We all believe that social media has completely transformed the way of businesses connect with their audience. Social media can make or break a brand because word of mouth is now more public. It depends on how you are maintaining your relationship with your audience over social channels. It takes a delicate balance of strategy, creativity, and content – and very few of the startups struggle to find that balance.
Keep “Social” in social media
A very common mistake that every startup brand make is to forget the word “Social” in social media. They use very traditional methods by directly focusing on sales or conversions and spending a lot of budgets. For a time, it can create hype but cannot help to sustain your brand because they’re missing awareness and engagement parts where they can communicate with the audience to build a positioning in their minds. For me, paid ads are just to reach a wider number but your strategy or ongoing content relevancy will highlight your brand worth. For this, you have to be consistent with your strategy because you cannot make it in a few days.
It's not about you
Too often, startups only think about what they expect to gain – followers, clicks, and conversions but not what they are planning to give. Social media is not about you. It is about the people you’re talking to. It is an exchange. In order to get value, you have to give it in return by talking about people's needs and problems instead of admiring your brand all the time.
"Make your customer the hero of your advertising story, not yourself."
Make social media a priority
Don't treat social media as an afterthought. I see many of startups that hire junior executives or trainees to handle their social media and underestimate the importance of social media strategy. This is not to say that young team members can’t be good at social media but whoever is tasked with managing your social media, they need to have a lock on your brand, your goals, your voice, and your audience. Otherwise, your startup is going to be totally failed and it is not easy to recapture trust again.
These are the missteps that can cause startup failure. Make social media a priority, craft your strategy that passes through the consumer journey funnel, and focus on meaningful connections. As a final thought: never forget social media is about building community.