Social media has proven time and again to be tricky for brands and companies to navigate. How does a brand act sincere, of the moment and appropriately in the lightening fast world of social media? Especially when the conversation explodes over hot-trending topics.
Just last week, several brands quickly and unsuccessfully reacted to the sudden passing of music icon Prince. Many found out just how difficult it is to sincerely insert brands into emotional social conversations. As with our 5 Content Marketing Mistakes post (the most read Radioactive Content blog ever!), there are many common mistakes that brands and businesses make in social media. The key is to learn, analyze and make changes. Quickly.
Here are 5 common mistakes brands make in social media, and what to avoid. Do you have others to share? Post your comments and links below.
1. Too many #hashtags. Of course you want people to be able to find your tweet or Instagram post, but using so many hashtags just crowds your content. It doesn’t help, despite what you might think; it’s just too much.
#Socialmedia #content #marketing #mistakes #socialmediamistakes #tips #blogpost #cantstopwontstop
See how annoying that is?
TIP: Stick to a couple of spot-on hashtags that really get your point across. Sometimes less is more! Your content will speak for itself.
2. Not Using Images. This is a HUGE mistake. Whether you are posting on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, you can easily add visuals to all these social platforms. They’re entertaining and attention grabbing. More people will be interested in your content if you add pictures. And without them you’re missing a large audience that could be easily reached.
Tip: Create videos, gifs, pictures, infographics, ANYTHING visual to aid your content. Include a piece with everything you write and post. You can plan this ahead of time when you come up with your content topics. Think ahead so you don’t end up scrambling for visuals at the last minute.
3. Failing to Respond. When you post your content online, people are supposed to interact. You can’t just post and leave. Post and leave. That’s a terrible, self-defeating strategy. Your audience may be commenting, retweeting, maybe even complaining. You need to answer every single person. Without these interactions you are missing out on an opportunity. You can bond with your audience, let them know you’re listening and that you value their opinions. It’s an easy way for brands and companies to come across as sincere in social media. It tells the audience you care enough to make time for them.
Tip: If you don’t have time to do this personally, make sure someone in your organization has the responsibility to check up on all of your channels every day, such as a Social Media Manager or Inbound Specialist. We use HubSpot to track everything in one place, and there are many services that also provide this option. You don’t want to miss any comments.
4. Same Message Across All Channels. We understand. There isn’t time for everything and sometimes we want that simple shortcut. What’s the harm in just creating one piece of content and posting it everywhere the exact same way? Well, not all channels are created equal. Twitter is great for a quick, short description with a picture, while LinkedIn needs something more professional. It’s better if you change it up, at least a little. Your audience is different on each network and you need to change your tone and style to match theirs to have the greatest effect.
Tip: Use a content calendar to better organize and strategize how content will be used across different channels.
5. Unprofessional Content. Anything that doesn’t involve your business, your services, and any themes involving the two should NOT be on any of your social media accounts. Don’t post pictures of you partying on your business page, no matter how much you enjoyed the experience! Don’t comment back to your audience anything inappropriate or defensive, even if you’re frustrated. Just keep it professional.
Tip: Use common sense. But on top of that, remember you have your own personal accounts to broadcast how cool, fun and hip you are. (It’s best to still monitor what you post on personal feeds, as even business connections may check them out.) Keep your business social media channels on a calendar and plan so you don’t end up posting about other nonsense.
BONUS: Don’t spread yourself too thin! If you find you’re having trouble keeping up, then you may have to focus a strategy on select channels. You might even need to hire someone to handle the social media side of your business! Just make sure you stay connected.