While it might seem like a good idea to spontaneously send a post or email blast to generate sales, there are 5 good reasons to pause – just for a moment.
1. Think about the legal consequences
In the rush to post something NOW because it seems like a good idea, you can easily make a mistake leaving you red-faced or worse, in legal trouble. If you normally go through legal checks before printing something like a brochure, do the same for your online marketing material. If your posts contain misleading, false or deceptive statements, it is considered a breach of consumer law.
2. Planning is everything
While it can be quick and cheap to conduct an online campaign or set up a social media site, your efforts will be wasted if you don’t plan who you want to talk to and your goals for the post. To succeed, you need to give your social media marketing the same type of planning as every other piece of marketing you do.
3. Keep your message consistent
Every statement you make about your business, a particular product or service should be consistent across all platforms. This is fundamental to all marketing communications – regardless of audience or format.
4. Remember, online is forever!
You can never predict what the search engines will pick up. That means your online mistakes have the potential to be there forever – haunting you and turning up when you least expect it! Without the legal checks and strategy development you normally undertake, serious brand damaging errors could go to huge numbers of existing or potential clients.
5. Going viral may not be good
It seems that for every viral video that’s good, there are dozens that are embarrassing or just something you’d rather the world didn’t see. Don’t risk your brand’s reputation by being an example of what can go horribly wrong in the online world.
Online marketing = more marketing tools
When it’s done well, social media marketing is a powerful and effective tool. It provides smaller businesses with the power to compete directly with the large brands. It also allows you to communicate directly with your target market.
But remember, to be successful your social media marketing requires planning, time and resources. Don’t rush into doing something because you can. Determine what you want to achieve before you take action.
Looking for help?
The team at Consider It Done Australia can help businesses of all sizes with their content planning and creation. We can also introduce you to trusted social media marketers.
To chat about the possibilities, contact Karen at Consider It Done Australia.
