Since the emergence of social media, it has become easier to drive your traffic and sales, but are you truthfully seeing an increase in your traffic and sales? Or, is it an optical illusion? What are you actually seeing? If you’re using tactics that are outdated and obsolete, it might appear that you’re making progress, when you’re really not making any effective changes.

If you want to make sure you DO cause change, try to avoid using these tactics.

1. Posting All The Time

Just because you’re online a lot, doesn’t mean your followers are. Writing all the time doesn’t suit anyone since many of your followers will likely miss these frequent messages. If you need to, you can use free, third party tools that will show you the optimum time for posting. Not only will it analyze your base users, it can tell you the days and times you should be posting to engage your followers the most.

Once you’ve planned for the optimal times to post, signing up to schedule your posts with sites like Buffer or HootSuite is easy. If you’re having trouble scheduling Facebook posts, use the Fan page and click the clock icon to schedule your post.

2. Selling Direct

If you’re not offering your visitors a sale or a discount, posting links and telling your followers to buy something you’re selling isn’t going to do much for you. Even though you have a large following, you need to resist the urge to inundate your followers with what you’re selling.

Instead, you need to funnel the fans you already have. Collect information that will help you stay in touch with them, such as email or phone number, and then offer your products or services via these methods.

If you continue to offer continuously on your main social media site, soon your followers will stop visiting you, because they don’t want to be pitched too every time they come to see you.

The reason this theory works is thanks to ‘micro commitments’. Essentially, you get your audience to agree to small things every now and then, and finally, once you’ve collected all those emails, you ask them to make a purchase. In this situation, they are more likely to say yes.

3. Tricking The Follower Count

Another popular tactic that I see more frequently these days is purchasing likes and followers for your social media sites. Trust me when I say it’s simply not worth it. Before, sites were ranked based on how many unique followers they have. Now, metrics for these sites are more intelligent, meaning that they can analyze your list of friends, and see who really visits you and who never even logs in. By ranking your traffic this way, it’s clear to see that purchasing large amounts of one times likes and follows simply isn’t worth it in the end.

If you really want to see your numbers grow in this area, you need to review the tactics of your competitors. Observe what kinds of posts are helping them get likes and shares and try to emulate their strategy. Alter it to fit your target audience and update it as necessary.

4. Self-Promoting

If the only reason you’re considering expanding to social media is to increase your brand awareness and traffic; including sales, then stop while you’re ahead. If you only wish to serve yourself and your message by signing up for social media, your followers can tell, and they are going to unfollow you for it.

Being online and posting makes you transparent with your intentions. If all you ever do is post about yourself and how wonderful your company is, eventually, no one will care. The truth is that you need to be interested not interesting.

Once you begin to review your own wall, share others content and answer questions for your followers, people will begin to follow you loyally. If you choose to serve the greater good, they’ll respond to you kindly in return. Make sure that you’re helping out and answering questions, sharing content from all over and share tips from within your industry.

The Importance of Positive Social Media Engagement

Social media has become a potent platform for both people and businesses in the current digital era. It’s a dynamic space where relationships are formed, knowledge is shared, and brands are promoted rather than just a place to share updates or connect with friends. On social media, there is a huge potential for good things to happen, but there are also many dangers. The type of your engagement is one of the crucial elements that can make or break your social media presence.

Positive social media engagement is all about fostering a strong, authentic connection with your audience, and its importance cannot be overstated. Here are several compelling reasons why cultivating positive social media engagement should be a top priority:

1. Building Trust: Any successful online presence is built on trust. Your audience is more likely to interact with your content, buy your goods, or support your cause if they believe in you. To gain and keep that trust, positive engagement that is characterized by openness and authenticity is essential.

2. Enhancing Brand Reputation: Your brand’s reputation on social media can significantly impact its overall image. Positive interactions with your audience can bolster your brand’s reputation, while negative ones can tarnish it. Engaging in a courteous and respectful manner can help solidify a positive image for your brand.

3. Fostering Loyalty: Loyal customers are more likely to return, make repeat purchases, and recommend your products or services to others. When you engage positively with your audience, you build a loyal fan base that is more likely to stick around and support your endeavors.

4. Maximizing Reach: Positive interactions on social media often lead to increased reach. When your followers like, share, or comment on your content, it becomes visible to their networks, amplifying your message and increasing your online influence.

5. Mitigating Negative Feedback: Not all social media interactions will be positive, but how you handle criticism and negative feedback can turn a potentially harmful situation into a positive one. Responsiveness, empathy, and a commitment to resolving issues can help defuse tensions and demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction.

6. Staying Relevant: The digital landscape is constantly evolving. Staying relevant and up-to-date is essential. Positive engagement can help you keep your finger on the pulse of your audience’s needs and desires, allowing you to adapt and evolve your content and strategy accordingly.

7. Encouraging Meaningful Conversations: Positive engagement can foster meaningful conversations and discussions, which can be valuable for understanding your audience better, gaining insights, and building a sense of community around your brand.

Positive social media engagement is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity for individuals, businesses, and organizations looking to thrive in the digital realm. By prioritizing authenticity, respect, and meaningful interactions, you can reap the benefits of a strong and loyal online community while avoiding the negative consequences that come with poor engagement practices.

Measuring Social Media Success

In the dynamic world of social media, success isn’t solely about the number of likes or followers you accumulate; it’s about achieving your goals and objectives. Whether you’re using social media for personal branding, marketing a business, or promoting a cause, it’s crucial to have a clear strategy and to track your progress. Measuring social media success allows you to assess the effectiveness of your efforts, make data-driven decisions, and refine your strategy for better results.

Here are the key aspects to consider when measuring your social media success:

1. Setting Clear Objectives: Before diving into the metrics, you need to define what success means for you. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, boost sales, or improve customer satisfaction? Your objectives will determine which metrics are most relevant.

2. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): KPIs are the specific metrics that align with your objectives. They can include engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares), conversion metrics (click-through rates, lead generation), or more qualitative measures (sentiment analysis, customer feedback).

3. Audience Growth: Keep an eye on the expansion of your subscribers or followers. Your audience’s steady growth can be a sign that your content and engagement strategies are working.

4. Engagement Metrics: Engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, and shares, can help you gauge how well your content resonates with your audience. High engagement rates suggest that your content is appealing and shareable.

5. Reach and Impressions: These metrics reveal how many people are exposed to your content. A high reach or impression count doesn’t guarantee success, but it indicates that your content is getting noticed.

6. Click-Through Rate (CTR): CTR measures how effective your content is at driving traffic to your website or landing pages. It’s a critical metric for assessing the success of campaigns or promotional content.

7. Conversion Rate: Conversion rate measures how many of your social media followers take the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a contact form.

8. Return on Investment (ROI): If your social media efforts have a financial component, ROI is a crucial metric. It compares the cost of your social media marketing to the revenue generated as a result.

9. Customer Satisfaction: Monitor customer feedback, reviews, and sentiment analysis to understand how satisfied your audience is with your brand and the experiences you provide on social media.

10. Competitor Analysis: Analyzing your competitors’ social media performance can provide valuable insights into your relative success and help you identify areas for improvement.

11. Content Performance: Assess which types of content (e.g., videos, infographics, blog posts) perform best in terms of engagement, reach, and conversions. Use this data to optimize your content strategy.

12. Consistency and Trends: Look for patterns and trends in your data. Consistent success or sudden shifts can provide insights into the effectiveness of your strategy.

13. Feedback and Adaptation: Don’t just collect data; use it to adapt and refine your social media strategy continually. Experiment with new approaches and tactics based on what your metrics reveal.

Measuring social media success involves a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics aligned with your specific goals. Regularly reviewing and adapting your strategy based on these metrics is essential to achieving meaningful results and maximizing your social media impact.

In Conclusion

The way we operate our social media has changed, meaning that old tactics no longer work when we want to obtain new leads and loyal followers. Now is the time to begin adapting your approach and avoiding the tactics that everyone else is trying to get an angle on still. Stay ahead and up to date with your social media trends and strategies and you’ll stay ahead of your competitors, maximizing your own traffic and helping to increase your overall sales.

Can you think of any other tactics that people should avoid? Share below!