I don’t think we need to tell you about the importance of social media. No matter the demographic you’re looking at, there’s a platform that caters to them. In order to make the most of this opportunity, there are a few social media mistakes that can really kill your chances of making meaningful online connections with your audience.
You can see examples of the following mistakes across platforms. Whichever one (or better yet, several) you choose, be sure to avoid them.
Trying To Be Trendy (And Failing)
This mistake can be costly for any brand, but especially for those targeting the younger generations. Trends move fast. A joke, meme, or piece of content can explode in popularity and virtually vanish in the span of 24 hours.
If you aren’t someone who spends a lot of time scrolling through Instagram, Reddit, or TikTok, or you don’t have the time to hop on a trend right away, it’s best to just avoid posting this type of content (or hire someone who does).
Creating evergreen content (stuff that is not time sensitive) is a much better choice than posting a trending meme three days late. If there’s one thing people hate, it’s brands that fake being trendy, and they can smell it a mile away.
Not Being Transparent
To err is human. Yeah, there’s more to that quote, but that’s the bit we need to focus on.
Believe it or not, people like brands that aren’t nameless, faceless machines. Mistakes humanize your company when handled properly. You’re not going to run a business with a 100% track record and few expect you to.
When it comes to social media, this means responding to complaints you may see in the comments with genuine concern, not boilerplate corporate talk. Don’t get hostile, try to understand that they are frustrated, and help solve their problem.
Two things will usually happen:
- Other potential customers will see you trying to help and that goes a long way.
- The person you’re actually helping will appreciate it and might just help you build a stronger relationship than you had before.
A mistake isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity for your brand to shine.
Posting The Same Content Across Platforms
Since different platforms attract different people, it stands to reason you might use them for different purposes. While some content is perfectly at home across multiple platforms, creating specific content for a certain strategy is more effective.
For example, LinkedIn is a fantastic place to show off your expertise, give professional opinions, and build a B2B network. You aren’t going to be posting company culture videos there. TikTok and Instagram though? If you’re trying to attract young talent, these are the places to do it.
Posting a video about the company dog, or the more social aspects of your company might seem like you’re going off topic, but that depends on your goal!
Check Out Another Blog: Social Media Posting Guide: Everything You Need To Know (Part 1)
Spreading Yourself Too Thin
To piggyback off the last point, if you’re just creating a single piece of content and simply reposting it across every single platform under the sun, you’re likely just wasting your time.
Repurposing content can be extremely useful, but there is an art to it, and you have to make sure it follows your overall strategy for the platform. If your resources are limited, it’s better to focus on just a few, the ROE is much better.
Prioritizing Quantity Over Quality
This mistake comes in two flavours: What you post and who follows you.
For the former, if you’re posting two to three posts every single day and clogging up your followers feed with useless information, they’re going to unfollow you. Better to post less often, but with stronger and more relevant content.
For the latter, you might think the more followers the better. However, are all those people really interested in your product or service? It’s better to have 20 followers who are genuinely interested in supporting the brand, than 100 followers who couldn’t care less.
Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll be a few steps closer to making a real connection with your brand’s social media strategy.
