In today’s day and age, social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools a brand can utilize. It can help businesses reach levels of success that they never could have reached otherwise. However, as helpful as social media can be, it can be just as detrimental. From small mistakes that leave customers with questions to big mistakes that tarnish your brand name, all social media mistakes can be avoided. 

As an award-winning global PR agency, our team at The Chi Group has learned quite a few tips and tricks on how to properly manage social media platforms. To help prevent you from making the same blunders we have seen so many times before, we have rounded up the biggest social media mistakes that you should avoid. 

Here are the top 5 social media mistakes to avoid: 

1. Failure to Engage

Social media is not meant to be a one-way street. If you’re simply posting to your social media platforms and then signing off, you’re doing it wrong for so many reasons. First of all, the algorithm on many social media platforms favors posts with more comments. The more you interact with not only your posts, but with other accounts as well, the more visibility your brand will have. 

Secondly, interaction breeds loyalty. It takes only a moment to respond to a fan comment, but it can go a long way in building relationships with your customers. 

2. Taking A One Size Fits All Approach

Various social media platforms have their own unique personalities, audiences, and content types. Posting identical posts to each of your social media platforms is ineffective and will not produce the results your brand is looking for. 

It’s important to learn who your audience is and how they communicate on each platform. By tailoring your messages to be platform-specific, you can make sure your efforts are well-received. 

3. Over-Posting or Posting at the Wrong Times

Both of these can be equally damaging to the success of your social media posts. While it’s important to post frequently, none of your followers want every other post on their feed to be from your account. The sweet spot for most social media platforms is around 1 to 2 posts per day. 

Additionally, make sure you’re making the most out of your posts by posting at the time of day when your follower engagement is the highest. This can vary depending on the age group and geographical location of the majority of your followers, so do your research. 

If the majority of your followers are based in the eastern United States and are active primarily in the afternoon, then your posts are pretty much guaranteed to flop if you’re posting at 4 AM EST. 

4. Focusing Only On Sales 

As a business, it’s expected that the majority of your content is going to be about your products and/or services. However, social media is all about connection. Your followers want to feel connected to your brand, so avoid focusing only on self-promotion.

Switch it up on occasion with thoughtful posts about recent events, relatable insights, and inside looks at the things that matter to your company. With the global pandemic leaving people around the world feeling isolated, it’s more important than ever for people to feel connected through social media. 

5. Using Lackluster Visuals

One of the most important aspects of social media is the visual component. When people are scrolling through their Instagram or Facebook feeds, you have an exceptionally small window of time to capture their attention. If you’re using lackluster stock photos or poor-quality visuals, people are going to scroll right on by. 

Make sure you have a dedicated staff member or agency partner who focuses on creating visual content that is both consistent and high-quality. Poor visual content is not only likely to inhibit your brand from gaining followers, but it reflects poorly on your business as a whole. 

By avoiding these major social media mistakes, you can achieve greater success both on social media and in your business. Work smarter, not harder!