are a lot of creatives out there who are on social media not understanding what content their audience is craving so they do all the wrong things. Shall we dig a little deeper?
Mistakes Creative Entrepreneurs Make On Social Media
Not Being Social
It is called social media for a reason. Don’t just post a picture and expect people to like and comment without you doing the same in return! Get active in Facebook Groups that fall within your industry. Some of my favorites are Blog + Biz BFFs, Savvy Business Owners, and Heart Center Biz Bosses. Another way to get active is by participating in Twitter chats and Instagram engagement groups. Whatever you do, just get active and start making a presence for yourself on social media.
Pro Tip: Start by taking 10 minutes of your day to comment on other’s social media postings but make sure your comment provides value and isn’t just a bunch of emojis.
Not Utilizing Analytic Tools
How can you expect to see results if you do not measure those results? Using analytics tools will help you when it comes to knowing when your audience is online, what content performs best, and things of that nature. Facebook and Twitter both have analytics built into their platforms. Whenever you get a business account on Instagram, you get access to analytics too. Here’s how analytics helped my account. For Instagram, I study which posts have gotten the most engagement and tailor my future ones to that same style. My audience connects with Instagram posts that contain a burst of bright colors and captions that are relatable so that’s why my focus is on that platform.
Pro Tip: Use an Excel Spreadsheet to track your analytics each Monday. This ensures that you are keeping track of how you’re doing on a weekly basis – not just reevaluating at the end of each month.
No Call to Actions or Direct Links
I’m sure you know Twitter and Instagram have a space for you to put your website, right? I want you to go into your profile, and if you don’t have a link to your site/shop or have the homepage as your primary link, then you are making a HUGE mistake. You want that link to take your audience to the right place. For example, if you want them to see your services, then that link better be set to to your services page – Don’t waste your audiences’ time by sending them to your homepage. Same goes with captions. If you want to increase engagement, you must include a call to action! Ask a question at the end of your caption to make your audience want to comment and interact with you further than just a “like”.
Pro tip: Use Bitly to track how may people click on a link.
Not Scheduling Your Social Media
I’m not saying automation is the answer to everything social media, but it can surely help. Scheduling my tweets has come in handy, especially during the weekends. I schedule at least ten tweets a day: five of other people’s content, three of my own blog posts and two quotes. Make sure you find a scheduler you like and spend an afternoon getting content scheduled for the entire week.
Pro Tip: Use a scheduling tool like Hootsuite and Buffer and also create a Twitter list!
Not staying on brand
Keeping your brand consistent across all social media platforms is crucial. This means you should have the same profile image and handle for all your social media platforms. In addition to this you need to keep your brand colors, overall aesthetic, tone and brand voice consistent as well as it helps to establish your identity.
Pro Tip: Figure out your aesthetic and stick to it.
About The Social Butterfly Gal: I’m Christina, a digital strategist helping creatives build powerful Social Media + blog strategies. In between the sips of coffee, social media notifications and writing, you will find me living up to my brand name-being a social butterfly; attending various networking and local events around San Antonio, TX. You can follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Snapchat!
Did y’all enjoy this post on the 5 mistakes creative entrepreneurs make on social media? I know that I sure did since social media is my absolute jam. This is the first guest post on Confetti Social but certainly not the last. If you’re interested in guest posting on Confetti Social, please shoot me an email at jenny@confettisocial.com with your desired topic.
Your Turn:
Tell us what mistakes creative entrepreneurs make on social media down in the comments. We’re all ears.
