Learning From Social Media Mistakes
When it comes to the world of social media, staffing firms must realize that the smallest of mistakes has the potential to come back and haunt your brand for a very long time. While it is important to always try to convey your firm’s personality, remember to be genuine and not to stage something just for the sake of promoting your services. In order to avoid a possible staffing firm social media mistake, take a look at the following suggestions and always be consistent with your online efforts.
Unfocused Efforts
Do you have a well-thought-out social media plan, or are you simply taking shots in the dark? If your staffing firm’s social media efforts are unfocused, you are destined to fail. Instead of becoming frustrated, take the time to design a comprehensive social media plan and be sure to assign individual responsibilities to members of your team. Use social media to tie together your efforts and to promote your content marketing and direct marketing campaigns. Ensure that you are being responsive to your target audience by engaging them in meaningful conversations at all times.
The Internet Lasts Forever
The number one rule in social media is to choose your words carefully. Many brands have suffered due to one ill-received online post. Keep in mind that what one person views as a funny comment or innocent joke may very well be viewed as a hurtful or offensive post by others. Never try to jump on the trending bandwagon by adding a popular hashtag to your posts unless it is relevant to your post and ties into niche of the staffing industry. Always think before you post something online and never put anything on your social media profiles that leaves your target audience questioning your intent.
Not Showing Respect
Another common staffing firm social media mistake is failing to show respect for different opinions within your target audience. People with extremely positive experiences are hopefully going to recommend your staffing firm online, so be gracious and thank them for taking the time to share their recommendation. Of course, there are also going to be those who are unhappy with the services they received, and these are the people who are much more likely to search out your social media profiles and voice a negative comment. Be professional when responding to both the positive and the negative feedback, and always be sure to reply in a timely manner.
Missed Opportunities
Failing to take advantage of all possible lead-generating online efforts is another common staffing firm social media mistake. Are you actively engaging your audience by posting weekly blog articles and promoting them through your social media profiles? Did you search out relevant LinkedIn professional groups and establish your staffing firm as a thought leader? Have you taken the time to join industry forums and contribute helpful advice? By sharing insightful content on a regular basis, you are opening up an avenue for conversation and building up a loyal group of followers.
Not Paying Attention to SEO
Where does your staffing firm appear in online searches? Are you on page one, or buried behind all of your competitors somewhere on page ten? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a great way to attract new visitors to your site and generate new leads, so it is important to pay close attention to your analytics. Search engines factor a company’s social media presence into their SEO rankings, so be sure to actively engage clients and candidates through all relevant social media channels. Carefully collect and analyze your online data and critically view the information as a way to improve your staffing firm’s SEO ranking.
Key Takeaways to Learning from Social Media Mistakes:
- Begin your online efforts by creating a well-thought-out social media plan
- Remember that online posts last forever, even if you think they are deleted
- Not showing respect for differing viewpoints is a social media mistake
- Failing to maintain a weekly blog or join online forums are missed opportunities
- Pay close attention to your staffing firm’s SEO ranking and analytics
About S.J.Hemley Marketing
S.J.Hemley Marketing is a marketing and sales consulting firm focused on driving tangible results for professional services firms. Brand matters, but not without ROI. With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience within staffing and recruiting, we have helped to drive successful branding, sales training, lead generation activities as well as defining marketing strategy for top organizations.