Social media is a great way to connect with the people you care about, but it can also be one heck of a minefield. A wrong word or an ill-timed post could end up ruining your reputation or at least getting you in some hot water.
So if you’re not careful, social media can turn into one giant social faux pas. Here are 16 things that could cause problems for your online presence:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Regularly update your profiles with fresh and relevant content. |
| 2. Avoid overposting and overwhelming your audience. |
| 3. Utilize a consistent brand voice across all platforms. |
| 4. Don’t automate engagement – be genuine in interactions. |
| 5. Optimize content for each platform’s unique audience. |
| 6. Always fact-check before sharing information. |
| 7. Steer clear of overusing hashtags and keywords. |
| 8. Monitor comments and respond to them thoughtfully. |
| 9. Don’t neglect your social media analytics – analyze and adjust. |
| 10. Avoid getting involved in controversial discussions. |
1. Saying “I/My” Too Much
EXAMPLE: Use “I” when referring to yourself and the action you performed. For example, I liked your post.
EXAMPLE: Use “you” when referring to someone else’s action or something that was done TO you.
For example, You would like our new product line if you tried it! EXAMPLE: Use “my” when referring to something that belongs only to yourself or a group of people with whom you are sharing an experience or opinion with. For example, My favorite food is cake!
EXAMPLE: Use “we” when speaking about something in which everyone involved has some stake in its existence or outcome (whether large or small). For example, We love spending time together!
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2. Tagging The Wrong Person On Facebook
When you tag someone in a post or photo, the photo is removed from your privacy settings and shared with all of your friends. That’s why it’s so important not to make mistakes when tagging people.
Use the correct name and photo. It’s always best to use someone’s initials or full first name, last name, or nickname (like “Dave” instead of “David”). Also, make sure that the image matches the person you want to tag!
If someone has three different images on Facebook: don’t pick one based on your personal preferences for that person choose which image most accurately represents their current self so that everyone knows who you mean when they see it pop up in their feed.
3. When You’re Not A Photographer
- If you’re not a photographer, don’t use a photo as your profile picture that isn’t yours.
- If you’re not a photographer, don’t use a photo that’s not yours as your profile picture.
This is the same thing as the previous rule, but it’s worth reiterating: if you’re not a photographer or professionally involved in any way with photography or image editing (which is 99% of people), then just don’t do this at all.
It’s tacky and annoying to everyone else who knows better; it makes them think less of you because they see an obvious mistake that anyone with half an eye would know better than to make; and worst of all, it makes them think less about what kind of person would do something so blatantly amateurish and embarrassing.
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4. Not Using Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to categorize your posts and help people find you on social media. They can also expand the reach of your posts, connect you with new people, and bring attention to important issues. Here’s how hashtags work:
Hashtags are words or phrases preceded by the pound sign (#), like #hashtaggingtips. They’re often used in Twitter posts, Instagram captions, and other places where Twitter-style formatting is accepted (like Tumblr).
When someone clicks on a hashtag in their feed, they’ll see other posts with that same hashtag and they might be interested in those posts too! 3. If there’s some kind of event going on where lots of people might share content related to it (like an awards show or sports tournament).
Then using relevant hashtags will help make sure yours gets noticed among all the other stuff posted during that period
5. Posting Typos Without Editing
If you’re a business, typos are going to happen. It isn’t your fault you can only do so much when human error is involved!
But what if there was a fix? You could edit the post or delete it and repost it without any embarrassing typos.
Yes, this option will take some time and effort on your part, but it’s worth considering if posting a typo will cause you lasting embarrassment in the future especially if you’re just getting started with social media marketing.
You might also want to try using autocorrect features like Grammarly or Word for Mac (or whatever word processing software you use).
While there’s no way these apps can catch every mistake as they type out words for us (they aren’t perfect), they’ll help us catch most of them before we publish our content online.
6. Misusing #FF On Twitter
We’ve all seen it: the hashtag #FF, followed by a list of Twitter handles. If you’re not familiar with the abbreviation, here’s what it means:
Follow Friday. It’s a way for users to share their favorite accounts with others so that people can discover new accounts and follow them.
It’s not about spamming other people’s tweets or directing them to your content (that’s called “marketing”).
Rather, it should be used as an opportunity to give credit where credit is due to those who have inspired you or who are doing great things online and maybe even make some new friends along the way!
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7. Tagging People In Memes Who Don’t Like Them
If you’re a social media user, you’ve probably seen it: someone posts a meme and then tags everyone they know in the comment section.
This is usually done because they want to share the joy of the joke with their friends and family, but sometimes it’s done for less-than-altruistic purposes.
(Example: “I can’t wait for my mom to see this!”) If you’re going to tag someone in a meme, make sure that person will also enjoy being tagged and if not, maybe reconsider posting that photo…
8. Complaining About Your Job/Boss On Social Media, Especially If It’s Publicly Visible
- Don’t complain about your job/boss on social media, especially if it’s publicly visible.
- You may feel like you have a lot of support from your friends and family when the going gets tough.
However, if you decide to vent about your boss or company on Facebook or Twitter, there’s a good chance that someone within earshot is going to get fired as soon as they get back to the office.
Don’t be “That Guy” because being “That Guy” gets people fired. This can ruin relationships with friends and family members who work at other companies (or even at this one), not to mention tarnishing any chances for career advancement in the future.
9. Forgetting Accounts Are Linked
It’s important to remember that even though Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are completely different platforms, they’re also connected.
That means that if you do something on one platform (like a post), it might show up on another one (like an ad). So if you want to avoid being “that guy”, make sure nothing personal shows up in your ads!
10. Not Responding To Comments/Mentions On Social Media
It’s easy to ignore your mentions and not address them, but that’s not the right thing to do. You are there as a brand representative, so you should be present and accessible to your audience at all times.
If someone leaves a comment or asks you something directly, you must respond in kind (ideally within 24 hours).
The first step is being polite don’t be rude or disrespectful toward anyone; just because they’re anonymous doesn’t mean they’re invisible!
The second step is asking questions if someone has commented on something specific about your brand, ask them why they feel that way so that it can help inform how things move forward from here!
And lastly, always say “thank you” regardless of whether or not there was anything negative said about what happened in the past week:
Positive reinforcement goes a long way for building relationships with potential customers who might not otherwise have given their money over until now.”
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11. Posting The Same Thing More Than Once In The Same Day
Posting the same thing multiple times in a day is annoying, and it’s one of the easiest mistakes to avoid. If you have several things to say or your post is long, then by all means use different hashtags for each point if it helps you get more engagement.
But if you only want to say one thing, then stick with that one hashtag and wait until tomorrow before posting again.
For example, I posted about my cat once on Instagram, but since people seemed interested in what my cat does all day now (hint: she sleeps), I decided to share some videos of her sleeping instead of repeating myself by posting another picture or video later that day.
This way people who missed out on seeing these videos can go back later and watch them when they feel like it – which could be hours later!
And even though those videos might eventually get buried under newer content from other users’ feeds anyway due to Instagram’s algorithm updates over time…it’s still better than having them disappear completely because their posts were deemed too old!”
12. Not Deleting Old Posts That May Now Be Offensive Or Embarrassing (Ex: Racist Jokes, Controversial Political Opinions)
When you’re guilty of a social media mistake, delete the post and apologize. If it was an honest mistake or you were hacked (which happens more often than people think), say so.
If there was no mistake made but someone was offended by your post, apologies anyway just to be safe. People don’t like being lied to and generally feel cheated when they find out something that may have been false wasn’t true even if it doesn’t affect them personally.
If all else fails and nothing seems right about deleting an old post, just leave it alone and hope no one notices or brings it up again in future conversations with you.
13. Using Lots Of All Caps Instead Of Normal Capitalization
- Using lots of all caps instead of normal capitalization.
- All this does is make your text harder to read and make you look like a crazy person or an amateur. Don’t do it!
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14. Posting Multiple Updates Per Hour In A Short Amount Of Time (Spamming)
We all want to be the first to share our news, but it’s important to remember that other people on your social media channels are actual people with feelings and lives. If you post too much in a short amount of time, you risk spamming them and annoying them and nobody wants that!
It’s best to only post one message per hour, one message per day, one message per week, one message per month, and maybe once or twice a year (if even then).
15. Using Annoying “Viral” Terms Like “Omg, Lol, Hahaha, Haha”
If you’re a social media user and you don’t have your finger on the pulse of pop culture and slang, then it’s time to start learning. But here’s a quick tip: use these terms sparingly. Use them only when they are appropriate (i.e., genuine emotion or light-hearted humor).
And most importantly, don’t overuse these words! You don’t want to come across as an annoying know-it-all who can’t stop using LOL in every other sentence just because their last two tweets did well with their friends (and followers).
Not taking the time to proofread before posting something important
16. Be Polite And Don’t Spam People On Social Media
Do you know who “that guy” is? It’s the person who posts spammy updates or messages that are annoying, impolite, and generally just not cool.
So what do you do to avoid being known as “that guy”?
Be polite! If someone doesn’t want to hear from you, they will let you know. If they don’t answer your message or comment on something that was meant for their eyes only, then back off.
Don’t keep trying to contact them; it’s creepy and annoying at best and could land you in legal trouble at worst (think: harassment).
Conclusion
I hate to see anyone make a mistake, so I wanted to take a moment to talk about some of the most common social media mistakes that businesses make.
It’s easy to assume that everyone knows what they’re doing when it comes to social media, but the truth is that even experienced marketers have been known to make these mistakes.
If you’re new to a social media marketing or just looking for ways to improve your existing strategy, then this article will be helpful!
There are many different types of errors made when it comes time for posting content on various platforms.
So we’ve covered all bases here at WordStream – from Facebook blunders (yes, there are still more than one of those) down to Twitter faux pas’. We’ll cover each one so you can avoid making any potentially embarrassing mistakes yourself!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you dive deeper into the topic of avoiding social media mistakes:
Common Social Media Mistakes to Avoid Short Description: Learn about the most common pitfalls in social media marketing and discover strategies to steer clear of them.
7 Big Social Media Mistakes and Counterintuitive Advice Short Description: Explore unconventional advice to avoid major social media blunders and enhance your online presence effectively.
Top Social Media Mistakes You Shouldn’t Ignore Short Description: Uncover valuable insights into prevalent social media errors and find out how to address and prevent them.
FAQs
What are some common social media mistakes to avoid?
Social media mistakes often include inconsistent posting schedules, ignoring engagement, and not tailoring content to the platform. Addressing these issues can significantly improve your social media strategy’s effectiveness.
How can I prevent social media blunders from impacting my brand?
To prevent social media blunders, maintain a clear brand voice, double-check posts before publishing, and create a crisis management plan to handle any unexpected situations.
What counterintuitive advice can help me avoid major social media mistakes?
Counterintuitively, taking calculated risks, responding transparently to negative feedback, and embracing trends thoughtfully can help you avoid common pitfalls and elevate your social media presence.
How do I ensure my social media content resonates with my target audience?
Understanding your audience’s preferences, interests, and pain points can guide you in crafting content that speaks directly to them and fosters meaningful engagement.
Is it important to adjust my social media strategy based on platform nuances?
Yes, each social media platform has its unique audience and content style. Adapting your strategy to match platform nuances ensures your content aligns with the platform’s user behavior and maximizes its impact.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.