8 common mistakes marketers make when connecting with customers via social media
You can find lots of advice on how to strengthen customer relationships online or in respected publishing like the ‘Bible of Marketing Communication’ or ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ Yet, they might not provide many solutions. Why? Because while knowing what you SHOULD do is great, you also need to know what you SHOULDN’T when addressing your customers.
Empowered with valuable knowledge on what to avoid in your customer communication will allow you to eliminate textbookish methods and help create more natural conversations. Being caught in the whirlpool of massive adverts and polished marketing campaigns, genuine talk is something modern consumers are really missing and value.
Here are our top 8 useful tips on what mistakes to avoid to make your brand conversations natural and engaging.
#1 Talking too much about you
The time when brands had one-way conversations with their buyers over a radio or a newspaper has passed. Nevertheless, some companies persistently keep using “TV-style talk”—they don’t listen to their customers but they talk, excessively talk about themselves. They explain who they are, what their values are, why their product is the best, and a lot more.
But, there’s a catch: hardly any customer will believe how good their products are, knowing that any business today has an entire marketing department aimed at presenting their products and brands in the best light.
So, how can you make your brand and product appealing to your followers and potential buyers? The answer is simple—don’t talk much, listen first, and understand your customers' pain points. Then, try to address their wants and needs in friendly conversations, comments, or even jokes, eliminating all those flashy marketing presentations with lengthy monologues.
#2 Offering no value just sales
There are different ways you can sell your products on social media. The simplest and straightforward is to sell directly in adverts. This method can generate some leads over the short term. However, it won’t let you sell much as your buyers won’t form a strong bond with your brand.
A better way of selling is by offering something of value to your potential buyers. This approach involves several simple steps:
Offer your customers something valuable, it can be a free or low-paid masterclass, a seminar, a study, etc.
Generate a conversation and develop closer ties with your potential buyers by inviting them to subscribe to your social media accounts.
Hold a marketing campaign with sale posts combined with information posts and other engaging content.
