Social Media Mistakes to Avoid as a Small Business Owner

Social media can be a powerful tool for small businesses but it is really easy to get it wrong and to either damage your reputation or hinder your growth!

When used correctly, a great social media presence can be key in helping you connect with local customers and clients, building up your brand awareness, and growing your business, both online AND locally!

Here are five common mistakes that I see ALL the time online, that now you know about...you can avoid!

1. Inconsistent Posting

Even I'm guilty of this one - sometimes, life just gets in the way! I know that social media often falls to the bottom of the list for small businesses. Especially when you're the one doing everything from running the business, to the finance, HR, marketing etc etc...

Honestly though, inconsistent posting is one of the biggest issues for small businesses.

Sporadic activity can not only cause followers to lose interest in your brand or business, but also reduce your visibility in platform algorithms.

The solution?

Create a content calendar to plan your posts ahead of time!

Aim for consistency over quantity - posting a few times a week on a regular schedule is better than a flurry of activity followed by silence for weeks.

This not only helps you stay on track but also allows you to engage with your audience more consistently. I use Notion (there's a very good free plan) for my planning and content ideas and then a social media scheduler called Social Pilot for scheduling in advance. But Meta Business Suite (free!) is also useful for scheduling.

2. Not Engaging with Followers or being SOCIAL

Social media isn’t a one-way street; it’s a conversation and the reality is, sometimes the art of being social is lost when you're busy and you just want to bang out a few posts to get oyur message across. The problem is, ignoring comments, direct messages, or reviews can make your business seem disconnected or uninterested in its customers. We want to build a community.

The solution?

Set aside time each day to respond to comments, reply to messages, and engage with followers who take the time to interact with your content. Even if it's just five minutes whilst the kettle is boiling or a quick check at the end of every day.

Even a quick acknowledgment can go a long way in building a loyal customer base that feel heard and appreciated. If time is limited, focus on the platforms where your audience is most active!

Remember, the more engagement you can drive (replying to comments with questions, starting conversation) the more your content will be pushed out to bigger audiences!

3. Over-Promoting your Products or Services - AKA being too 'salesy'!

YES it’s important to showcase what you offer, but bombarding your audience with sales pitches can be a real turn-off and often leads to a swift unfollow!

This approach can make your feed feel like a constant advertisement, pushing potential customers away. Remember - we want a community!

Instead, follow the 80/20 rule: aim for 80% of your content to be engaging, informative, or entertaining, and 20% to focus on your products or services. Or consider the marketing funnel...

See how we start off with a large proportion of 'Reach' content? This is stuff to get your business or brand discovered by new audiences. We then funnel them down into our community with trust building content and THEN we sell.

Some ideas might be, funny trends, behind-the-scenes content, aspirational videos or photos, share stories about your business, engage with other businesses in your local community, share tips that your followers would find helpful.

This will make your promotional posts feel more natural and better received.

4. Ignoring Local Hashtags and Trends

Ok so hashtags are a hotly debated topic online. Are they useful? Are they not? There's no 'right' answer here because it's different for every account. However, it's not a bad idea to think of them as a great way to use keywords and be discovered.

Particularly if you're quite niche in what you do or sell, or there's a strong community in your area. Not using local hashtags or participating in trending topics can limit your reach and visibility in the Shropshire area. Hashtags can help connect your business with a wider audience, but only if they’re relevant. Stick to 3-10 max, and try not to go too broad. Using a hashtag with millions of prior uses is somewhat pointless.

Keep an eye on trending topics in the area and join the conversation when it makes sense for your brand. This can help you connect with potential customers who might not have found you otherwise.

5. Neglecting Analytics and Insights

Focusing solely on follower count and not paying attention to other metrics like engagement and click through rates, can mean missing out on valuable information about what content resonates with your audience!

Be sure to use the built-in analytics tools on social media platforms to monitor which posts get the most likes, comments, and shares! Yes followers are important, but so are lots of other things.

Look for patterns; do your followers engage more with videos, photos, or carousel posts?

Adjust your content strategy based on these insights to better serve your audience and maximise your reach.

REMEMBER: Social media doesn’t have to be overwhelming...with a little consistency and a focus on genuine engagement, you can create a vibrant digital space that connects with your community.