5 Social Media Mistakes You Must Avoid

There are 4.20 billion people who use social media frequently, and with this figure growing by almost 500 million in 2020, the possibilities are endless for businesses looking to increase sales. Even though social media can build your brand when done correctly, it’s more likely that you’ll make a few mistakes along the way. Avoid these 5 common errors in your marketing strategy.

Mistake 1: Not Actively Monitoring Social Media

Businesses tend to enter social media platforms blindly and with large expectations they won’t meet without a plan. Mistakes are made when a company simply doesn’t understand what metrics are essential for social media and how to tackle them effectively. You don’t have to wonder why a social media campaign brought in more followers or failed before taking off. 

A social media monitoring tool – for example Falcon.io –  tracks metrics like shares, likes, comments, and mentions but digs further by helping their users understand what works and why. With this information, you can adjust failing campaigns or expand on successful projects.

Mistake 2: Focusing on Quantity over Quality

Posting more can increase your brand reach if done effectively. However, producing a lot of content could quickly lead to burnout, leading to sub-par quality posts. If you notice that your customers aren’t engaging with your content, or they’re unfollowing at a faster rate, post less. With a lower-post expectation, you can space out your good ideas throughout the week.

Mistake 3: Using Every Single Social Media Platform

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are considered the Big Three in the social media landscape. It makes good business sense to include these platforms in your social media strategy, but other popular websites may not benefit your brand at this moment or require a lot of attention. 

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For example, YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform with plenty of watchers. A business can succeed on this platform if they’re decent editors and a relatable host. It’s common to avoid a social media platform if a niche audience prefers to spend their time elsewhere. Although YouTube is profitable in every niche, it’s difficult to manage.

Other popular websites may tarnish your brand’s reputation or confuse older audiences. Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking platform that should be avoided if you’re concerned a younger audience may stumble upon nudity. On the other hand, TikTok isn’t an effective way to target Gen X or Boomers because they barely use the platform at all.

Mistake 4: Posting The Wrong Kind of Content

Every social media platform adds that little extra something to keep its users engaged. Few companies notice these differences initially, which leads to the first posting sin: duplicate content.

Not only is duplicate content detrimental to your search engine ranking, but it also gives your customers no initiative to follow you on other platforms. What works for Facebook won’t work for Instagram and won’t be effective on Twitter. If you must use duplicate content, change it enough to fit with the platform’s audience and posting requirements (i.e., photo size, text cut-off).

Avoid these other posting sins at all costs:

• Sharing Only Your Own Content: You can share content produced by another creator as long as the sharing functionality is turned on. Don’t ever copy and paste their content.
• Not Uploading Videos: Native videos are shared five times more than YouTube videos.
• Neglecting the Power of UGCs: User-generated content is created when a person uploads a post that involves your brand. Sharing these posts with the permission from the original poster can increase brand recognition and make you more approachable.

Content is king, so create an effective posting strategy that keeps customers engaged.

Mistake 5: Buying Likes or Followers

Buying likes or followers on any social media platform is a major faux pas. Having a large social media following is a positive, but if other brands or customers notice no one is engaging with your brand, commenting, or sharing, they’ll know something is up. Social media platforms will delete fake accounts eventually. Your customers will instantly notice if you suddenly lose thousands of followers in a day and, as a result, are less likely to trust you in the future.