Wanting to learn a new language? What about a new skill? In the vast world of the Internet, we are able to easily learn new skills in a matter of weeks! DIY social media marketing can be a trigger-worthy topic for many in the digital marketing industry.

It has been said that in the present-day, we are living in a DIY society. Be it crocheting a scarf or building a new home, the do-it-yourself craze is huge! And while many DIY projects are successful and worthy of a pat on the back, some have major disadvantages and repercussions. One of these is DIY social media marketing, but what exactly is diy meaning in social media? 

What exactly is social media marketing?

Social media marketing is the strategy of promoting products and/ or services, garnering traffic and brand awareness through social platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter! Social media is the perfect place to discover new content, share news and updates and interact with the audience that supports your company. Naturally, in our modern, digital world, social media is where your company needs to be. 

No company can argue that, but the “problem” with social media marketing is that over 77 percent of the US population uses social media.

You might say, “But that’s 77 percent more people our company can reach on social media!” This is where companies start to understand the diy meaning in social media marketing and its underlying costs one does not realize. 

What is DIY social media marketing?

Just as it sounds, DIY social media marketing is attempting to market your business on social platforms without any expertise to back it up. We understand that might seem as if it is the perfect solution. You are the expert in your industry and who knows your business better than the one who created and owns it?! No one, right? 

Well, that is the issue at hand here. 

It is  sometimes assumed that if you have ever maintained a personal social account in any way, shape or form, that you can perform DIY social media marketing for a company without any problems.

While, to be honest, that can be true in some instances. In our experience, we have found many organizations come to us after they have tried DIY social media marketing for a while, and then decided it was best to pass it on to a professional.

As it has been said, “just because you can, does not mean you should.”

Top 3 DIY social media marketing fails

1- You have the wrong objective

Many companies have the impression that as soon as they join social media platforms the leads will start to triple within a month; however, it is not uncommon for an organization to become let down with its underwhelming results.  This is because a company often sells, sells and sells some more and does not understand where their target audience is at. Are you on Facebook but not on other platforms which would be better utilized for time, money and lead generation? 

Social media marketing needs to be approached with a defined intention before you even get started. What are the overall goals of the long-term social media marketing campaign? 

The intention of your social media plan will set the stage for your content, voice, calls to action, imagery - everything. It all matters and all represents your company. 

More often than not, a DIY social media marketing strategy lacks the fundamental digital channels a business should use to have success.

2- You are too busy for your audience

Most commonly DIY meaning in social media marketing is done by an intern or random employee in a company. Seems like the obvious route to go, right?

But answer this…

Why put the responsibility of your company’s brand awareness on the shoulders of someone lacking the expertise or time to do so? 

To be honest, social media is a full-time position on its own if a company wants to see real results and outcomes from their social media marketing efforts. As a company, if you find a stellar social media marketing intern who has all the skills necessary to hit those KPIs and prepare meetings to the board, give us your secrets.

The truth is, this is not something that is very common. True strategy takes a professional who understands the company’s overall goals, brand and will understand that all posts are representing your company. 

Building and maintaining it should be done by someone who has the knowledge and time to nourish the brand you worked so hard to build.

Interns leave and employees who are not dedicated to social media marketing alone will  get busy doing the other tasks they must do to keep your operations running. When the day-to-day hustle and bustle gets going, the first thing to take a back seat is the DIY social media marketing. Our Digital Marketing Strategists have seen it a million times. It is a tale as old as time.

3- Attention to detail

Social media marketing is so much more than posting a Facebook status or Instagram photo randomly. The strategy behind each post, as we have mentioned, needs to be set with intention. Intention means: audience, purpose, voice and overall goals.

Lacking the attention to detail in DIY social media marketing can sail your company right into murky waters. Marketing to the wrong audience will not generate quality traffic or leads. The wrong hashtags can get your business flagged on social platforms. Not engaging with your audience can make your business seem robotic.

Everything done in social media; from the post times, location settings, engagement strategies - they all require research, strategy, and again, intention. When they do not, your company will not flourish on social media- just being candid here.

Now, this is where a professional social media manager comes in. A.K.A. Denver Media Group. Skip the DIY meaning in social media and find a team of professionals who can help guide your company in the right direction. 

A professional, like us, understands how to set a strategy with intent, has the time to execute it, and is detail-oriented. So, save yourself the struggle, and skip DIY social media marketing. You’ll thank us later.