7 common mistakes in SMM promotion for online stores

How much money is lost due to one simple mistake in SMM? Every failure in online promotion is a chance to learn something new and improve your strategies. If you want your online store to shine among your competitors, you need to know the pitfalls along the way. Think about it: how confident can you say that you are a master at avoiding all the pitfalls? Let's look at the seven most common mistakes that can ruin even the most promising endeavors. Read on to find out how to avoid being one of the losers.

Glossary

• 📅 SMM (Social Media Marketing) – social media marketing, using platforms to promote goods or services.

• 💬 Content – information posted in messages , posts and other forms of interaction with the audience.

• 📈 Audience – group of users to whom marketing messages and content are sent.

• 🔄 Irregular content – publications that come out not on schedule or with long breaks.

• 🚫 Cheating subscribers is an unethical practice of obtaining fake subscribers in order to increase the number of likes or followers.

• 🛑 Closed wall – no ability to comment on posts , which limits interaction with the audience.

• 🌐 Irrelevant content - information that does not have relationship to the interests and needs of the target audience.

• ✏️ SMM errors - common negative practices in promotions that can reduce the effectiveness of marketing efforts.

Error #1 - Incorrect design of the community wall

When I started my journey in SMM promotion of an online store, I had no idea how critical it was to properly design the community wall. I still remember one day launching a page without thinking about its reflection. At first glance, it looked complicated - photographs of products were mixed with personal posts, and alien emotions on my page created bewilderment. This was a big mistake that led to decreased engagement and loss of subscribers.

🛠️ Here are a few key aspects that should be observed when designing your online store page:

• Unity of style. I have learned that the importance of corporate identity cannot be underestimated. Having a logo on your profile header instantly connects visitors with your brand. Use corporate colors and fonts to create a consistent visual identity.

• Information content. I indicated all the necessary contact information: legal and actual addresses, telephone and email. Remember that every new visitor wants to see clear information about your online store. Place a link on your website and other social networks - this will make it easier for users to find all the information they need.

"We see that group design can impact business exponentially, people looking for trust and professionalism in every aspect." - Alvin Palmer, Amazon Expert.

• Attractive offers. I learned to focus on unique selling propositions. By placing popular products with quick purchase buttons, I increased on-page conversions. Understanding that every user action should be aimed at making the purchase easier was a key lesson for me.

• Activity and interaction. Periodically, I created discussion threads to keep things active. Subscribers appreciate the opportunity to express their thoughts and ask questions. I've noticed that simply asking users to share their opinion about a product leads to increased engagement.

🌟 Now let me introduce you to some practical tips:

• Think about the page design in advance, choosing colors and fonts in accordance with your corporate style.
• Enable "Buy Here" buttons on posts about popular products.
• Create interesting and valuable discussions for your subscribers.
• Don't forget to fill out the contact fields so that users know how to reach you.

Based on my experience, I can confidently say that only by following these rules, you will be able to effectively build an SMM strategy and avoid common mistakes that can cost your online store success!

With great passion, I continue to develop my projects, and activity on the page is already the first step towards improving sales. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, feel free to share in the comments!

Mistake #2 - Incorrect content distribution

When I started my journey in SMM promotion of an online store, one of the first mistakes I made was the incorrect distribution of content types on social platforms. 🤦♂️ I thought that if posts about discounts and sales took up a large part of our feed, it would provide a high level of engagement. But in practice everything turned out differently.

I remember one day, after starting a series of posts about a big sale, I wondered question: “Why aren’t our numbers growing?” It turned out that our subscribers began to ignore the content because of its monotony. We created "banner blindness" - a condition in which users stop noticing advertising messages because they do not bring them benefit or interest. 🚫

Based on my experience, I can confidently say that balanced content is the key to successful SMM promotion. I would recommend that you follow the following distribution plan:

• Commercial content - 25%: promotions, discounts and special events.
• Conditionally commercial content - 15%: contests, surveys and voting that create interest in your product.
• Information content - 30%: showing the life and culture of the company, sharing behind-the-scenes moments.
• Engaging content - 30%: entertaining posts, throwaway jokes, and stories from your brand's life.

I highly recommend that you take the time to understand your audience. I used analytics tools to identify the posts that had the most engagement with followers. Based on the data we received, we changed our approach to content and our engagement increased significantly. 📈 For example, one of my clients launched a survey about their favorite products, and this not only increased the number of comments, but also allowed us to better understand the needs of our audience.

What to do and what to learn:

I hope my experience will help you avoid this common mistake in SMM promotion. I encourage you to pay attention to the variety of content, and you may find that this will lead to a significant increase in interest in your online store. Good luck on this journey! 🌟

Mistake #3 - Irregularity of publications

I I remember when I was just starting my journey in SMM promotion, one of the first lessons for me was understanding the importance of publishing regularly. At the time, I was running a small online store and using Facebook as my main platform for promotion. I posted once a week, hoping that would be enough. However, I soon realized that this was completely ineffective.

Facebook, like any other social network, is focused on fresh content. I noticed that if I don't post regularly, my posts simply get lost in the feeds of people who follow dozens of other pages. Daily interaction has become the key to keeping my audience's attention. I can confidently say that the average frequency of publications should be at least one post per day.📅

In order to maintain this frequency, it is important to find sources of content. I started using a variety of informational occasions: sales, holiday events, new items in the catalog. I once published a funny photo of a cat who came to our office, and it spread among my subscribers. It's a simple yet effective way to create content.🐱 Just look around: post ideas are literally everywhere!

So here are a few recommendations I'd like to share:

• Create a content calendar to schedule posts in advance.
• Use different formats: photos, videos, polls and even simple surveys.
• Connect with your audience: reply to comments and engage followers in discussions.👥

Additionally, I encourage you to research successful practices from your competitors and industry leaders. This can be useful for generating ideas that will be relevant to your target audience. For example, one fashion brand took an unusual approach to content: they launched a weekly “Style Secrets” column, which significantly increased subscriber engagement.

To summarize, I see that irregular posting is one of the main mistakes to avoid. Regularity shows that your business is alive and active, and helps keep consumers interested. So, if you want your online store to stay afloat, pay attention to the frequency of publications!

I strongly encourage you to develop a “company identity” and maintain it across all of your publications to create a consistent brand image. This will not only help you stand out, but also build loyalty among your customers.

Mistake #4 - The temptation to cheat subscribers

When I was just starting my journey in SMM promotion; I was also tempted to quickly expand the audience of my online store. I remember making the mistake of purchasing incomplete subscription packages on one of the services. At first glance, this seemed like a great solution: for a few dollars, our social media profile skyrocketed to tens of thousands of subscribers. However, the joy was short-lived.

Here's what I didn't take into account then:

• Most of the subscribers turned out to be fake accounts and bots 🤖.
• Real users did not show any activity - no likes, no comments.
• The site did not receive traffic, and therefore no orders.

From here follows a simple truth: getting subscribers is a tempting, but useless activity. Many entrepreneurs strive to gather as many subscribers as possible without thinking about the quality of this audience. As a result, they only get zilch , a bubble that instantly bursts.

Recently, I also met a number of the same entrepreneurs who transferred their responsible tasks to third-party SMM specialists who bought a package of services with a boost. I can say with confidence that such behavior not only does not bring results, but can also lead to negative consequences, such as blocking a group or page by the administration of social networks.

How to avoid this error? Here are some recommendations that I put into practice:

• Invest time in organic growth: I spent time creating interesting content and interacting with real audiences. It was a long process, but in the end it led to quality subscribers who became my regular clients.

• Use Analytics: I always recommend emphasizing on interaction analysis. Using analytics tools, I tracked what helps me gain active subscribers and what influences their purchasing decisions.

• Check SMM agencies: Before you delegate I advise you to carefully check your accounts with specialists. Make sure that they use only legitimate promotion methods and never resort to fake activities.

Saving With these principles, you can avoid one of the most common mistakes - cheating subscribers. Let's summarize what's worth paying attention to:

I encourage you to think about how important a real audience is to the success of your online store and consider creating your unique selling proposition to attract customers on a long-term basis.

Mistake #5 - Closed review wall

In my practice, I have encountered various errors in SMM promotion of online stores, but one of the most serious, undoubtedly, is the closed comment wall. I remember on one of the large projects I was involved in, I was very surprised when I saw that the company’s social network page did not allow users to leave their reviews. I decided to make changes to correct this situation.

📊 Why is an open wall critical?

On social networks, users are looking for direct interaction. They want to share opinions, ask questions and provide feedback about their purchase. A closed comment wall isolates you from your audience and deprives your business of valuable feedback that can help improve the quality of its services and products. According to statistics, more than 70% of Internet users read reviews before making a purchase.

I immediately opened the comment wall and noticed an increase in user activity. People began to leave their reviews, share their experiences and ask questions. I was able to identify problem areas in the service and quickly respond to them. This not only increased confidence in our online store, but also increased the number of sales. I would encourage you to consider this point by opening your wall for reviews and comments.

💬 How to do this?

1. Make sure your page settings allow comments. If your commenting option is closed, change your settings to open.
2. Check the wall regularly for new reviews. Replying to comments shows that you care about your users' opinions.
3. Encourage your customers to share their opinions. This can be done through special promotions or competitions.

I also conducted a small survey among clients, which showed that most of them are willing to share their opinions, but want to see feedback. By responding to comments and questions, you show that you value us, your customers.

🧐 Set practical advice:

As a result, an open wall for comments on social networks is not just an additional feature, but a necessity for successful SMM promotion. Open communication with your audience builds trust, improves your brand image, and ultimately increases sales.

I urge you to take the chance to interact with your users by opening up the opportunity for them to leave reviews. After all, the main thing is not only to sell, but also to build trust and loyalty among your customers. I also recommend checking out 's content for more information on how you can effectively engage with your audience.

Mistake #6 - Not following up on negative reviews

In the process of working with an online store, I have repeatedly encountered situations where negative customer reviews appeared on social networks. I have witnessed many entrepreneurs ignore this feedback, believing that it is unimportant and will eventually subside. However, I believe that actively working with such reviews can lead to a significant improvement in the store’s image.

When I was just starting my journey in SMM, I made this mistake myself. At first, I didn’t pay attention to the negative comments, thinking that it was enough to just respond to the positive ones. But I soon realized that negative emotions from clients spill out much more often, and this is a normal part of the job.

🔍 Case Study: I had a case where a customer complained about a delivery delay. Instead of ignoring his message, I replied to him in the comments, thanking him for his feedback. I also apologized for the inconvenience and offered compensation. As a result, our dialogue resulted in the client not only withdrawing his negative review, but also leaving a positive comment about how well we resolved the situation.

🛠️ I would recommend the following:

• Respond quickly to negative reviews to show the customer that you value their opinion.
• Always thank the person for their feedback. Personal attention helps reduce the intensity of passions.
• If you encounter fake negative reviews, act decisively, but politely. I would suggest reporting such a review and countering it with facts.

Working in SMM, I came to the conclusion that handling negative reviews not only improves reputation, but also creates additional value for customers. Often, responding to critical feedback can lead to improvements in your service, because it is such feedback that makes it possible to identify weaknesses.

📊 Do's and don'ts:

As a result, I came to the conclusion that attention to negative comments and proper processing of them can play a decisive role in creating a positive image of your online store. Every failure is an opportunity to improve and I am always willing to use these instances to identify my weaknesses.

Finally, interact with your customers on social media platforms and proactively address negative reviews. I believe that this is the right path to success in SMM.

Mistake #7 - Same content for different platforms

In my experience in SMM promotion of an online store, I have repeatedly encountered a common mistake: the same content for all social networks. When I started my journey in this direction, it seemed to me that simply synchronizing posts was the ideal solution. But in the end I realized that it was not that productive.

I've seen different platforms attract different audiences, each has its own preferences. For example, my online store uses Instagram and Telegram. On Instagram, it is important to produce quality visual content as visual content dominates. When I started using high-quality images and adding colorful emoji descriptions, I noticed an increase in engagement. I can confidently say that high-quality photos attract more attention than any other strategy.

At the same time, Telegram required a completely different approach. My audience there was younger and more open to informal communication and entertaining content. I began to actively use slang and a free communication style, which significantly increased interaction with posts. The rule also applies to Telegram: daily publications with content of more average quality are better than rare masterpieces.

Next, I turn my attention to Facebook. There, publications should be more official and informative. I would recommend sharing in-depth analyzes or interesting articles more often to attract the interest of a more mature and solvent audience. For Facebook, I focused on text and detailed descriptions, while content for Instagram emphasizes photos.

Also, don't forget about Whatsapp, where the age group is a little older. I noticed that using youth slang here is stupid, and it’s easier to explain the essence of the products, avoiding complex terminology.

So, if you want to avoid common mistakes, I recommend:

• 💡 Tailor content for each platform. There is no need to produce the same thing.
• 📝 Study's audience and use their language to connect.
• 📊 Analyze the results of and adjust strategies based on the data. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Review: What's Useful and What to Avoid

These simple steps can significantly improve the results of your SMM promotion. I highly recommend that you approach each social network with its specifics in mind - this could be the key to the success of your online store! And don't forget the importance of creating a newsletter subscription to keep in touch with your customers: newsletter subscription.

Experience Fnac

Fnac is a leading European chain of stores specializing in the sale of electronics, books and cultural goods. The young company, founded in France, quickly gained popularity due to its unique approach to customers and its diverse product range. Fnac's main goal is to offer customers not only high-quality products, but also a new level of service, including through its own SMM channels.

Goals and objectives

The main goals of SMM promotion for Fnac were:

• Increasing brand awareness 🌟
• Increasing audience engagement 🔄
• Increasing sales through social networks 🛍️

Main problem

Fnac encountered several errors in its SMM strategy that prevented it from achieving its stated goals. Issues included:

• Incorrect community wall design, which created confusion among users.
• Irrelevant content that does not meet the interests of the target audience.
• Irregular publications, which reduced the activity of subscribers.

Target Audience

Fnac Target Audience includes:

• Young people from 18 to 35 years old, interested in the latest electronics and culture 🎨
• Married couples looking for quality leisure products 🏠
• People who value high quality service and unique offers.

Key points of interest to potential clients

• Original offers and exclusive promotions 🎁
• High-quality content and willingness to interact
• Loyalty system for regular customers 🎉

Project results

After overhauling its SMM strategy, focusing on improving content and posting regularly, Fnac achieved the following results:

“We saw a significant improvement in our audience engagement, which directly impacted sales. Complex problems were solved thanks to correct communication and improved content." - Jean-Paul Leroy, SMM Manager at Fnac.

By focusing on practical errors and implementing adjustments , Fnac demonstrated how important it is to avoid common mistakes in SMM promotion of an online store. This is a good example for other brands seeking to achieve success on social networks.

Frequently asked questions on the topic: 7 common mistakes in SMM promotion for online stores

Contents

1. Glossary
2. Error #1 - Incorrect design of the community wall
3. Mistake #2 - Incorrect content distribution
4. Mistake #3 - Irregularity of publications
5. Mistake #4 - The temptation to cheat subscribers
6. Mistake #5 - Closed review wall
7. Mistake #6 - Not following up on negative reviews
8. Mistake #7 - Same content for different platforms
9. Experience Fnac
10. Frequently asked questions on the topic: 7 common mistakes in SMM promotion for online stores
11. Thank you for reading! You have become more experienced!

Article Target

Teach readers to avoid common SMM promotion mistakes

1

Target audience

Entrepreneurs and managers of online stores

2

Study of common mistakes in SMM promotion of online stores: practical tips for correcting them.

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Sergey Berezin

Copywriter Elbuz

In the world of virtual opportunities, I am the mastermind behind the success of online stores. Words are my tools and automation is my magic recipe. Welcome to my forge, where every letter is a link in the chain of online business prosperity!

Discussion of the topic – 7 common mistakes in SMM promotion for online stores

2024-01-11

Study of common mistakes in SMM promotion of online stores: practical tips for correcting them.

Sergey Berezin
Sergey Berezin Copywriter Elbuz

Latest comments

• 

  Александр

  05/09/2024

  Sergey, your article about SMM errors is really useful!🙌 It is important to understand that lack of data analysis leads to errors. I noticed that many people forget about A/B testing. What do you think are the most critical metrics?

• 

  Клаудия

  06/09/2024

  I absolutely agree, Alexander! 😍 Using analytics is the key to success. I was also amazed at how easy it was to work around content errors. Maybe you can recommend some analysis tools?

• 

  Сергей Берёзин

  07/09/2024

  Alexander, good questions! I definitely recommend Google Analytics and Yandex.Metrica. But don’t forget about social networks - their algorithms are also worth studying!

• 

  Люк

  08/09/2024

  It's great that you're discussing metrics! Prospects in SMM depend on interaction with the audience. Does it make sense to try new platforms like Clubhouse or TikTok?

• 

  Эмма

  09/09/2024

  I think so too, Luke! 🎉 I started on TikTok, it’s easy to attract attention to the store. But does anyone have experience with conversion from these platforms?

• 

  Рудольф

  10/09/2024

  Honestly, I don't believe in these new platforms. 😒 I think it's better to focus on classic methods like SEO. Trends always come and go, and this is just scary.

• 

  Светлана

  11/09/2024

  Rudolph, I understand your point, but how can you ignore development? 😏 I started making content on Reels and noticed a big increase in sales!

• 

  Пьер

  12/09/2024

  I agree with Svetlana! ✨ I believe that the integration of different platforms can give excellent results. Share how you collect content for your social media. networks?

• 

  Габриэла

  13/09/2024

  I use a content plan and plan ahead! 📅 This truly saves time and helps avoid accidental mistakes. Does anyone have any other helpful tips on this?

• 

  Сергей Берёзин

  14/09/2024

  Gabriela, wonderful approach! 🙌 Planning promotes consistency and quality of content. Have you all tried using UGC? This is also a great strategy!

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