Common Pitfalls in Social Media Strategy and How to Avoid Them

Remember your “Top 8” on MySpace? What about your deepest thoughts in 140 characters or less back when X was still Twitter? 

If you understand those references, you already know: Social media has undergone significant shifts throughout its relatively short life. Yet one thing remains true. It’s a necessary component of virtually every marketing plan. 

But what happens when your social strategy just isn’t working? 

There are many reasons a social media strategy might fall flat. If your metrics are dragging, consider the following:

Your content lacks emotion. How often do you read a post on LinkedIn and think, “Nobody talks like that in real life.” There is a common misconception that social media posts for brands, businesses, and services need to come across as though they were written with a feather quill pen. In reality, audiences just want to hear from you. 

To remember to write like a human, consider your audience. What are their pain points? What makes them motivated? If you can answer these questions and create posts that speak to these areas, then your content is going to resonate.

It’s a form of storytelling. And, as such, your social media needs to be as authentic as any blog, collateral, or campaign you’ve created. It needs to be raw and relatable. Plus, now with AI taking over social media on all platforms, authenticity and emotion are more important than ever. 

If your content fails to speak to the pain points of the audience or get them to react, it won’t work. 

You’re diluting your messaging by posting on too many social media channels. Did you know that, on average, individuals navigate more than seven social media channels per month to obtain information? Having your information on every social media channel might seem like the way to get in touch with your audience, but it’s hard to be everywhere and provide authentic and meaningful content simultaneously. 

It’s better to focus on the channels your target audience gravitates toward. 

To discover where your target audience is, analyze your customer data, conduct surveys, and solicit feedback. From there, you’re better able to create detailed customer personas.

As you contemplate your channel options, you will also want to consider what type of messaging you’re sending out. Is your content thought leadership? Image-based? Questions and discussions? Some channels work better for different types of content. (Instagram is better for image-focused content, for example. LinkedIn may be better for thought leadership articles.)

Striking the balance between channel fit and audience volume is your goal.

You aren’t pivoting when you need to. Social media changes rapidly. In the early 00s, Facebook was the hip place to be for the college crowd (who are now in their 40s). It required a .edu email address to sign up! Then it opened up the platform to everyone regardless of email address. And, over time, Facebook lost its popularity as the go-to place for the under-25s. Now, 87% of millennials use Facebook weekly while only 36% of Gen Z visits weekly. Comparatively, as of 2024, more than 47% of TikTok users are under 30. 

The point is: Audience needs shift, the information they’re looking for changes, and the platform they use to consume information changes. 

It’s important to pivot your strategy as your audience needs change. Always work to adjust your tone, customize content for the audience, and engage frequently. If something isn’t working, you can always think of Ross in Friends as he yells, “Pivot.” 

You aren’t engaging with your followers. Posting is important, yes—but so is engagement. 

When your posts are met with positive feedback, it’s easy to engage with the audience by replying to follower posts, resharing stories when applicable, and participating in dialog with your audience. Just remember to sound human, focus on getting readers to feel, and be conversational to get the dialog to continue. 

Negative comments may feel more difficult to engage with but don’t avoid them. Blocking abusive posts and users may be necessary in extreme cases, but most negative commenters just want to be heard. Respond to feedback, keep the tone human, and have an open, healthy discussion. Look at any negative comments as an opportunity to learn from your fanbase, clear up misunderstandings, or start a dialog. And remember, it’s not just the commenter you’re communicating to. Play your cards right, and everyone else reading will see yours as an authentic brand that is trustworthy enough to take feedback, admit fault when called for, and seek mutual solutions.

You don’t make next steps obvious. It’s common for corporate leadership to think social media is a golden ticket to unbridled leads. When the leads don’t come in, the questions certainly do. That’s why it’s important to understand what your goals are for social media. 

Does your team want to build awareness? Collect leads? Drive sales? Getting crisp (and aligned) on your priorities is vital for determining your strategy, setting benchmarks for success, and measuring your progress toward goals.

If you are indeed looking for leads, make sure your social pages are optimized to drive visitors to lead generation forms, newsletter signup pages, and demo request portals. Set priorities. Keep your CTAs to a minimum so your audience knows what to do and what to click.  

The thing about social media is that you will always need to give it more attention than you think is necessary to ensure it remains an effective part of your marketing plans. Don’t be afraid to try new tactics, change your messaging, respond to comments, and revisit your goals. 

If you end up wanting to hand over the reins to someone else, you can always reach out and let our social media experts lend some advice.