It seems as if brands are foaming at the mouth, ready to take on social media marketing with hopes of attracting legions of new customers. It’s understandable for brands to want to jump on the social media bandwagon—after all, that’s where the crowd is.

However, there are several social media mistakes that will directly impede upon the time spent toiling away to create social media greatness.

This post will briefly discuss several  faux pas, which negatively impact your businesses’ presence on social media platforms. 

Incomplete Profiles Turn Visitors Away

At the very least, when a prospect or customer visits one of your social channels, they should be able to view basic information about your business, view your company logo, and develop an understanding of what you’re offering. If you have the ability to link your social profiles to your website, by all means, be sure to do so.

Additionally, make sure you optimize your businesses’  social media profiles by incorporating relevant keywords in your company overview section.

Posting Too Often Or Infrequently

I may run the risk of sounding like Goldilocks, but there really is a fine balance when it comes to your social media editorial calendar. After all, you don’t want to post a meaningless thought once a month,nor should you barrage your audience’s news feeds.

Your content frequency approach should vary from one social platform to the next. 10 posts would be suitable for Twitter, as the timeline updates very quickly; yet by the same thought, 10 Facebook status updates could easily annoy your followers (it updates less frequently). Posting relevant information with the right consistency is crucial for building a loyal social media following. Don’t be afraid to be Goldilocks.

Inconsistent Voicing Is A Turn-Off

One day your company sounds like a Supreme Court Judge, the next your posts are littered with friendly slang. While some might find this a refreshing change of pace, many people might view your company as inconsistent and an unreliable source of credible information.

It’s in your best interest to agree upon a company-wide style philosophy that will serve as the foundation for all future posts regardless of whom does the posting. Simply, you and your social media team needs to agree on a tone that will influence all costs, regardless of the writer/poster.

Automation Without Monitoring Will Lead To Pain

There are numerous marketers who schedule posts in advance, which can be acceptable if you want to balance schedules and plan ahead. However, it’s important to remember that social media is centered around live interactions—events are occurring each and every moment.

You can only achieve the results you desire by tracking, evaluating, and updating your content as you learn more about you audience. Don’t get me wrong— there is nothing wrong with scheduling posts ahead of time, but it’s crucial for you to monitor what you’ve scheduled.

Running From Customer Complaints

Unfortunately, if customer criticism sets you on edge, social media may not be the safest place for you. Social media is the perfect channel for customers to vent and let their frustrations and praises be known (we know the former happens more frequently).

Mistakes happen each and every day, so it’s important that your brand is willing to own up to errors. Let your customers know what your plan-of-action is for preventing the same mistake from occurring again. Ignoring complaints reflects poorly on your business. If you need help dealing with poor reviews, check out this blog post.

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Does your social media marketing strategy consistently  fall short of your goals? Knowing is half the battle. If it’s time to rethink your strategy, all is not lost. Do research on what others in your industry are doing in social media: what works, what doesn’t and their tone.  Take the time to get to know what your potential clients or customers want to see from you.

We understand that social media can be overwhelming, and it's not always easy to change with each update or refresh. If you are looking to boost your social media marketing then you may want to take a step back and reevaluate the online presence you already have.