Hey everyone, it’s your friendly neighborhood social media expert here to talk about some of the common social media mistakes that newbie businesses and marketers make. Social media has become such a powerful tool for businesses to reach out to potential customers and build their brand, which means you really don’t want to drop the ball when it comes to your social media game. So, without further ado, let’s dive into some common social media mistakes that you need to avoid.

1. Jumping Into Too Many Platforms At Once

Jumping into multiple social media platforms at the same time might seem like a good idea, but trying to maintain and stay active on all of them can be overwhelming. It’s always better to just start with one or two platforms and then take the time to learn and understand them fully before moving on to others. By focusing on just one or two platforms, you’ll be able to create a better strategy and deliver quality content that your followers will appreciate.

A person juggling multiple social media logos

2. Incomplete Profile

Your social media profiles are often the first point of contact that potential clients have with your brand, and a complete profile is crucial to making a good first impression. An incomplete profile with missing information could make your potential customers lose interest, or worse, make them question the credibility of your business.

A screenshot of an incomplete social media profile

3. No Social Media Plan

Posting your content without a plan or strategy can be a huge mistake. Creating a social media plan can help you determine goals, target audience, and content types that will help you achieve those goals. A well-created social media plan will help you maintain consistency, improve the quality of your content, and increase audience engagement.

A person with a notebook and pen writing a social media plan

4. Over-Promotion

Posting promotions and sales is great, but doing it too often can turn off your audience and make you seem too pushy. Rather than pushing promotions, try sharing valuable content that is relatable to your followers. This will help build an emotional connection with your brand and make people more likely to engage with your content.

A person pushing a sale too aggressively

5. Ignoring Negative Feedback

Ignoring negative feedback on your social media platforms can be detrimental to your brand and reputation. Rather than ignoring the comments, address the issues and apologize for any mistakes that have been made. Responding to negative comments professionally will prevent your followers from getting a negative first impression of your brand.

A social media post with negative comments being ignored

6. Buying Followers and Likes

Buying social media followers and likes might seem like a quick fix to increase engagement, but it’s a risky move that could end up hurting your brand’s credibility. Purchased followers and likes are often fake accounts, meaning they won’t engage with your content or lead to any actual business conversions.

A person reaching for fake followers and likes

7. Posting Irrelevant Content

Posting irrelevant content on your social media platforms can alienate your audience. Make sure that the content you’re sharing is relevant to your brand and audience. If you aren’t sure what to post, take the time to research and understand your audience in order to create content that resonates with them.

A social media post being irrelevant to the brand

8. Failure to Engage with Followers

Social media is a two-way conversation, meaning it’s important to engage with your followers and create a sense of community. Make sure to respond to comments, questions, and messages in a timely manner. By engaging with your followers, you’ll create a stronger relationship between your brand and your audience.

A social media post with a lack of engagement with followers

9. Not Analyzing Metrics

Not analyzing your social media metrics can lead your business down a path of posting content that is irrelevant and uninteresting to your followers. Metrics help you understand your audience’s behavior and preference, which will help you tailor your content and create more engagement.

A person analyzing social media metrics for their brand's page

10. Inconsistent Posting

Posting inconsistently can hurt your brand’s credibility and limit your reach. It’s important to post consistently in order to keep your brand relevant and in the minds of your followers. You can create a content calendar or schedule in order to stay on top of posting consistently.

A person trying to remember their posting schedule

Who would’ve thought that social media had so many rules? Once you get the hang of it, social media can be a powerful tool for growing your business. Just remember to take the time to learn and understand each platform that you use, engage with your audience, and with consistent posting and valuable content, you’ll be on your way to success.

An image of a person holding a phone with social media logos surrounding them