The dangers of social media automation

Excessive segmentation

Poor segmentation

With social media automation, marketing teams have access to a vast amount of information. This data can be used to set up targeted campaigns. However, due to a lack of strategic thinking, the information obtained may not be put to good use. This can jeopardize your marketing strategy.

Although this is a classic mistake, over-segmentation can lead to : 

• A loss of money; 
• Loss of credibility: this can lead to confusion about the message being delivered. 
  

To avoid this disaster, you should take the time to thoroughly inspect the customer data. This will give you access to essential data to better segment the mailing list. You will be able to better target your customers with the right message and timing.

Skipping tests

To be able to segment the data in a relevant way, do not hesitate to carry out tests. This will provide you with the essential data that will help to really convert prospects. Always evaluate your campaigns by means of A/B tests. You can compare the two versions of your campaign. This will make it easier to determine which campaign can deliver better results. To do this, you should look at elements such as the call to action, the landing page, etc.

Workflows without an audience

When setting up your campaign, if you set up too many scenarios, then you will be faced with over-segmentation. You risk not only wasting your time, but also your benchmarks. The marketing team will not be able to measure the effectiveness of the campaign properly. 

The return on investment may fall. Targets may be non-existent or not really represented. 

Using the wrong media

In some campaigns, the marketing team may use the wrong medium/channel. In some situations it is easy to choose which social media to use. For example, if you want to address professionals, LinkedIn is the natural choice. 

If you choose the wrong media, the operational results can be disastrous. Whatever type of campaign you plan to launch, you will need to know the prospects inside out. 

Find out which platforms they are interested in. If you use two different media, there is a good chance that the results will be completely different. Do not neglect A/B testing. It will save you time, money and disappointing results. 

Setting the wrong targets

Whatever scenario you put in place, make sure it enables you to generate quality leads. As part of your strategy, make sure you set up a powerful, optimized landing page. Internet users are often confronted with too many landing pages. This makes it difficult to reach a qualified lead in a single contact. Poorly selected fields and a poorly understood conversion tunnel can be detrimental to your strategy.

To avoid this inconvenience, you will need to clearly define your objectives. Some marketing teams don't really set clear objectives. They choose rather vague objectives such as: gaining prospects, getting more leads, etc.   

They are justified, but they have one major flaw. It only gives a vague idea of what is to be achieved. The objectives mentioned above only demonstrate a strategic direction. But they only give a vague idea of what is to be achieved. They do not indicate the actions to be taken over time. They do not allow for monitoring and measuring performance. These data do not offer the possibility of fluid communication with the teams. 

When setting your marketing automation goals, add additional details. Think about setting a targeted and measurable goal. You can do this by using different elements: 

• Determine the roadmap: put in place an overall strategy;
• Clearly communicate the result to be achieved: who, what, how much, when; 
• Define the best method to promote to achieve the objective; 
• Select indicators that show that the objective has been achieved. 

Set a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound) goal.

Refer to relevant indicators. Do not focus on indicators such as the number of subscribers or "likes". They are easy to track, but it is quite complex to prove their real value. Look at engagement, click-through and conversion rates. 

When setting your strategy, make sure you align your social media with your marketing objectives. 

To succeed with a social media automation strategy, you'll need to take the necessary precautions to leave no room for error. Learn from the failures of others, and make sure you have everything on your side. This will enable you to execute a strategy in the best possible way. If you're looking for a way to automate parts of your marketing strategy, get in touch with My Name Is Bond. You'll gain access to some interesting tools that will help automate your growth.