Some references you may want to scan through:
7 Biggest Social Media Mistakes and How To Fix Them
Social Media Marketing Gone Wrong
Marketing Gone Wrong: Is Your Social Media Plan Legal?
AKRON — I was thinking about how social media is constantly evolving. We can be aces at it one day and if we aren't paying attention, new technologies and best practices can fly right past us.
It's best not to get discouraged, but keep pushing on. However, there are some roadblocks we all hit now and again on social media. Sometimes there are simple solutions. Below is a quick troubleshooting guide to some issues you might be running into.
- I posted something wrong. Do I fix it?
I am going to start this statement by saying this is not an exact science — in part because it depends on what the error is. For instance, one time I posted a link to an article on Tire Business' Facebook page from a news source. For some unknown reason, it pulled the photo that was attached to a different story on the website that was of a crisis situation. This was something I corrected as soon as I realized it. I deleted the original post and then immediately reposted it without a photo because I didn't want to be sending the wrong message. I didn't want to be speaking about a lighter topic, but with a serious image attached. Had it not been this type of photo, like if it was just the news source's logo, I probably would have left it alone.
Whenever you post something to social media, your goal is to get people reading it, right? If they share it or like it and then you delete it, you are also deleting that engagement, so you have to decide. This is why there are always pros and cons to deleting or keeping a post with an error with it.
If the mistake you made is a simple spelling mistake, Facebook has your back. You can just “edit” your post and fix it. While it will show up as an “edited” post, the corrected post will be what people see will see in their NewsFeeds.
On Twitter, it is a little trickier because you will have to make the choice to keep it as is or delete it and repost it. If it is a spelling issue or something small, you can always send a reply to your message with the correction. That way your audience will see that you are correcting the mistake, just not deleting the post.
I think the main thing to keep in mind when thinking about fixing a post is what the outcome will be if you do not fix it. Is this post going to hurt your brand? Is it possibly offensive? Is it ill-timed?
Then yes, deleting it may be the best option. However, if it just something a little off, especially when it is already getting engagement with your audience, it may be best to leave it as is or edited.
- Why am I not getting retweeted more? How do I get more follows?
You spend all this time trying to post great content, but it seems like no one cares.
My best advice here is to be proactive. I have learned that some of the most retweets I get are from people and companies who I also retweet. Forming reciprocal relationships on Twitter and other social media sites can go a long way.
This goes for follows as well. If you are only following a few people on Twitter, then there is a simple way to get more followers. If you start to follow more companies and people, you will be more visible to them and they may choose to follow you back. Additionally, the more people you follow, the better chance you have to see great content that you may want to retweet. Being active and forming these relationships is a great way to get retweeted and get more follows.
The other way to increase your visibility is to use hashtags and mentions. The more you use these functions, the more people can see your tweets when they are doing searches. For instance, if they are searching for “#Cleveland” and your post includes “#Cleveland,” it will come up in their search. However, make sure the hashtags are relevant to your post and that you are not just attaching it to an unrelated topic.
Lastly, make sure you are posting content that people care about. If you are just posting about tire sales or about information about your shop, is that something that your customers want to share? Or do they want to share that informative article you posted about car care safety or the best ways to road trip?
- Who am I supposed to be following?
Maybe the problem is that you know you're supposed to be active on social media, but don't know you are supposed to be speaking with or following. It's a valid concern. You don't want to “like” or “follow” your competitors, but you aren't sure who you should follow. As an independent tire dealer, I would suggest following/liking the pages of the tire manufacturers that supply you. You can see what they are up to, share their content when it's relevant and see any specials they may be running that apply to your business. You also can follow any vendors or suppliers you work with for the same reason.
Once you have the tire and automotive aftermarket industries taken care of, think local. Follow your local Chamber of Commerce, other local businesses, high schools, sports teams, etc. You are a part of your community in “real life” so be a part of it online as well!
- I want to post the same content to my all my social media sites, is that bad?
Sharing the same article or topic on your social media sites isn't necessarily a bad thing, but think about how you are posting that content.
For instance, are you automatically sending your Facebook posts to your Twitter account for time efficiency? Are you using hashtags? Do you make sure your post is 140 characters or less so it makes sense when it gets published onto Twitter? There are a few reasons why you should consider this practice.
One, depending on how your post cuts off on Twitter, it may be misleading or confusing for your Twitter follows and you don't want that to happen.
Secondly, you are also not optimizing your tweets if they are getting sent from Facebook and not customized for Twitter. Understanding the platform you are on is important. If you want a time saver, use a social media dashboard like HootSuite or Buffer. Make sure you aren't cheapening the user experience and engagement you are creating because that's what your goals are.
Tire Business reporter Jennifer Karpus writes about social media for the publication. She can be reached at [email protected]; 330-865-6143; Twitter: @jenniferkarpus