The short version
Most fixes are subtraction, not addition.
Ten mistakes
- Posting without a point of view. If anyone could have written it, nobody remembers it.
- Copying the competitor next door. You end up second at their game.
- Chasing the follower count. Followers are an audience. They aren't sales.
- No next step. People enjoy the post and have no idea what to do.
- Using the feed like a billboard. Only promos, only prices.
- Changing strategy every two weeks. Nothing gets long enough to work.
- Measuring only likes. Likes are cheap. Bookings, messages and repeat visits are not.
- Leaving Google Business Profile empty or out of date. It's often the first thing people see.
- Boosting posts with no goal. Money spent, nothing learned.
- Going quiet when business is good. The slow season starts when you stop.
Four myths worth burying
- You need to go viral.
- Reach that lands on the wrong people doesn't fill tables. Steady and relevant beats loud once.
- More followers means more sales.
- Sales come from the right people seeing the right thing at the right time. Followers can help with that. They aren't the same thing.
- Hashtags are the strategy.
- They're a label. The plan is what you say and who you say it to.
- Social media is free.
- Posting is free. Consistency, content and time aren't.
What to do instead
- Pick one thing you want to be known for and say it often.
- End every post on a next step.
- Look at the numbers monthly, not daily.
- Give anything new at least a few months before you judge it.