9 Avoiding Manufacturing Social Media Marketing Pitfalls: What They Are and How to Fix Them
Social media marketing can be a game-changer for manufacturing companies looking to connect with their audience and grow their business. In fact, many manufacturers have seen its benefits that in 2022, 85% of manufacturing companies used social media, up from 75% in 2021.
But with all the potential benefits come pitfalls. In order to avoid these missteps, it is crucial for companies to understand the common pitfalls associated with social media marketing. One poorly thought-out post or comment can damage your brand’s reputation and undo all the hard work you’ve put into building it.
In this blog post, I’ll explore some common social media marketing mishaps that manufacturing companies make and provide actionable tips on how to avoid them. From the lack of time and resources to not knowing where to start, I’ll cover it all so you can navigate the social media landscape with confidence.
Whether your manufacturing company is new to social media or a seasoned pro, it’s important to stay on top of best practices and avoid common pitfalls.
So, if you’re ready to take your social media marketing strategy to the next level, read on and discover how to avoid common mishaps and succeed in the manufacturing industry.
9 Most Common Manufacturing Social Media Marketing Pitfalls (and How to Fix Them)
Manufacturing companies face a variety of specific challenges in social media marketing. Unlike other industries, manufacturing marketing requires a unique approach to avoid potential PR nightmares. Despite these challenges, there are ways for manufacturers to avoid social media mishaps and succeed in their online presence.
1. Lack of time and resources
I can attest to the fact that we often have limited time and resources to spare. It can be a challenge to launch a social media campaign when you’re busy trying to keep up with production demands and keep the factory running!
However, with careful planning and the right approach, manufacturers can tap into the power of social media to reach their target audience, build brand awareness, and ultimately drive sales.
One key consideration is resource management. Manufacturing companies may not have the same level of resources as larger corporations, but they can still make the most of what they have.
How?
Here are some tips for manufacturing companies that are short on time and resource:
2. Not knowing where to start
With so many platforms and channels available, it’s hard to know where to begin. And that can be a daunting task.
However, by taking the time to understand each platform’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as your manufacturing company’s unique marketing goals, you can create a successful social media marketing strategy that will help grow your brand and connect with your target audience.
So, consider your target audience. What is the age, gender, and location of your target audience? What are their interests? Once you know your target audience, you can choose social media platforms that they are likely to use.
As an example, people still hold the notion that Pinterest is used by older female demographics, the Moms, but that is not true. Pinterest has data available to support what I just said.
To avoid these mishaps, it’s important to have a plan for your manufacturing social media marketing. This plan should include your goals, target audience, content strategy, and measurement plan.
By having a plan in place, you can maximize the benefits of social media marketing and avoid costly mistakes.
Here are some tips for choosing the right social media platforms for your manufacturing business:
By following these tips, you can choose the right social media platforms for your manufacturing business and achieve your marketing goals.
3. The absence of a content strategy
The absence of a content strategy is a manufacturing social media marketing mistake because it leads to inconsistent messaging, missed opportunities, and wasted resources.
Without a content strategy, manufacturing companies are more likely to post content that is irrelevant to their target audience, does not align with their brand, or is simply not interesting. This can lead to low engagement and a lack of social media followers.
In addition, without a content strategy, manufacturing companies are more likely to miss opportunities to connect with customers and prospects. For example, if a company is launching a new product, it may not take advantage of the excitement and buzz that surrounds a new product launch if they do not have a content strategy in place.
Lack of a content strategy can be costly, denying potential opportunities and wasting resources.
Finally, without a content strategy, manufacturing companies are more likely to waste resources on social media marketing. For example, they may spend money on advertising or social media influencers without knowing what kind of content will resonate with their target audience.
By developing a content strategy, manufacturing companies can avoid these mistakes and maximize the benefits of social media marketing. A content strategy should include the following elements:
By following these steps, manufacturing companies can develop a content strategy that will help them achieve their social media marketing goals.
4. Difficulty measuring social media ROI
Manufacturing companies experience difficulty measuring social media ROI because social media is a complex and multifaceted platform. There is a good deal of different metrics that can measure social media ROI, and the most important metrics will vary depending on the specific goals of the company. Also, social media ROI can be difficult to measure because it’s difficult to isolate the impact of social media from other marketing channels.
Here are some reasons manufacturing companies find it difficult to measure social media ROI:
The profound impact of social media on manufacturing companies is difficult to measure, but its uplifting effects are undeniable.
Despite the challenges, it is important for manufacturing companies to measure social media ROI. By tracking the impact of social media marketing, companies can make informed decisions about how to allocate their resources and improve their results.
Here are some tips for manufacturing companies to measure social media ROI:
5. Lack of understanding of how social media works
One of the biggest social media marketing mistakes that manufacturing companies make is failing to understand how social media works, which can lead to ineffective campaigns.
Rather than treating social media as a broadcast tool or an advertising space, manufacturing companies need to realize that the actual power of social media lies in developing meaningful relationships with customers.
Social media is an avenue for authentic conversations that build trust, foster engagement, and create a loyal community of brand advocates.
Therefore, manufacturing companies that want to make a positive impact on social media should prioritize the importance of conversations.
In order to fix this mistake, manufacturing companies that want to make a positive impact on social media should recognize the importance of conversations and take steps to facilitate real dialogue with their followers to help create an authentic community of brand advocates.
This could include hosting Q & A sessions, creating polls, and inviting discussions with community members.
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“I have known Ruby for over a decade, and I appreciate her knowledge, expertise, and talent with Social Media Marketing. She depicts a strategy for SCTools’ new and existing customers with excellent results. We look forward to a long-term business relationship with Ruby Rusine.”
— Lermit Diaz, SC Tools
6. Unrealistic social media goals
Another common mistake that manufacturing companies make with their social media marketing is setting unrealistic goals. While it’s important to have ambitious goals and strive for success, businesses need to be mindful of the resources they have available in order to achieve their desired outcomes.
Yes, this is also true even when working with a social media agency. Although we can scale efforts, we cannot magically make a post for a company to become viral or famous.
For instance, if a manufacturing company wants to increase its social media following by 25% within a year, but only has one person managing all of its social media accounts on top of other tasks, that’s going to be a challenge without help.
The key to avoiding such mistakes is to set realistic goals and identify the resources necessary to achieve them. Instead of focusing on one large, unattainable goal, it’s better for manufacturing companies to break down their goals into smaller, more achievable targets and prioritize tasks accordingly.
It is not the magnitude of a goal that will bring success, but the dedication and resourcefulness employed to secure its achievement.
For instance, rather than aiming for a 25% increase in followers, businesses should create campaigns that focus on increasing engagement and brand awareness. This could include setting aside time to respond to comments, replying to customer inquiries, or creating campaigns that focus on user-generated content.
Businesses should also prioritize quality content over quantity when it comes to their social media activities.
7. Lack of expertise in integrating social media optimization
Social media optimization (SMO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or web page in search engine results pages (SERPs) through social media. SMO can be a complex and time-consuming process, and it is important to have the expertise to do it correctly.
The inability to understand how SMO works can lead to a social media disconnect with your audience.
SMO can be achieved through a variety of techniques, including:
8. Not using social media to recruit new employees
Not using social media to recruit new employees is another manufacturing social media marketing mistake because it is a missed opportunity to reach a large and diverse pool of candidates.
Millions of people around the world, many of whom are actively looking for new jobs, use social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. By using social media to promote open positions, manufacturing companies can reach a wider audience than they would through traditional methods, such as job boards or newspaper ads.
Social media can also create a positive and engaging candidate experience. By sharing company culture, values, and benefits on social media, manufacturing companies can attract and retain top talent.
Companies with a successful employee advocacy program are 58% more likely to attract and 20% more likely to retain top talent.
LinkedIn
Here are some tips for using social media to recruit new employees:
9. Not having a social media policy in place
Not having a formal social media policy in place is one of the most common manufacturing social media marketing mistakes.
A social media policy outlines the rules and regulations that employees must follow when using company accounts. It also provides guidance on how to respond to customer comments and protect the company’s online presence.
Creating a comprehensive social media policy helps ensure that all employees are on the same page when it comes to social media marketing, and it also helps protect the company from potential legal issues.
Foresight in crafting a sound social media policy is the key to holistically and effectively managing your company’s online presence.
When creating a policy, here are some core elements to include:
Next steps for avoiding manufacturing social media marketing pitfalls
Leveraging the most sought-after marketing platforms, such as social media, can be an excellent opportunity for small-to-medium B2B manufacturers to increase their reach to potential customers, build brand awareness, and recruit new employees.
However, while social media can be an incredible source of potential new business, it can also be a source of mistakes, risks, and even reputation damage if not managed correctly.
By understanding the most common social media marketing mishaps in manufacturing and learning how to address them, manufacturers can use these platforms effectively to promote their businesses and achieve their objectives.
Partnering with experienced social media specialists, like Social Success Marketing, can help small-to-medium B2B manufacturers navigate the complexities of these platforms and develop a strategy consistent with your specific marketing goals. Talk to our team today, and we will help you maximize your social media potential!
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