7 Reasons Social Media Just Isn’t Working for You

Not getting the results you expected from social media? Here are 7 reasons your social media program is under-performing:

1) You're Not Creating Any Content of Your Own

Anybody can chirp status updates all day; those who create original content stand out, though. You need to start thinking of yourself as a publisher (take THAT, local newspaper!). Create unique and appealing content that sates your audience’s hunger for knowledge, insight, humor, and perspective. Here are 30 questions to get you started, courtesy of Jason Falls.

2) You're Not Listening

Shhhhh! Quiet for a minute! Do you hear that? No, it’s not the vuvuzelas. It’s the murmur of your community. Collectively, their voices sound like a hum, but listen closely and you can hear individual voices and common threads. Are you tuned in?

3) You Had Unrealistic Expectations

Wait a sec…you slashed your advertising budget 95% and expected Facebook and Twitter to keep you afloat? HAHAHAHA! That’s rich! Lesson #1: Social media still trail WOEFULLY behind e-mail and other marketing tools in terms of usage and influence. Lesson #2: You get what you pay for. A token spend of $300 a month to some fresh-off-the-turnip-truck social media consultant will NOT generate the sales you need to grow.

4) You're Not Helping Others Achieve Their Goals

When was the last time you propel one of your followers toward their goal? Even when it has NOTHING to do with what YOU do, helping your followers achieve their goals is good karma. Do it without expecting something in return, and you’ll eventually get something in return. That’s how karma works. Need a good example? Jeffrey Cohen suggests sharing your B2B network with those who need it.

5) Your SM Efforts Begin and End with Twitter

Repeat after me: Twitter is not a social media strategy. A large majority of your customers don’t use Twitter. Don’t let the raving Twitter addicts fool you; the world doesn’t revolve around Twitter. Can it be useful? Yes. Can you build new relationships, increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and provide customer service? Yes. Are you missing out on better ways to connect with prospects, customers, and other key audiences? Yeah, probably.

6) You're Pushing Too Hard

Stop selling. Just…just stop. Unless you’re Dell Direct and you’re offering great e-commerce discounts, nobody cares. Nobody wants to hear you say “We can do this for you” or “We’re the answer you’re looking for.” Be valuable in ways that don’t require people to by your product. Do that, and folks’ll discover what you offer.

7) You're Not Measuring…Or You're Measuring Wrong

This relates to Reason #3 a bit. Setting unrealistic expectations often begins with not knowing what you can measure, what you should measure, and how to interpret the data. Amber Naslund has a useful post about social media measurement and measuring outcomes. Here’s a hint: Sales, lead generation, and revenue are good metrics…understanding them in context is the key, though.

Other Reasons?

I know at least 3 more reasons your social media isn’t working…what are your next three?