The lightning pace at which information moves across the social web lends itself to the eventual mistake.
So does human nature.
Take the opportunity to put these unpleasant, wish-you-never-made-them, social media mistakes behind you for good.
Simple Social Media Mistakes (and how to fix them)
1. Putting quantity over quality
Content matters. Quality matters. Conversation matters. Make quality your focus, not the quantity of content you put out.
2. Being reactive instead of “active”
While it is important to reply to inquiries and thank people for mentions, it is a mistake if it is all that you do.
Strive to actively seek out others and create conversation in and around their content. Show that you care by paying attention to where they are and what they are talking about.
3. Posting without a strategy or plan
Posting without a social media strategy is similar to tossing content at a wall and hoping it sticks. It is a waste of time and will find you throwing away valuable time, resources and money.
Take the time to write down your goals, integrate those goals into your overall marketing plan and create daily tasks that move you towards those goals.
4. Using automated direct messages
Whether you manage an active business account or a personal account with the occasional mention, being “on” at all times is a challenge. This makes automating certain tasks very tempting. One of these tasks is thanking new followers.
We have all received that auto direct message encouraging us to “find them on Facebook, download their latest e-book or buy their latest product on Amazon.”
Not only are these messages spammy, but they also discourage people from interacting with you going forward.Bottom line: thank whom you can, as often as you can and do it genuinely.
5. Posting without proofreading
Have you fallen victim to the hastily posted message riddled with misspellings?
Blame auto-correct all you want, but it’s your reputation that fails in the end. Take two extra minutes to proof your message before hitting “send” and immortalizing those words online forever.
6. Posting while tired or inebriated
Anytime your thought process is impaired, posting should be avoided.
Take a step back and think before you post or better yet — put your computer or mobile device away and avoid a potentially disastrous moment altogether.
7. Asking for a RT every time
At the beginning of Twitter’s history it was common practice to end a tweet by asking for a retweet.
The landscape and usage of Twitter has vastly changed since then and asking for a retweet in every tweet is a mistake. If users find your content interesting, they will retweet it.
8. Stretching yourself too thin
This one is for anyone who just can’t say no. Whether it’s to the latest and greatest tool or a pet project, taking on too much can leave anyone worn out and weary.
As nice as it would be to be everywhere at all times, it is an impossible objective. Streamline your focus and simplify your social media. Take on only what pushes you closer to your goals.
9. Spamming your fans and followers
Creating conversation and engaging with your fans and followers is what social media is all about.
Sending spammy messages that take advantage of the trust placed in you is not. Blasting promotional links will only alienate you and your business from the very consumers you are attempting to reach. Just don’t do it.
10. Letting fear hold you back
Don’t be afraid to take a stand and find your voice on social media. Fear can be debilitating as you over-think what to post, when to post and how it should or should not be said. While you should pay close attention to how your message is received, it’s difficult to create your own unique voice if your posts feel generic and stale.
This is not to say that you have to throw caution to the wind, only to say that trying out a new approach or tactic every once in a while won’t hurt. You might be pleasantly surprised how those around you respond.
11. Writing a novel with every post
We all have verbose friends. You know who they are — the ones with posts that say “click here to read more.” If you happen to be one of those “friends,” know that not every post needs to win a Pulitzer and not every tweet needs to max out the character limit.
Sometimes the best posts are short and sweet. Make an extra effort to condense down your thoughts and share in a clear and concise way.
12. Diluting the power of #FollowFriday
The practice of Follow Friday is a great way to show appreciation to those who have either been following you, or you yourself have been following. The mistake often made is using the #FollowFriday hashtag to randomly tweet out hundreds of names without any apparent connection or forethought whatsoever.
Instead, choose to use #FF as a way to showcase specific people that have made an impact on you both personally and professionally. Share their traits and strengths with your followers in a way that encourages others to then follow.
Which simple social media mistake have you made? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Originally written by Rebekah Radice for 12Most.com and reposted with permission.
Nice list you’ve put together there Rebekah.
Have to admit I assumed this was going to be another standard ‘mistakes’ post that had been rehashed that I see all over the place, but then I found myself nodding my head and thinking “yip, done that” to at least 10 of the 12 on the list haha.
Definitely need to improve my social media game.
Thanks Jamie! I appreciate that. Like you, I tire of seeing the same old stuff droned on and on about.
We all have social media challenges, its fun to actually share the ones we’ve stumbled on and have others say.. “yip, done that.” 🙂
Hi, Rebekah! All good points, but I particularly found points # 2, 5 and 11 very useful. Posting your content without proofreading can have dire consequences. Editing helps not only in correcting grammatical errors but also in polishing and checking the flow of the post.
My 2 cents:
1) Ignoring social media complains and delay in replying: People expect a quick reply on social media and delay can cost you your customer. As per stats, “71 percent of those who experience positive social care are likely to recommend that brand to others”.
2) Hiding mistakes and deleting negative comments: Nobody is immune to doing mistakes and there is no harm in accepting them, but brands normally prefer deleting negative comments and hiding faux pas. This is not a good policy as it will agitate your audience even more.
I have shared my thoughts on most common social media mistakes here: http://www.betaout.com/blog/13-social-media-mistakes-that-ecommerce-businesses-make-2/#.Uql9veKkPt0 -would love your feedback.
I completely agree with your thoughts Reshu. You can’t run and you can’t hide from anything on social media, especially negative comments and reviews. Take advantage of those moments to express your concern and how you’re rectifying the problem. People like to see that you’re responsive and open to change.
Inconsistency and lack of focus are my main areas of weakness. This is partly because I don’t have an overall game plan for each social media platform. I spend most of my time on Facebook, but I don’t use it so much for business any more. It’s primarily to connect with family and friends. Lots of work to do here!
Willena
Building out your strategy and one that integrates multiple social channels is the key to success. It’s hard to stay focused when you haven’t clearly spelled out what your goals are. It’s all baby steps though and you’re doing great with all that you are doing online!
I especially like your advice that not every post or message needs to be a long novel. Sometime short and sweet is appreciated. And for me, it take the pressure off!
Hi Rebekah,
Thanks for the reminder.
Item #6 reminds me of a post I read last week: “Do You Drink and Post?” That one was pretty funny. I’ve also read posts that chronicled a writer’s meltdown, following an exhausting day.
But number 5 is the one I’m most guilty of. This weekend I clicked the publish button a bit too soon. I imagine I fixed the mistakes before any blog readers noticed them, but the email subscribers all received the ‘quck n dirty’ version. Yikes!
– Cole
I’ve been spreading myself too thin and posting without a plan. Some weeks I get very enthusiastic and I write out a plan, which makes the whole week so easy. I make Saturdays my day for doing that, but I often get stuck on doing other things, and leave the plan until last. It’s Saturday tomorrow for me, so I’m going to do it first thing in the morning tomorrow!
I’m inconsistent and I think there’s a reason for that. Social media isn’t fun, it’s become a chore. I’m not sure what to do about that. There’s too much input for very little return. This is an insight I’ve just gotten because of your post. Now, time to regroup and revamp.
Thank you!!!
RICK
I’ve probably been guilty of most, if not all of these, at one time or another, but the one that really annoys me is spamming. When a Facebook “friend” starts spamming me, I’ll let it go for the first time or two, but after that, if they continue, I’ll “unfriend” them immediately.
Thanks for a helpful list of points to watch out for!
Alan
These are great tips. The subject of post length will never be resolved because everyone has a different option. I think the niche has a lot to do with how long/short you can get away with for an article. It is much easier to write a short and sweet post for things like blogging, network marketing, small business, etc., than it is most areas of self improvement. I did a lot of research on this subject before launching my first blog and the number one complaint from readers was self improvement articles that had no depth and glossed over a subject. Bottom line for me is I believe bloggers need to plan their content around readers wants and needs rather than trying to follow a one-size-fits all formula.
As always Rebekah, thank you for the tips! I am guilty of sending out promotional posts. I am so new to this, and I always feel uncomfortable when posting links regarding my business, especially to my closer family and friends on facebook. Therefore, #10 is a slight issue for me. I certainly do not want things to get spammy. I do not just ask followers to go to my site, or by my product. I post the reasons why the product or service I am referring to is beneficial. Clearly, I need your services as I am having a hard time finding my own way. 🙂
What a great list… I do my best to proofread… but I have a couple of times sent out a newsletter with a typo or 2…. I usually proofread and proofread again. The last time I sent out a short little one with out the proofread… you can guess what happened… there was an error… That’s likely my biggest error… Although the fear thing, holds me back too sometimes!!
Quality above Quantity – that is the most important issue. I saw a lot of celebrities, public figures, politicians etc. who were proud of their huge amount of followers. Did they ever communicate with their followers (millions)? Less followers but in a same or similar interest would be better for all of us.
This is a pretty good round up of what I would say are the 12 most common and simplest social media mistakes too. Nicely done!
– Stuart
I fall pray to the post in a hurry and find misspellings and or words that don’t really fit. Thank God I have a wife that catches a good bit of them. I call her my grammar natzi. ;).
I can’t post while inebriated? Well there goes 90% of my posts.
Hi Rebekah
Love this collection, so many social media home truths in there. In fact, aren’t we all guilty of them at one time or another? That is how you become the best, by making mistakes.
There are a couple in here I can certainly pay more attention to as well. And I do love the ol DM – join me on Facebook too. Why? I joined you on Twitter :> I rarely read them either.
Asking for an RT I have read everywhere, is a worthwhile thing – yet I have never seen any of the pros doing it. So, I believe you are right. Quality is retweeted, don’t ask unless it’s a special occasion!
have a great week
ashley