We all love using social media to communicate our business message, build clients, and create leads. You’ve got a personal Facebook or Insta account, and you have lots of followers – not just your mom – so why not set one up for your business?
Not so easy, is it?
Now, spotting social media gaffs makes us cringe. However, as hilarious as it is when it happens to someone else (cough, your competitor, for example), it’s not so fun when it happens to you. Mistakes are public. Suddenly, your brand takes a bashing, your corporate ethics are called into question, and your followers are in the dust.
So, before you’re banished to social media jail, learn to spot the top 7 deadly sins of social media.
- Oversharing
We’ve all followed a local business and then unfollowed them because of oversharing, right? A new product results in dozens of photos, and their never-ending hard sell dominates your news feed. Enough!
When it comes to social media, less is more. Focus on quality, not quantity.
- Copy and pasting
Some social media sinners simply retweet or share other people’s content. Passing off other people’s thoughts and opinions as your own or churning out memes and life-affirming quotes you stole from another page is just adding to the noise.
Strive for originality in your posts, blogs, and articles. Your brand is unique. Let’s hear about it.
- Misinforming
People see you as an expert in your field, someone who has specialist knowledge in your business. They turn to you as a trusted source of information when it comes to top tips, useful guides, and helpful articles. Always do your homework before you post!
- Typos
Oops, you may have missed a couple of letters in your post, there. Oh, and your punctuation is all over the place. The grammar police have been alerted and are on their way.
Posting with typos and using the wrong hashtags sends the message that you’re not taking care of what you do and just ‘ticking the box.’ Sloppy posts look unprofessional and off-putting. After all, would we trust you with our business if you turn out sub-par content? Spellcheck, use Grammarly, and ask a colleague to proof it before you post.
- Tumbleweeding
Hello? Anyone there? Your last post was months ago. Maybe you have closed down.
Consistency is key, so stay current and keep connected to your followers, giving them something new to keep them engaged.
Not responding to comments – good or bad – is also a mistake. This is an opportunity to address any issues and have a conversation with potential or existing customers or answer questions on products.
- Drifting
Making it up as you go along never plays out well in your business, so why should your social media presence be any different? Slapdash posts tell your audience that you’re in a hurry. Plan ahead and create a content calendar so that you tie in with dates and events and coordinate with new product release dates and more. Without proper planning, your social media efforts will flop.
- Not knowing your audience
What’s the average profile of people who tend to buy your products or use your services? Know your audience, because if you don’t know who you’re talking to, how can you really connect with them?
Leave it to the experts
You want those big, bold, results. You want your business to soar. But you’re out of your depth and don’t have the time or expertise.
Hashtag Creative specializes in social media. It’s kind of our thing. Our dream team knows how to plan and execute successful campaigns, build your brand and drive traffic to your door. We are experts at creating marketing people love and we always love to dive into the next challenge.
