The No. 1 mistake that social media rookies make

You want to use online networking to boost your brand and sell your products or services. So, start selling, right? Not so fast…

Although that’s a great thing, there’s a rookie mistake I see businesspeople make over and over again that kills their credibility and stymies their brand’s growth. It may not seem disastrous at first blush, but I guarantee you that this approach will hurt the ability of your business to build relationships and drive sales through social media.

Want to know what it is?

Overpromotion.

Although this might seem counterintuitive, sending out a steady stream of discounts, deals, and offers does nothing but hurt you (unless you’re Groupon).

Now, I’m not going to say you should never promote your business. What I am saying is that promotion shouldn’t be the only thing you say through social channels.

Why?

People don’t like to be sold to.

Think about it. It’s why we fast-forward through TV ads with our DVR and unsubscribe from businesses that send us too many sales emails.

Although we buy from people and businesses every day, we want to do it on our terms. We want to buy from people and businesses that we know, like, and trust.

So, how do you become someone that people want to do business with?

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