This two-part article originally appeared in the April 2024 and May 2024 issues of THE SHOP Magazine, courtesy of Barry Alt and Motorhead Digital. It is combined into one article here.
Let’s explore some common social media issues that can impact your business’s progress, and offer some solutions.
1. THE WRONG PLATFORMS
Choose your social media platforms wisely. Before you spend one second setting up and posting to your social media channels, you need to understand where your prospective customers spend their time online.
If you’re only on Facebook and they’re on Instagram or YouTube, you might be wasting your time and resources by barking up the wrong tree. Choosing the right social media platforms is critical to reach your target audience effectively.
SOLUTION: Thoroughly research your audience. Use competitor analysis, surveys and industry data to identify where your audience spends the most time online.
We’ve found that sometimes the best solution is to simply ask your favorite clients where they spend their time online.
PRO TIP: There’s also a ton of demographic data out there that indicates that people in different age groups may gravitate toward different social media platforms. If most of your customers are baby boomers, then they might be on Facebook, for example, and maybe LinkedIn, too. (Yes, LinkedIn counts as social media.)
2. INCONSISTENT BRANDING
Maintaining a cohesive brand identity across social media profiles is the key to a professional and memorable online presence.
SOLUTION: Create comprehensive brand guidelines, including color schemes, fonts and tone of voice. Apply these guidelines consistently to all your social media profiles to ensure a unified and instantly recognizable brand.
This means using the same logo, profile info and messaging across all platforms.
PRO TIP: If you have a team of people supporting your social media efforts, we recommend that you regularly audit your social media profiles to make sure they align with your brand guidelines.
3. INCOMPLETE PROFILES & ABOUT SECTIONS
Your social media profiles act as the online representation of your shop. Filling these out is important, because they provide vital information about your business, enhance your credibility and help potential customers easily connect with you.
SOLUTION: Make sure to fill out all the required fields in the profile section of each social media platform. Include Google Business Profile details in your posts for local visibility.
Also, always link back to your website, when possible, to drive traffic and provide additional information about your business.
PRO TIP: Craft a compelling and concise bio that succinctly communicates your brand’s identity and value proposition.
4. LACK OF A REGULAR POSTING SCHEDULE
Work would stop getting done if you quit showing up, right? In the same way, consistently posting on social media is crucial to staying engaged with your audience.
SOLUTION: We see a lot of sites that haven’t posted any new content in years. Are they even still in business? Without consistent posting, it can be hard to tell.
To address the issue of irregular posting, establish a content calendar. This tool lets you plan, schedule and automate posts in advance. This guarantees a steady and reliable stream of content for your followers.
PRO TIP: Use social media management tools to streamline the scheduling and automation processes. These platforms also provide insights and analytics to further optimize your posting strategy.
5. IGNORING AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
You’d never ignore a customer standing in your brick and mortar store. If you want your online audience to become customers, too, you shouldn’t ignore them, either.
Engaging with your audience is a cornerstone of successful social media management. Ignoring this can be a costly mistake for your shop.
SOLUTION: Make it a practice to regularly monitor questions and comments, and promptly respond to them. Acknowledging comments, messages and feedback creates a sense of community and builds stronger connections with your followers.
PRO TIP: Consider setting aside dedicated time each day for social media engagement. (This is the social part of social media!)
6. LIMITED CONTENT MIX
Seeing the same old thing day after day can bore your audience and make followers quickly lose interest in your social media content. They may just ignore you or unfollow you altogether.
SOLUTION: Provide various content types, including educational posts, behind-the-scenes glimpses, engaging videos, captivating images and more. A well-rounded content strategy keeps your audience engaged and eager for what’s next.
PRO TIP: Regularly assess the performance of different content types to figure out what resonates most with your audience. Tailor your strategy to emphasize this content going forward.
7. NEGLECTING ANALYTICS & INSIGHT DATA
Analytics are your compass in the vast sea of social media, guiding you forward by showing you what’s working well and what could use a little improvement. Neglecting it can leave you at a major disadvantage.
SOLUTION: Make it a habit to use the analytics tools provided by the platforms you use or employ third-party tools. Track engagement, reach and user behavior to gain valuable insights that can inform your content strategy and help you make data-driven decisions.
PRO TIP: Set clear goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) for your social media efforts. Regularly review your analytics data to assess your progress toward these goals.
8. LACK OF A CLEAR CTA
A call to action (CTA) motivates your audience to take the next step. Clear CTAs are essential for guiding your audience on social media to take the action you want.
SOLUTION: The goal with proper CTAs is to prompt people to engage or act. To do that, define your social media goals, whether it’s brand awareness, lead generation, or driving website visits.
Then, ensure that your CTAs are in harmony with these objectives.
PRO TIP: Use compelling language to create a sense of urgency and encourage immediate action from your followers.
9. FAILING TO KEEP UP WITH TRENDS
When it comes to social media, staying current is staying ahead. That’s why keeping updated with trends is necessary for your shop’s success.
SOLUTION: Commit to ongoing trend research and awareness. While consistency in your messaging is essential, blending in timely and trending content can boost your reach and engagement, expanding your social media presence.
For example, Instagram currently favors Reels over static graphics, and often less is more with hashtags. Just because you can use 30 hashtags doesn’t mean you should.
PRO TIP: Don’t force your brand into irrelevant trends; instead, participate in those that align most naturally with your content and brand identity.
10. OVER-PROMOTION OF YOUR SHOP
Audiences appreciate value beyond promotions. Too much promotion can overwhelm and alienate your readers and viewers, leading to less engagement, loss of trust, and potential unfollows or unlikes.
SOLUTION: To address over-promotion, adopt the 80/20 rule—allocate 80% of your content to be informative, entertaining or helpful, with just 20% devoted to promotions.
We recommend starting out posting 3-5 times a week with a mix of graphics, Reels and stories. Once you understand how people are interacting with the content, you can adjust as needed.
PRO TIP: Focus on creating value content that solves your audience’s pain points. This approach ensures that even promotional content is seen as helpful rather than self-serving.
WHAT’S THE AI EFFECT?
AI has been a hot topic lately, and like many other businesses, you’re likely wondering how you can use it to your advantage.
Incorporating AI into your website and social media strategy can offer significant benefits, including:
- Automating routine tasks: AI efficiently handles repetitive chores like chatbots responding to common questions, saving valuable human resources.
- Providing useful insights: Data analysis helps you understand user behaviors and trends, guiding your decision-making with helpful information.
- Streamlining processes: AI simplifies operational tasks, making your work more efficient and productive.
- Personalizing user interactions: AI lets you deliver customized content and recommendations to each user, boosting engagement and satisfaction.
- Optimizing content delivery: AI helps guarantee your content reaches the right people at the right time through the most effective channels.
- Improving audience engagement: AI-powered interactions and content can deepen engagement, strengthening your connections with your audience.
- Staying competitive: By embracing AI, you can keep a competitive edge, providing cutting-edge user experiences and staying up to date with industry trends.
AI MISTAKES TO AVOID
Even though AI has many benefits, it’s crucial to know about its drawbacks as well. If you depend too much on AI, you might lose that personal touch in your interactions, which could turn off your audience.
Remember how important it is to have real and authentic connections with your customers. Don’t let AI take over completely and sacrifice the personalized and human-centered approach that many users like.
The key is to find a balance between using AI and keeping real human connections. Figure out where AI can help with tasks like quick responses and data analysis.
But remember, there are times when humans are needed, especially for tricky questions, keeping your brand’s personality, and addressing special customer needs.
By finding this balance, you can use AI effectively while still offering that human touch that keeps your audience happy and engaged.
GO CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS
We hope this article has given you some real-world tips to make better connections with your customers.
Staying ahead is crucial in the fiercely competitive aftermarket world, whether you offer restoration, performance enhancement, racing and/or restyling products and services. One effective way to achieve this is by establishing a robust online presence.
We’ve identified critical areas where your shop’s website and social media platforms may need improvement. Following the provided solutions for these issues, you can address any weaknesses in your social media and website strategies.
The idea is to empower you to attract new customers, enhance your brand’s visibility and pull ahead of your competition.
By proactively tackling common pitfalls and implementing best practices, you have the potential to make a lasting and positive impression on your target audience. Ultimately, this will play a pivotal role in driving the success of your shop.
BIO: Barry Alt and his team at Motorhead Digital have more than 28 years of experience in digital marketing and website development. They offer their DONE-FOR-YOU Location, Site and Marketing Maximizer programs to supercharge your website, social media and online presence to attract better, higher-value leads to your shop. Call (585) 766-9785, email maximizesales@motorheaddigital.com or visit online at motorheaddigital.com.
