In anticipation of claiming their piece of the giant social media empire, businesses across the board are diving deep into the social media marketing pool. Their end-game being, to stroke boldly through the various platform’s waters until the waves of profit shift them into a comfortable float.

But that coveted ROI is often slow to materialize into a profitable “float.” Splashing, sputtering, and sinking, however, are not in short supply. Why are companies not seeing the ROI they long to see from these easily-accessible avenues of advertising?

Consider these culprits that may be sabotaging the return on your social media marketing investment.

  • A “More is Better” Mindset

Many eager business owners race to spread their name, their brand across every social media platform out there. But Colton Bollinger, CEO of Jumper Media, warns against the “more is merrier” approach.

“Social media success has little to do with the number of profiles you have, the photos you like or the people you follow — just as the success of your dating life isn’t based on how many Tinder profiles you swipe right on. With so much content out there and just so much time in the day, the mindshare of the consumer is becoming more and more competitive among brands.”

Bollinger advises a “quality over quantity” approach with a focus on how your content will resonate with your target audience. “Create content you know your audience wants to see on their feeds. It’s not about you or your company; it’s about them.”

  • A Lack of Strategy

“The top reason brands fail to see results from their efforts on Facebook is a lack of strategy. This is true for both national brands and small businesses. A social media strategy is NOT just posting pretty pictures,” warns Nathan Mendenhall, Director of Social Strategy at THAT Agency

As a basic strategy, he advises attention to these four points—

  • Identification of your goal
  • A decision on which channels will achieve that goal
  • An outline of your content plan
  • An allocated advertising budget

“With an overall strategy in mind,” concludes Mendenhall, “you have a beacon with which to align everything you do on social media.”

  • Too Little Time Commitment

A 2017 Manta survey polled more than 4,700 U.S. small businesses with fewer than 10 employees, concerning their Facebook marketing efforts.

Despite their stated goals being awareness, new customers, phone calls from new customers, traffic to their website via new customers, and retention, their aspirations did not translate into an investment of time. Fifty-eight percent of respondents admitted to spending less than one hour a week marketing their business on Facebook. Another 16% allotted only one to two hours on a weekly basis.

Posting frequency did not fare any better, as a whopping 58% confessed to posting only a few times a month. Another 20% acknowledged posted a few times a week while only 22% stated they posted at least once daily.

“If you’re going to post a few times per month, and spend two hours per week on social media, just go ahead and close your accounts. Having none would drive equal results for your business,” suggests Mendenhall.

Ouch. Sometimes the truth hurts.

Bollinger concurs. “Consider the expression ‘Out of sight, out of mind.’ In that context, any business with a “when I can” approach to engaging online customers will eventually see its brand buried. The reason is that even more crucial than crafting persuasive content is consistent content.”

The bottom line:  consistently posted compelling content is key.

  • Missing the target audience

“Low engagement with social media posts is a constant issue for eSellers. If you’re not getting the social engagement you want, one of the reasons might be that your content isn’t reaching your target audience. Effectively engaging with your target audience means understanding who they are and the types of content they engage with the most,” notes Abby Heugel.

She suggests seeking answers to these questions to pinpoint the type of content that will resonate with your target customer.

  • What is your target audience posting about?
  • Who are they engaging with?
  • Which of your competitor’s posts get the most reactions from their followers?

There’s no reason to traverse the world of social media on your own. Let ASJ Partner’s expertise in comprehensive marketing strategies for the staffing industry provide expert assistance for all your advertising endeavors.

Our team will create a customized package that will enhance and capitalize on the unique attributes and branding opportunities of each social media platform, complete with a specific employee to provide consulting and guidance. So, what are you waiting for? Give our team a call today!