Making mistakes on social media is more common than you may think, and there are some mistakes that most of us make more often than we should. In this blog, we will be exploring 7 mistakes that are common on social media, and what you can do to avoid them. 

The most common mistakes when managing social media

  • Focusing on quantity over quality 

Let’s start with a common phrase that we hear in our everyday lives, we should be focusing on quality and not quantity. When creating your content planner, you may think that you need to pack your calendar with as much content as possible to maximise your reach. This is not the best approach and can often harm your engagement and performance. Reducing your content can allow you to focus on creating more meaningful content. Better content can help your posts to resonate with your fans and do better with the social algorithms. The better engagement you can produce, the more the platform will want to push your posts.

  • Buying likes and followers

This may seem like an obvious thing to avoid when it comes to running a successful social media account, but many brands buy into the art of faking it. Buying likes and followers is not only harmful to your brand, but it can also be harmful to your accounts as well. Accounts that buy likes and followers can be penalised by social platforms, and they risk having their accounts suspended. Additionally, users have become aware of fake accounts and spam comments. When a user sees these followers and comments, it can make them doubt the brand and lose their trust. Needless to say, buying likes and followers is something you should completely avoid as a social media manager. 

  • Posting the same content on multiple social media platforms 

Each social media platform is different with different target audiences. With that in mind, you should cater your content to the platform. For example, content on Instagram thrives when you utilise relevant and trending hashtags, the same is not necessarily said when looking at Facebook. Therefore, you may want to use more hashtags on Instagram and cut them down elsewhere. You will also find the levels of tone differ on each platform. LinkedIn is a great platform for shouting about your vacancies and results, while Instagram is one for your team posts and creative genius to shine through. Adapting your content to each platform will change the way you plan and the results that you see. 

  • Writing war and peace 

Speaking of adapting, you may want to change the way you write your content. If you love your brand, you could write about it endlessly, but the old saying “keep it short and sweet” should be implemented. Your audience wants to know about your brand or product, but they want to know the key selling points and why they should buy into your company. Keeping them informed is important, but it’s even more important to do it in an engaging way.

  • Using hashtags incorrectly 

For years hashtags have been an integral part of any social media post. Everyone loves to add a hashtag mid sentence, or pop a few at the end of a post. But, you should always evaluate your post and platform before adding hashtags to your content. For example, Instagram is a great platform for hashtags, especially when adding them at the end of your post, or in the comments section. However, you may not want to have the same enthusiasm on LinkedIn or Facebook as these platforms tend to be less hashtag centric. 

  • Not responding to engagements 

Being responsive to your audience can make or break with your relationship. Responding to comments and shares is a great way to let your audience know that you’re interested in their thoughts and appreciate their support. You should also make a conscious effort to respond to reviews, positive and negative ones too. This shows your audience that you recognize their thoughts and are either grateful, or you’re ready to make a change. Communicating with your audience can have a big impact on the kind of engagement that you see. 

  • Not having a strategy 

As a final note, not having a strategy implemented is one of the largest mistakes that a business can make when it comes to running successful social media accounts. When you first take on the task of running social media accounts for your company, you should create a strategy to assess things such as your goals, audience and platforms. In your strategy, it is also wise to utilise a content planner and ask for your team’s involvement in developing ideas. By starting with a strong strategy in place, you can be sure to see success online.

 

What other social media mistakes are you committing?

In this article, we have touched on a few of the more common mistakes made by businesses online. If you would like to know if you’re making any other mistakes, contact our marketing team for feedback on your social presence.