10 common social media marketing mistakes

Our free, actionable guide to avoiding common social media marketing mistakes

How will this guide help me and my business?

Avoid the pitfalls that limit engagement with your target audience. As with any marketing or e-commerce activity, you could be missing out if you fail to think through your social media activities.

By following a planned, strategic approach, you can make the most of the opportunities. The old saying “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” is therefore entirely relevant, and still common for many businesses in the absence of a strong social media strategy.

Our mantra for social media, as with all digital marketing activities, is Plan, Manage, Optimize. With this approach, you are giving your business the best chance at realizing good returns on investment into social media marketing and to hopefully avoid the common pitfalls many brands make.

With social media, these mistakes can prevent you from getting the most from your efforts but can also damage a brand since social shares are also immediate and potentially broadcast to thousands or even millions of people in your target audience.

Who is this guide for?

Whether you’re just starting out with your social media strategy and need a few tips, or have found yourself in any of the scenarios included in this mini guide, follow our advice to give your planning a kick-start. This guide is perfect for:

• Social media managers
• Social media executives
• Digital marketing managers
• Digital marketing executives

What’s inside the guide?

Our guide details 10 mistakes to avoid. For each mistake, we provide specific advice for how to avoid the mistake by taking a more strategic approach. We also provide links to recommended resources, including relevant Smart Insights resources and external resources and tools.

This guide is designed to help you review and improve your approach to social media marketing. It’s practical and actionable since it covers common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Latest updates

This guide’s most recent updates include brand new information on the following areas:

• The importance of social media reporting and correct traffic attribution
• Why you should have an internal social media policy
• How to integrate your channels correctly
• How you should network with your followers and post natural, human stories that appeal to social media users
• What tools are available to save you time and simplify your campaign creation

Resource Details

• Authors: Rhian Harris and James Story
• Format: Online interactive format suitable for printing if needed
• Related resources for premium members: Our 7 Steps Social Media Marketing Guide and companion workbook will help you create or update your social media strategy.

About the author

Rhian Harris