Your Social Media Presence – The 5 Facepalms You’re Making

The purpose of your social media presence (on any platform, not just IG) is to, well, be present. What you do with that presence can range from creating awareness, visibility, outreach, engagement, and if well-planned, revenue for your brand. 

But if you’re not reaping the benefits of social media such as a:

• consistent flow of traffic to your website and landing pages
• growing email list full of ideal clients
• influx of referrals and leads
• increase in conversion and sales

…well, you’re likely using social media incorrectly.

In Your Social Media Presence – The 5 Mistakes You’re Making (and how to fix them), we are going to break down the errors that many entrepreneurs make when using their social platforms for the business so that you can avoid these pitfalls altogether (or clean things up if necessary)!

Mistake #1 With Your Social Media Presence – Using Social Media As Your Main Form of Communication

“Wait, you posted about that on your Instagram? When? I didn’t see it!”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever received a message or comment like this from someone in your audience.

Social media is a fantastic tool for connecting with your audience, but because of the short lifespan of your content, your community could miss important messages. 

From launches, deadlines, discounts, and everything in between, social media isn’t reliable enough to ensure your people stay up to date.

The Fix: Start Prioritizing Your Email List

Because your emails will remain in someone’s inbox indefinitely, using your newsletter or email list as your main form of communication is much more effective than posting on social media.

Plus, email allows you to easily share in-depth information such as discount codes, links to websites and external resources, registration forms, and so much more.

Mistake #2 With Your Social Media Presence – You’re Being Stingy

When creating content for social media, there is a hesitancy to “give too much away”. However, the more you give, the more you will receive. Here’s ↓ why.

First, the mindset that if you “give too much away then people won’t feel the need to hire you” is a form of scarcity. Being in an energetic state of scarcity will repel your ideal clients, no matter how good your content is. The more you give, the more you receive.

Second, giving away your best tips, tricks, recommendations, and resources will actually exemplify your expertise and value, not take away from it. Most people aren’t hiring you for the information you have, they’re hiring you for customization, accountability, and support. 

Finally, by giving away your “best information” you will inevitably stretch yourself to gather even better information and create more valuable resources. This in turn allows you to expand your expertise, grow as a leader, and become even more valuable to your community. 

The Fix: Give Your Best Information With an Open Heart

What information are you withholding from your audience, and how can you turn it into bite-sized, digestible content that will magnetize the exact type of people who need to work with you most? By giving through the intention of service, you will attract clients who are happy to invest in your offerings.

Mistake #3 With Your Social Media Presence – Your Content Lacks an “On-Brand Aesthetic“

When we say aesthetic, most entrepreneurs who have yet to create the creative direction for their brand automatically assume we mean that their feeds need to look perfect.

When in reality, having an on-brand aesthetic can be as simple as: 

• using the same editing effects on your photo/video content 
• creating a brand color palette and type suit that you use consistently
• alternating photo, video, and graphic content so your feed has some organization

At the end of the day, the human mind prefers organization because it helps us process information at a higher level. When your content lacks an aesthetic, your content is harder to consume. 

Plus, when you take the time to establish an aesthetic that represents your brand, your content will become more recognizable and memorable to your audience (which is a win-win for you attracting more ideal clients).

The Fix: Establish a Creative Direction and Make a Template

Repeat after us: “I do not need to have a perfectly curated profile in order to have an on-brand aesthetic.“

Instead, use our article on Creative Direction Process 101: All the Basics You Need to Know, to make some important decisions about how your brand will look and feel through your social media presence. 

The creative direction process is not only a lot of fun, but it also helps you deepen your understanding of what differentiates you from other brands so that you increase your bottom line by marketing what makes you unique.

Mistake #4 With Your Social Media Presence – Not Using a CTA In Every. Single. Post. (And Bio)

A call to action is not just for making a sale, it is also helpful for directing your audience to understand what action(s) will help them get the most out of your brand.

If you are hosting a free workshop, doing a product giveaway, offering a time-limited discount, or posting a new article to your blog, a call to action encourages your community to reap the benefits of your latest announcement.

Even if you are not giving something away or sharing about a new resource, using a call to action in every single post helps your audience get used to engaging with your brand on social media, and this increases the likelihood of them engaging with your brand when you do have something to sell.

The Fix: Perform An Audit and Create New Systems

It’s very likely that you are used to applying a call to action on certain types of content. To see where else you need to implement a CTA, perform a content audit to get a feel for where you are falling short.

Once you have a list of the type of content that is typically lacking a CTA, create a new step in your content writing system that reminds you to add a call to action in every single piece of content.

Need help getting started? Consider the following CTAs:

• Leave a comment down below about…
• Double tap if this post was helpful!
• Share this post with a friend who needs to hear it!
• Tag a friend in the comments?
• Save this post for later!
• Sign up/register/enroll through the link in my bio!
• Snag the discount through the link in my bio!
• Check out this account! 

Mistake #5 With Your Social Media Presence – You’re Being Waaay Too Transparent

Yes, you want your audience to know, like, and trust you, but you don’t need to be 100% transparent with your community for this to happen. 

In fact, being transparent can counteract your efforts to be authentic. Why? Because transparency means that there is no filter between your inner world and your outer world. 

For example, when you see people on social media spewing gossip and drama, they are being 100% transparent. But transparency will not attract your ideal clients. It will only attract chaos.

The Fix: Be Authentic, Not Transparent

Transparency is not the same as authenticity, because authenticity is a commitment to being who you choose yourself to be in response to all that happens in your inner and outer world. 

Transparency is fueled by reactivity, authenticity is fueled by responsibility. 

What to do instead? Ask yourself “who am I committed to being as a leader for my community?” … and then go be that person.

Aright, what did you score?

0/5 or 5/5? Somewhere in between? Regardless of how many of these mistakes you’re currently making, you now have solutions on how to fix them. We love you, and you’re welcome.

Want to learn more about what not to do on social media? Read The Worst Advice You Can Hear About Brand Communication on Social Media (and What to Do Differently).

And just a head’s up, Wild Womn Haus is stacked with a team of branding and marketing experts ready to jump into your brand and help you create a strong brand presence for not only your social media, but for your website, email list, marketing campaigns, and so much more!

And if getting support with your social media or brand presence is your next step, we invite you to book a Complimentary 30-minute Call with our founder and lead brand strategist, Tristan Thibodeau, who can fill you in on how you create a brand presence that supports your business goals.

Ready to book a Complimentary 30-minute Call? Click here to schedule!

About the Author

Tristan Thibodeau is the founder of Wild Womn Haus and is a brand strategist for entrepreneurs in the wellness, beauty, and lifestyle brand industries. 

She specializes in helping companies create and maintain their image. She works with market research, industry analysis, and consumer trends to offer strategic insights for brands so that they can enhance their marketing efforts and grow their bottom line. 

Tristan also hosts The Wild Womn Hotline, which is a podcast that features expert-level conversations for growing your brand in bold and strategic ways. Follow her on Instagram @tristan.wildwomnhaus and follow the agency on Instagram @wildwomnhaus and TikTok @tristan.wildwomnhaus!