When it comes to brands mistakes, it’s best to know them before you make them too. Having your brand on social media is a no-brainer. With enough how-to and best practice documentation out there to exceed Gmail’s current inbox capacity, the vast majority of organizations know what they need to do to build an active and healthy social media presence.
What isn’t so obvious, however, is what not to do…
Too much focus on self-promotion over engagement…
On social media only the best content survives. By only creating content that focuses on your brand, and your brand alone, you’re wasting your efforts and missing opportunities to engage and delight. This content won’t get shared or make an impact. Creating content that is shareable, memorable, and provides followers with some sort of value is the way to succeed on social while not annoying your audience.
Jumping on any and every trend
One of the ways brands try to reach audiences on social media is by tapping into cultural references, news stories, and memes. This approach can make brands more relatable and add a personal feel to corporate social profiles.
When done right, the impact can be fantastic. Poorly executed, it turns into trend-jacking that almost certainly damages your brand. It annoys users who think you’re trying to capitalize on a piece of news or cultural titbit that has nothing to do with you.
#way #too #many #hashtags #and #emoji ? ? ?
Thankfully, the trend of using a bajillion hashtags on every post is nearly dead. Most brands have gotten wise to the annoying hashtag racket, and know to focus on a few thoughtfully chosen and relevant ones.
Unfortunately, following in that trend’s place is the excessive use of emoji—small graphical icons used to visually express a thought, feeling, idea, or event. They are being overused as much as hashtags used to be, and seemingly without any real reason.
Emoji are a great way to add a visual element to your message. But, please, for the love of all things good on the internet, use them sparingly.
Silence, especially in response to critical comments
Don’t ignore your users—especially when they’re being critical of your brand. Social media gives you the chance to gain control of a situation, and being silent isn’t the right way to handle it. Address concerns to the best of your ability, apologize if necessary, escalate if required, and move on.
We want brands to succeed in social, and that comes with being a good netizen. Above are some clear cut examples of what not to do as a brand on social media. However, not every scenario will be this obvious. If in doubt, err on the side of caution.
Read the full-length blog here – Hootsuite
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