Common Social Media Mistakes

It can happen to the best of us.

There is just so much to know about social media that we slip up and break some of the “rules.” In most cases, we don’t even know we are doing anything wrong. Here are the most common social media mistakes, and what you should do instead.

Burst posting. We just can’t spend all day on social media. We just have so many other things to do. Unfortunately, this often leads to people posting many times within a few minutes. Avoid this be pre-scheduling your posts to go out throughout the day (and night!)

Using hashtags wrong. When it comes to Twitter, most online sources agree: 2 hashtags seem to be best. Also, keep your hashtags short and avoiding hashtagging most of your words. On the other hand, using hashtags on Facebook and Pinterest may actually bring your engagement down. Instagram seems to be more lenient with hashtagging; users can get away with using more.

Sending auto direct messages. There are many programs that will allow you to automatically send new followers a direct message. I often see people using them to promote something, or direct followers to their website or other social media pages. Even if your message isn’t self-promoting, people can tell it’s an automated message and it will perceive negatively. Instead, send your new followers a tweet thanking them for following you to initiate a conversation.

Liking your own posts. Just don’t. Especially if there are very few likes, your own name will stand out if you do this.

Joining groups and only promoting. One of the biggest common social media mistakes has to do with groups or communities. Joining specific groups to help market your business is great, but you also need to contribute and be a useful part of the conversation. Spend most of your time answering questions and posting useful articles from other sources, and your promotional content will be better received.

Only posting your own stuff. This is another biggie. We all know social media is great for boosting business and promoting a website. But always posting your own content and never sharing anything else is a big no-no. Make sure you are sharing a good mix of content from other sources in addition to your own.

Not thanking people. While you don’t have to spend time thanking everyone who likes or shares your posts, you should do it every now and then. It’s a great way to make connections and get on people’s good sides.

Getting on social media is necessary to promote a website or business. But there is often so much to know, that we accidentally break some of the rules. Make sure you don’t commit any of these common social media mistakes and your marketing efforts will be more successful.