Social media have been at the heart of our digital attention for years now. They’ve become one of the most effective tools to expand your digital presence and grow your overall brand reputation, generate word of mouth, and of course, elevate yourself above your competition. All in all, one would say that digital social circles have a truly outstanding impact on succeeding in your industry. We could say the very same about advertising on billboards and hosting radio talks. However, when you choose an inappropriate slogan for the billboard or make an inappropriate statement during the talks, you run the risk of ruining your reputation and consequently your business. Ultimately, the same can be said for your social media presence – it’s a double-edged sword, and it pays to know the downsides and possible risks as well as the many ways in which you can use it to grow your brand. To shed some light on the dark side of social media for business, here are a few negative effects that improper social media management can have on your brand – and hopefully, you’ll prevent each and every one.
Lack of brand visibility
They say that timing is everything, and it rings true with your social media efforts, too. Brands that often give their best to produce brilliant content pieces need to do their homework on when and where to post them as well. Having great content at your disposal is merely half the battle since it’s up to you to use the right platforms to get those wonderful bits of wisdom in front of your audience and to time the process perfectly. Small businesses often lack the structure behind their social media behavior, so they haphazardly post status updates in the hopes of getting more traction. What they’re in fact doing is wasting their own time and quality content that would potentially be used better elsewhere, at a different time. The difference could be a matter of minutes or hours, but for the sake of brand visibility, make sure to tweak your posting game.
Reputation damage
It’s inevitable to come across people who don’t share your beliefs or values, as well as those who blatantly dislike what you do. For whatever reason, you’ll find them using social media together with potent hashtags to post comments on your business that could harm your reputation. Add to that the potential harm of negative reviews left unanswered and unresolved, and you could have a PR nightmare on your hands. For the sake of better reputation management, implementing social mention monitoring into your strategy is essential to make sure you spot potential threats and resolve them quickly and efficiently. After all, your name is on the line. Monitoring also helps you understand exactly in what contexts your brand name appears so that you can increase the effectiveness of your social media efforts down the line.
Lack of engagement with your audience
Lucky brands know that comments by your audience on your social media posts are priceless. Whether they come in the form of direct questions or simple statements, they are a goldmine of engagement waiting for you to hit that reply button, tag each customer, thank them, respond to their questions, and sometimes offer them a discount!
Fail to do any of that, and chances are that you will alienate your followers in no time. Most versed companies also use social media as a customer service tool, which means that direct messaging can be used to cross-sell, upsell, explain the features your products or services offer, and reply to any inquiries your customers have. Alas, not using those opportunities can also lead to loss of engagement, hence the need to step up your activity on social networks.
Poor choice of influencers
If you’re eager to grow your reputation and your following, you might be tempted to rush your decision to work with a particular influencer. This might backfire since not taking your time to do your homework could lead to unsuitable collaborations. They, in turn, could wreck your credibility and mismatch you with an entire follower base that has no use of your product or service. Think of your relationship with them as a form of long-term commitment. Look into their social track record, see their past collaborations, their audience, and their relevance for your brand. Take your time to nurture those bonds before you offer a partnership, and you might save yourself plenty of issues early on.
Social networks are certainly growing in popularity, especially in professional circles with more brands joining the social ranks. Make sure to assess each social step you make and you will be able to prevent these mishaps and reputation issues for as long as you run your company.
