3 Social-Media Mistakes That Are Killing Interest in Your Company While entrepreneurs launch social-media campaigns to help spread the word, their strategy can backfire -- causing more harm than good. Here are three things not to do.
By Ann Tran •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
So, you've turned your crusade into a cool campaign and now you want to get social-media influencers to not only support the initiative but also spread the word. While that is often the point of launching a social-media campaign, many times an entrepreneur's strategy can backfire -- resulting in more harm than good.
To make your social-media crusade a success, make sure don't do these three things.
Related: Don't Make These Social-Media Blunders That Businesses Keep Repeating
1. Make it impersonal.
First, don't be a spammer. Reaching out to 50 people on Twitter at the same time will not make them feel warm and fuzzy inside.They'll feel about as special as you do when you get spammed.
Have you taken the time to select Twitter users who you feel are innovative? How thoughtful. But if you still send them the same message, you're not doing yourself any favors. It may be better to take the conversation offline and perhaps do a little research on each person and write a tailored invite. An even more effective way, perhaps, would be to arrange a short call with them to discuss your new project in more detail. That way you can get to know each other better and they can gauge the possibility of working together. They most likely would also want to know who else is included on your master list, and if they are also getting involved.
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2. Don't make them feel special.
Don't be clueless by blindly pitching to those influencers. Believe me, they get so many pitches a day, you really need to make yours stand out. If you don't have a clue before contacting them, it will be impossible to get them passionate about your crusade. Thinking of buttering them up by saying how much you admire their work -- and then immediately follow that with a note about how you'd love to be featured on their site? #EpicFail This "request" will get trashed immediately.
When you approach your influencers, you may want to provide a case scenario about how they may benefit from collaborating with you. What is in it for them if they decide to share their valuable time, insights, skills and expertise? Everyone's time should be respected, and this is something each of us have to consider when thinking of our social-media connections and our interactions with the individuals.
If you are lucky enough to team up with someone who supports your project, just as with any relationship, it's necessary to provide mutual respect and cultivate them.
3. Be a cheapskate.
Have you thought about compensation? These people don't wave a magic wand to make all of this engagement happen. It takes hard work and effort to produce all of the things needed for a successful campaign. So if you're not planning on paying them anything, it's likely you'll get exactly what you paid for: nothing. In order for them to provide you with a valuable service, they need to feel valued. (And pssst, that doesn't always mean money. Do your research.) Sometimes being cheap can strain the relationship, so think long term.
Related: 3 Annoying Social-Media Mistakes Businesses Need to Avoid
