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In the early days of social media, it was supposed to be a new dawn for online marketers. You could attract an audience of people interested in your industry and business – and could do so without spending a dime.

However, as we all know, the social media of today is not the same as the one we were introduced yesterday. And if you are struggling to make any headway, there are probably a few common mistakes you are making.

In this guide, we’re going to go through a few of the things you might be doing that are causing you problems, and offer simple tips that you need to start employing with social media to get yourself back on track. Read on to find out more…

No strategy

It’s amazing how many businesses think that posting randomly about irrelevant things will work in any way, shape or form. It’s vital that you have a strategy in place if you want any success. Establish what you want – is it to attract more sales, or to build a community? Then, create goals for how you might achieve that, and keep those goals in mind when you plan out a strategy. Use analytics to track your success and improve your failures – there is a science to this, so don’t expect to achieve your goals if you are firing off posts at will.

Expecting a free audience

The beauty of social media in the early days was that you could build an audience for free. Now, however, it is just like any other advertising platform in that you need actually to pay money to achieve any kind of success. Research suggests that fewer than 1 percent of your audience will see your unpaid posts, so learning how to use Facebook and Twitter ads is essential.

Failing to take advantage

What matters most to your business? Likes, shares, or cold hard cash? So many companies get sucked into the social media popularity contests, even though it delivers very much at all in the way of returns. Your best bet is to learn all about Clickfunnels and other funnel programs to set up your ads correctly, attract the right kind of people, and turn those likes and shares into visitors to your website, where you can make actual sales. It’s a lot of money to leave on the table, so ensure you have your priorities straight.

The ego trip

Are you boring your customers to death with constant posts about you and your business? We hate to break it to you but other than your mom and a few close friends, nobody cares. Instead, use Pareto’s 80:20 rule with posting. Only a fifth of your posts should be promotional in any way. The rest? Make them entertaining, educational, and helpful. Feel free to highlight the accomplishments of people in your business and industry, too.

OK, so there you have it. These common issues are visible everywhere on social media, and it shouldn’t take too much to start making a difference, stand out from the crowd, and start getting better results.