There is a lot of advice floating around about social media best practices and strategies. While no two social media campaigns, accounts or channels are alike, some things hold true across all mediums and industries. We’ve compiled some of the worst tips that we’ve come across as well as our faux pas fixes.
5 of the Biggest Mistakes Brands Make on Social Media
Use Tons of Hashtags
Hashtags are a great strategy to reaching a wider range of people in a shorter amount of time, but be careful not to be over zealous when adding hashtags to any post. Too many hastags not only looks tacky, it can make your messaging harder to read and weakens the authenticity of what you are trying to say. Remember, you’re putting together a thoughtful, digital marketing campaign – not throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.
Top Shelf Fix:
Limit your hashtags to about five to seven words and nothing too elaborate. Research trending phrases and words that make sense for your content, then use them to amplify your video, image or messaging.
More Posts Per Day = More Views and Clicks
While it’s good to post regularly and we advocate for frequent updates, multiple posts per day can backfire. Remember, brands thrive on permission-based marketing and spammy posting can turn followers off from engaging. Think of how you feel when you’ve seen too many ads for a product, eventually you’re so bored and tired that you completely disengage or turn the channel.
Top Shelf Fix:
Unless it’s necessary to post throughout the day, spread your messaging and your media (video, text, images, etc.) out over the course of the week. This will still keep your page fresh, and fans will be informed without getting overloaded. While there is no perfect frequency for posting, you can analyze your weekly and monthly statistics to pinpoint what kinds of information your followers gravitate to and how often they want to engage with your brand.
You Don’t Need Professional Photographs
While it’s true that you don’t need to be a professional photographer to post to social media, authenticity shouldn’t trump brand standards. Camera angles, clarity, lighting and position are all important factors to take into consideration when you’re posting. This is particularly important if you are promoting a product. What may look magnificent in-person can look shoddy, cheap or uninteresting in and cost you a strong first impression or disrupt your sales funnel.
Top Shelf Fix:
Take your time when choosing images. If you are highlighting a member of your team, don’t post a group picture. Before showcasing a venue, consider lighting and time of day before you start snapping away. When in doubt, put yourself in the shoes of your customers and ask how the photo represents your brand. Does it support or undermine your reputation and image? Remember, a little forethought – and a good photo editing app, like the one on this list – can go along way when it comes to photography!
You Must Be Everywhere at All Times
Many companies and brands are led to believe they have to have a presence on every social platform. Not only is this flat-out wrong, it hurts your brand image to have atrophied profiles that aren’t in use. It’s also a waste of resources to maintain a presence on platforms your target audience doesn’t use.
Top Shelf Fix:
Identify the platforms your target audience uses and stick to those. Scale up slowly, and don’t add new profiles until you’re comfortable managing the ones you’re already using. Each channel has its own sweet spot of demographics, messaging and strengths. By limiting the number of channels, brands can better target their audiences and build stronger relationships with their followers.
Leap Before You Look
The biggest mistake a brand can make is to launch social media profiles without first doing its homework and due diligence. Like any aspect of marketing, social media requires a comprehensive plan that ties into the larger brand strategy.
Top Shelf Fix:
Educate yourself about each of the platforms you’re considering. Each one has its limitations, offers more or less transparency of analytics, and attracts certain kinds of users. Another important consideration is what your competition is doing (this is a great way to see what has been successful and what attracts engagement). This information helps you choose your platforms wisely and based on your target audience, not what’s trending in the news. You’ll be able to put together a thoughtful campaign, identify goals, create a timeline and budget.
Final Thoughts
There is lots of bad advice about social media marketing available, and it can be hard to separate the substance from the fluff. If you’re not sure how to get started, or you don’t think you can maintain a sustained strategy, consider outsourcing your social media marketing.
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