Top Social Media Mistakes

Making mistakes is part of learning! So, right off the bat–don’t worry, most things are correctable! As you become more and more familiar with the various social media platforms, you will learn from your mistakes and find that some mistakes lead to happy accidents and a new skill is born.

Here are some of the top social media mistakes that are made that will give you a head-start in knowing what to avoid and guidelines to consider.

• Too Many Details. Facebook will sometimes remind you that “the most popular posts are short or ask a question,” and this is so true. Carefully consider your wording and if you find that one post is becoming too lengthy, consider breaking into a few different posts. The “shelf-life” of a post in your audience’s news feed is not as lasting as you might like, so posting the same information in a slightly different delivery package is perfectly fine. Too much is too much, but a little repetition is acceptable.
• Politics and Agendas. Unless your organization’s mission is to promote your cause or agenda, then avoiding politics and agendas is a smart move. Inclusion and not alienation is the name of the game here. While you’re entitled to express your opinion a little more freely on your personal profile, keep the professional page on the lighter side.
• Too much talk and not enough listening. Conversations happen on a two-way street. Make sure that your posts leave some room for a little back and forth. Questions are a great way to encourage response from your audience. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t always get a lot of response–people still appreciate the gesture and answered your question whether they commented or not. Read through your news feed first, like and comment to the businesses/organizations you follow, and then post something thoughtful to your page.
• Too much work and no play–you know what the rest of it says! Don’t be dull–post pictures of your team or of the latest event, something your team finds inspirational, and so on. Mix it up and make it social. This is part of finding your voice and knowing your audience.

As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Keep up the good work in avoiding the top social media mistakes and keep us posted on your progress–we’re here for you!