Have you been drawn to the “seven sins of social media”? The idea bothers you, doesn’t it? No problem, just join me as I reveal these pitfalls and related vital strategies to maximize social media marketing and your sales. You may be able to avoid some costly mistakes.

I interviewed Kathleen P. King, also known to her more than 1,600 Twitter followers as @facultycoach, about common pitfalls on social media. Together, we developed this list of seven classic ways newcomers screw up their own social media campaigns. Our suggestion: Avoid them!

Number one: fail to identify a clear guiding message

There are often many different messages in a newcomer’s social media campaign, but no clear and consistent “brand” message. Nothing unifies the channels. What appears on LinkedIn is not compatible with what appears on Twitter and what appears on YouTube is not compatible with what is on the website. So the question is “what is the central idea that ties it all together?” What is your “purpose” of a sentence for sharing the information you share?

Number two: Don’t identify your target audience.

You’d be surprised how many people start messaging on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn but can’t answer the question, “Who are you expecting to hear from?” (Hint: It’s not “the general public.”) Your goal is to start a conversation, not with just anyone, but with the people who are likely to buy your product or service. Find your target demographic first: then start writing.

Number three: Don’t think about return on investment (ROI).

Many people spend days, weeks, or months of obsessive (and unpaid) effort updating their Facebook pages or tending to their Twitter accounts. As a result, they neglect core business activities that can actually generate revenue for their organization. Remember: social media is a marketing investment. If you’re running a small business and your time is limited, you’re probably better off hiring an experienced and affordable consultant rather than trying to do everything yourself. Think strategically and measure your investments.

Number four: be busy, but irrelevant.

If you throw out a lot of content and none of it resonates with the group you’re hoping to start a dialogue with, then your activity level doesn’t matter. The critical test is: are you really “starting conversations” with the people you hope to engage? If not, you’d better change course.

Number five: mix business and personal issues.

Unless your organization sells swimwear, you should avoid using your organization’s Twitter feed to share your own thoughts on the latest low-cut styles. Remember: when you speak online through the company “channel”, you represent your organization! Open a private account for personal music.

Number six: use social media to always send ads.

Social media is all about content and relationships. When people only see blatant commercial content coming from you, they quickly turn you (and you) offline. Your goal with social media is to share value-rich resources, start conversations, and address customer/prospect issues in real time. That means your core content shouldn’t contain undifferentiated sales pitches! When the “buy, buy, buy” message comes out, the viewer’s “disconnect” impulse takes over.

Number seven: Be all things to all people.

Your goal is to establish yourself and/or your organization as a leader and content expert within a “single and clearly defined” area. That means that some of the problems that people raise online will fall outside of your area of ​​expertise. When this happens, say so and move on to a topic that is within your “command post.” Suppose your area of ​​expertise is helping people trace their family history. Just because someone leaves a complaint about a car repair problem doesn’t force you to create a 500-word post about the best ways to avoid tricky mechanics.

These social media sins are what Kathy and I call the Big Seven, but there are many other mistakes social media newbies make as they try to promote themselves and their businesses. If you have other examples, please share them with me. You can send me a direct message on Twitter, and if you do, I’ll get back to you!