We all make mistakes. The idea though is to take those mistakes and learn from them in an effort to a) avoid making them in the future and b) do whatever you were doing in more efficient or productive way. You might think that in the casual atmosphere of social media, there are no rules. Wrong! When using the medium for marketing, it’s important to maintain the same level of professionalism as you would concerning any other facet of your brand. These social media marketing mistakes are ones we see businesses make often.

Using your personal page as your “business” page.

Facebook and Instagram designate two different page types for a reason. Using a personal page as your business page not only looks unprofessional, but it also prevents you from taking advantage of the features a business account offers.

Repeating the same copy format on multiple platforms.  

We’ve talked before about why you should optimize copy for the specific social media platform you are writing for. Different social networks do better with different copy treatments. Plus, when you “auto-send” copy from Instagram to Facebook, for example, it can just look messy.

Not using the optimal number of hashtags.

Like copy itself, hashtag treatment varies depending on the platform. Social media experts have long speculated and tested the “optimal” number of hashtags from network to network. While we believe there is no end-all, be-all answer, we do suggest these best practices for hashtags use.

Writing lengthy posts.

With so much information being thrown at social media users, it’s easy for them to lose interest and move on to the next “enticing” thing on their timelines. Writing lengthy posts is one of the social media marketing mistakes to avoid in order to best maintain your followers’ interest.

Displaying an unprofessional profile/cover image.

That picture of you and your spouse and your three kids and your dog? It’s great, but your business’ profile or cover image is not the place for it. (Save it for a post instead!) In almost all instances, we recommend using your logo or other branding mark as your profile photo. It’s just another way for followers to be able to easily recognize you among all the other content they see when scrolling—or when specifically looking for your page.

Not following best practices when it comes to usernames.  

Another among our social media marketing mistakes to avoid involves your page names and usernames. In short, keep them professional, and keep them consistent across platforms. To the first point, make sure your page and usernames are representative of the name of your business. To the second point, if at all possible, make your username match across all platforms where your brand has a presence, for example, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This will make it easier for people to find your business on social media.

Being polarizing.

Leave the strong opinions to your personal page. While it is important to share and maintain brand values, use your best judgment as to which topics to share your side on. If you do opt to comment on a potentially polarizing issue on your business’ social media pages, do so knowing that it could affect your page following in the process.

Posting inconsistently.

Don’t let your social media pages collect cobwebs. Consistent posting is the key to engagement; plus, no one wants to go to your business page and see that the last post was “Merry Christmas” from 2018.

How often you post may vary from platform to platform, but creating a schedule (and sticking to it) is one of the best things your brand can do on social media.

Having settings that prevent engagement. 

The point of social media marketing is to have a presence on a digital medium where your clientele is already spending its time. During that time, you want them to engage with you (i.e., like and share your content, comment on your posts, tag you in their posts, etc.)

Make sure your page settings are such that they can do just that. While it might be a good idea to turn on profanity filter settings, for example, you likely do not want to disable comments altogether. Or, as another example, make sure your setting is on that allows others to tag your business page (which only serves to make you visible to more users). After all, social media is all about engagement opportunities.

Not engaging with those who engage with you.

Engagement, engagement, engagement—can we say it one more time? Posting content is only a portion of how your business should be active on social media. Another part is responding to comments and messages on your page, and actively engaging with others’ content as your brand. You wouldn’t ignore your customers in person, so don’t ignore them on social media either. Start a conversation!

Summary

Take it from us—making these social media marketing mistakes will only work against you in the long run! Keep in mind that when you work with us, we are actively watching out for and correcting these offenses on your behalf—and many more!

McNutt & Partners is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency. Contact us today for your marketing needs! Call 334-521-1010, or visit our contact page