Five Social Media Mistakes You're Probably Making

When people realized that social media sites like Twitter and Facebook weren't just a fad, and started hopping on them to build their businesses, a few things went awry.  That's right, I said it. Lots of people – myself included – make social media mistakes. And when you don't realize what you're doing wrong, it can affect your business.

Here are the 5 social media mistakes you're probably making and, of course, what you can do about them.

Mistake 1. Not Taking Part

It's absolutely OK not to use all the social media tools out there, especially if your target audience or relevant media sources don't happen to use these sites. That being said, I do encourage you to try 5 of the most powerful options in order to stay current and push your business to grow quickly.

The 5 options to try:

• Twitter: A social networking and microblogging tool that allows you to 'tweet' a 140 character message to followers. Once you build a following of people, it can be pretty powerful. Another great thing about Twitter is many media and A-list personalities are using it, making it easier than ever to interact with people who can help your business grow. 
  
• Facebook: Fan pages on Facebook are a great way to gain a following of people who like your work and want to hear more about it. Another option is a Facebook group, which lets you send a private message to your members (great for when you're having an event).  You'll be surprised at how excited family and old friends are about your business, resulting in word-of-mouth referrals and new sales.
  
• LinkedIn: While LinkedIn may not seem like a place for artists and crafters to hang out, it's a great site to network and scout potential buyers, media people, art distributors and other valuable contacts for your business. Besides that, you can ask for reviews of your products from fellow buyers and grow your company's reputation quickly on the site. Lastly, there are a few great forum communities that will help you with marketing advice and growth tips.
  
• Blogging: Back in 2006, Cnet news reported that 2 new blogs were being created every second, so imagine how many blogs are being born today. Sure, that means the competition is steep, but if you work hard enough to grow a following of your target audience and nurture their loyalty, you will see great success maintaining regular sales.
  
• Email List: A list of subscribers who sign up to hear about your company's news and sales is, in my opinion, the most powerful tool you can have for your business. Sure, blogs, Twitter and Facebook are great, but with a mailing list you can send a discount code or big promotion directly to someone's inbox, encouraging them to act on that message.

Mistake 2. Not Updating Enough

I'm guilty of this because life often seems to get in the way of good business. You set up your accounts, use them like crazy and then, as time goes on your interest fades – especially when business picks up. The problem is, if you don't continually use these tools, even at a slower pace, your chance of steady business and ongoing referrals will start to thin out and you'll end up with too much time on your hands (and less money in your pocket).

Courtesy of Zawezome

What to do? Get back on the horse:

• Make time for networking. You need to schedule in these activities (like networking on Twitter, updating your fan page, and publishing a blog post) just like you make time for product creation and listing submissions. Try at least 10 minutes a day and see where that gets you. Many smart phones and cellphones allow you to network while in line at the grocery store, airport or any other time you find yourself not at home with idle time. 
  
• Sit down with a pen and paper and come up with several ideas for blog posts, working toward an editorial calendar. That way, when you sit down at the computer, you already have a great list full of topics to start writing about. Out of ideas?
• Take part in a linky party, which Tara from Scoutie Girl points out helps bloggers get new ideas on what to write that week. A linky party is when one blogger writes a post and then encourages others to write about that topic and share their link using the tool McLinky.
  
• Make your time count. Don't start jumping from blog to blog and getting stuck in what Charlie Gilkey calls the Infinite Loop. Instead, use your marketing minutes to leave a mark with an insightful comment on a blog or an interesting tweet that allows someone take notice of you.

Mistake 3. Not Being Professional

Don't get me wrong, being a straight shooter has gotten me into "unprofessional" situations because I've had to deal with those who didn't understand my less-than-sweet tone when responding to their email or comments. But, in time, I've adjusted my tone to help me get farther in business, while still allowing my personality to shine through. Being polite and kind when people email you, leave comments on your blog or reply to you on Twitter is seriously good karma and good for business, too.

Flirty Follow Me stockings by Tattoo Socks

What to do? Watch your A.T.T.:

• Don't gossip about or make fun of anyone. Period. With all the search tools out there, someone is bound to find out and it could come back to haunt you and your business.  Besides, it's just plain mean.
  
• Be true to yourself. If you are trying to be someone you're not because you think it will get you more attention, cut the crap. It doesn't matter if you're silly, quirky, weird or just plain normal (imagine that!), just be yourself and kindred spirits will find and follow you and your business.
  
• Observe others. By this, I mean watch how others are interacting with their peers and audience. That way you can get a sense of the dos and don'ts. You will also quickly see what YOU personally find inappropriate and that will be helpful deciding how and when to jump into online conversations. 
  
• The sliding scale. I have my own personal "sliding scale" of professionalism – depending on what tool I use. For example, it's good to respond professionally to customer inquiries via email, but you can get more fun and silly when it comes to sites like Twitter and Facebook. Feel free to adjust your tone (without abandoning your brand and personality) depending on the type of social tool you are using.

Mistake 4. Not Giving To Others

Think of social media like karma: You get what you give. For instance, if you spent all day on Twitter just pumping out your own links, do you really expect someone to want to share your latest sale with their own followers? But, if you spent time interacting with people and sharing their content, guess what? You're going to get people responding and reciprocating.

Courtesy of Jill Clardy

What to do? Know how to give on each site:

• Twitter: Retweet other people's helpful content and reply and interact with anyone from followers to peers to the media. 
  
• Facebook: Ask questions on your fan page and merge your wall with your fan's wall (so there is just one wall and not ONLY your own updates)
  
• LinkedIn: Recommend others who you've worked with and purchased products from.
  
• Email lists: Give out tips and interesting advice three times more than trying to get them to buy something from you. It's all about a healthy balance of free, free, free, sell.
  
• Your Blog: Publish a roundup post that lists interesting blog posts by people in your market and use a blog roll to encourage others to have you on theirs.

Mistake 5. Being TOO Giving

On the flip side of not giving at all is giving so much you forget to promote your business. Michael Martine once told me that if an artist blogs about another artist's work in the form of an interview or showcase, they are actually blogging for their peers and not for their customers. This is something I see so often it hurts.

Instead of driving (the wrong type of) traffic to your blog through promotion of other people, use your blog to write for your target customer. Or if you're on Twitter, share your links or messages once you've done your 80% of sharing (in the form of retweets and replies).

I'm not saying you should never promote someone else, especially when you love the handmade community we are all a part of. What I am saying is don't do it at the expense of your own business goals.

What to do? Try this:

• For your blog, figure out what your customer wants to know about and write all about it. If you sell children's masks, determine what a customer looking for that would be interested in before, during and after their search of a handmade mask for kids.
  
• For Twitter, use the 80:20 rule and make sure that when you've finished up with sharing, networking and interacting, send out a link or ask someone to become a subscriber. There's no harm in that.
  
• For LinkedIn, ask for a review from someone who has purchased your goods or send a pitch to a media personality should you think they're looking for your type of work.
  
• With email lists, send out a sale or ask for feedback once you've given enough great content and tips to satisfy the "free, free, free, sell" rule.
  
• For Facebook, remind fans of a discount and don't feel guilty about it. You're here to promote yourself after all.

Justine Smith is an Etsy success story who used her experience selling online and turned it into a full-time wholesale business. Her real passion is helping handmade sellers find success marketing their craft products. She offers tips on advertising, branding, social media and growth via email through her blog Handmade Marketer.

Main Image - Partners in Crime, Courtesy of Tiina Purin