Since you’ve heard that social media and blogging is the “next big thing” and a “must” for your business, you started a blog. You setup a Facebook fan page. You posted on Twitter that you’re going to offer 10% off for one day only!

In response you hear crickets. There’s no one talking to you.

Yet others claim that social media is doing wonders for their business. So why is social media working for them but not for you?

1. Consistency We cannot say it enough. If you do not have a consistent presence on your blog or social media platforms, your clients (and potential clients) are not going to take the time to engage with your brand. While you don’t need to be on social media all day, every day, it makes you look unreliable if you have an internet presence that you have not updated in three months.
2. Engaging with Others If someone spoke to you in person, you’d be sure to respond back. Similarly, if someone leaves a comment or engages you, you should respond back. People do not like to be ignored and that’s what it feels like when you don’t respond online. Eventually, they’ll go where there’s more human interaction, leaving you to hang out all alone online.
3. You’re All Promotion No one wants to watch commercials all day. Similarly, your online presence won’t go anywhere if you’re only online to talk about your products or latest promotion. Sure, you need to tell people you’re running a special but you also need to maintain a consistent presence that includes speaking with others. Read their articles, promote others’ content and establish yourself as a go-to person in your industry. Suddenly, your promotions will take on more value because people know you know your stuff and are consistently responsive to their needs, too.
4. The Grammar Police There’s an entire brigade of internet police devoted to ensuring that your grammar is accurate. If your grammar is consistently terrible they will either attack or shun you. Like it or not, you will be judged based on your writing. Poor writing skills, including spelling errors and run-on sentences, can count against you. Be sure to proofread before posting to ensure that the grammar police don’t come after you.
5. You’re Boring It’s possible to make a boring topic incredibly interesting online. Similarly, it’s possible to make interesting topics incredibly mundane if not positioned right. Posts like “Had a great weekend” are not engaging, interesting or going to keep people coming back to your profiles. Phrasing things differently can be as simple as saying “We had a great weekend as you can see on our Twitter account @EliRoseSocial. Do you post online on weekends?“ Take the time to think about whether you’d respond to something before you post.

Need more help making social media work for your business? Check out these 5 rules for making social media work.