Social media marketing doesn't work," I often hear. I usually respond, "It doesn't work for me because you aren't doing it right." Many companies don't incorporate social media into their marketing strategies. They are following the lead of others and soon become discouraged at the lack of positive results. These are the common errors that can prevent you from reaching your full potential on social media:

Dismissing Social Marketing as Ineffective
Many believe that social media is for teens and tech-savvy and may not be suitable for you or your industry. This is not true. One study found that the 55-64-year-old age group is the fastest-growing on Twitter, while the 45-54-year olds are the fastest-growing on Facebook. Social media has reached all levels of society, and if you build a social media strategy that is more effective than the competition, you will gain an advantage.

No Social Media Marketing Plan
Social media marketing can be a massive waste of time if you don't have a plan. This is a common trap for many companies. They post sporadic content to their social media accounts and share it here and there to try and attract fans or followers. This is not social media marketing. That's just having no plan. You should approach social media marketing similarly to any other marketing campaign planning. Specific goals, budgets, and a plan of action should be established. This will outline what you want to achieve, how you will measure your results, and how much you need.

Measuring the Wrong Key Performance Indicators
For social media marketing, many marketers fall for vanity metrics when measuring key performance indicators (KPIs). Marketers often measure how many people are following them on Twitter or Facebook, and they feel happy if the numbers grow. Social media marketing is just like any other marketing channel. It is essential to measure the impact of your social media activities on your business, not just how many followers or fans you have.

All Social Media Platforms are the Same
Ineffective and counterproductive is addressing the audience in a manner that is inconsistent with the social network's traditions. While you wouldn't likely speak Spanish in Germany, many businesses use social media to communicate their message. Each social network has its culture, language, audience, and content type. It is essential to consider the differences among social networks to make your efforts effective. Understanding how to communicate in every social network you join is crucial.

Not Engaging in Conversations
It is pointless if no one shares or responds to your social media updates. It would be best if you aimed to create conversations with your audience through your posts and content. If you aren't getting sufficient responses, it is time to review your strategy. Each comment, positive or not, a customer leaves is an opportunity to interact with them directly. Social media allows you to be friendly and approachable. Don't limit social media interactions for your company to the marketing department. Communicate with customers in your social media strategy, including other departments such as sales, customer services, billing, and production.

It's All About You
What would it be like to spend time with someone who talks only about himself? This can quickly get old. This is the mistake that many companies make when using social media. It's all about them: their news, events, and projects. The truth is that nobody cares. Social media is about communicating what the audience wants to hear. You should post content of high quality and significant interest that is consistent with the standards of your social network and the followers you follow. Too much promotional content can discourage your followers. Your content must add value to the viewers. Standard practice is to follow the 80-20 rule, wherein 80% should comprise value-driven content, whereas the rest 20 percent could be for promotions.