9 Social Media Mistakes to Avoid
Social networking and blogging sites, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest, are increasingly being used as effective marketing tools. By asking questions, marketing your events and sharing links to interesting or funny videos and articles, you’ll boost your fan base and drive traffic to your website.
If you don’t manage your social media presence properly, however, it could backfire. Here are some important don’ts for posting content on social media platforms:
1. Don’t use too many hashtags, and NEVER #hashtag yourself – social media users may use your hashtag against you, with dire consequences. There are much better ways to use hashtags.
2. Don’t post too much self-promotional content. Social media users don’t want to be marketed to in their downtime, and if they feel you’re giving them a sales pitch they’ll probably hit the ‘hide’ or ‘block’ button.
3. Don’t publish randomly or too frequently. Create a thematic pattern and a time schedule for posting the highest value information and shareworthy content, or you risk losing your audience’s trust – and their likes and follows.
4. Don’t say anything that could damage your brand’s reputation, like sharing your political opinions or using bad language.
5. Don’t use the same content on different social media sites, because they each have completely difference audiences.
6. Don’t forget to proofread. While social media is an informal space, nothing damages your credibility like a factual error or typo in your status update. It’s best to have everything edited for tone, quality and context before posting.
7. Don’t copy and paste from your website or press releases; this only makes for boring posts.
8. Don’t use an intern – bring in an online marketing specialist or someone with an expert knowledge of social media. Building an online community takes time, and if you can’t commit to the long haul, you should work with a content creation agency.
9. Lastly, don’t get discouraged. Social media marketing doesn’t yield immediate results. Like everything that’s worthwhile, it takes time and patience.
Writer: Sarah Johnston