It’s no secret that we’re more inundated with information and content than ever before. People do wild things in their quests to stand out. If you become famous for something that’s not consistent with your brand, it doesn’t help the bottom line. If you become famous for something that’s not consistent with your values, you alienate the customers you want and spend time you don’t have cleaning up PR nightmares. Here are some mistakes to avoid:
- Ignoring your core customers while trying to appeal to the masses. Everyone wants to go viral, but marketing to everyone is the same as marketing to no one. The most important thing is to know your customers and your target market, and gear your campaigns toward them. It’s great if a million people think you’re funny and watch your video, but it’s better if a thousand people watch your video and become paying customers. Always direct your efforts at the people you actually need to reach.
- Not giving yourself time to think things through. Everything moves at such a fast pace these days, and the pressure to constantly post is immense. Resist the urge to rush through things. Slow down, be strategic, and do your research. Create a posting schedule that works for you, and set aside a chunk of time one day a week to decide what to post and schedule your content rather than coming up with something new every day. Make sure you leave time to proofread for mistakes.
- Diminishing important social issues. It’s particularly egregious when brands jump on the bandwagon of a cause that they don’t fully understand or really support, trivializing someone’s very real struggles in the process. None of us is likely to forget the time Pepsi’s commercial had Kylie Jenner give a soda to a cop at a Black Lives Matter protest to solve racism in America. It’s fine to support causes you actually believe in, and you definitely should do that! But latching on to a social issue just because it’s popular and offering your brand as a solution to something it can’t solve is cringeworthy at best and unforgivable at worst.
- Being controversial for the sake of being controversial. Similarly, you don’t really want the attention you get by being controversial just to get attention. People often say that no publicity is bad publicity; in the age of social media, that is demonstrably false. If you’re coming out with a controversial opinion, you better be ready to defend it. It should match your values and your values should match your brand. Saying something obviously wrong just to get attention backfires more often than not. This also applies to posting unverified stories, fake news, etc. just for clicks. It may work as a short term strategy, but it will destroy your legitimate brand in the process, and it’s morally reprehensible.
- Failing to consider the context of memes. This is another reason you should take your time before posting. Several brands have used famous memes without considering their origins and have paid heavily for it. While everyone makes mistakes and no one can know everything that’s going on on the internet, you do have a responsibility to at least try to determine the origins of anything you post. You might not think you have time to do the research, but someone out there will have that time and they will expect you to be accountable. Even if you honestly just made a mistake, many people will believe it was intentional, especially if the meme’s origins are racist, sexist, antisemitic, classist, etc. Google a meme’s origin and see what made it popular before using it in your social media marketing. Don’t let your brand be associated with anything you wouldn’t want your customers to think you support.
- Being the only person to approve a campaign. Finally, it is a mistake to be the only person working on a campaign and the only person who sees posts, ads, or other marketing materials. Unless you are a business of one, you should have at least one other person you trust to look things over and give you their impressions. It is helpful if their background and perspective differs from yours. You can’t know everything, and you must be open to learning from people who have had different experiences.
Marketing in the digital age can be a minefield, but if you’re thoughtful, careful, and strategic in your approach, you can reach the right people without damaging your brand.
Substance and Style 