If you want to minimize the number of social media mistakes you and your business make, here are ten lessons you can learn from others’ trial and error:

Putting the Same Messages on Every Platform

Many of us still making this mistake of putting the same messages on every platform but the social media platforms have their own unique nuances. As a result, it’s important to take time to understand those differences, and then adjust your efforts on each platform accordingly.

Prioritizing Quantity

A few hundred followers who are likely to become customers are much better than thousands of followers who have little to no interest in what your company actually does. So instead of trying to appeal to the masses, focus your social media marketing efforts on attracting your target demographic.

Posting in the Heat of the Moment

One of the biggest social media mistakes any individual or business can make is firing off a message when they don’t have a level head. Whether someone is out having a few drinks in the evening or your company just received a nasty message from a troll, these aren’t the times to respond. Instead, make sure you and anyone else involved with your social media are always calm and collected before sending anything out.

Not Making a Compelling Bio

Since plenty of people’s first interaction with you and your business may be through a social media profile, make sure your profile provides a compelling reason for them to start following you.

Using the Wrong Posting Frequency

Although it can take a little time, it’s crucial to find the right balance between posting too much and too little. The key is to post enough so that people stay interested, but not so much that they feel like they’re drowning in information.

Never Proofreading

Even though social media is causal, you don’t want every tweet or message you post to be full of spelling mistakes. Since that can cloud your message, take two seconds to look for any errors and fix them before publishing.

Using Too Much Automation

Automated tools can help you take your social media efforts to the next level. However, if you rely on automation too much, it can make your profiles look spammy. To prevent that from happening, be sure that automation never interferes with the authenticity of your accounts.

Not Engaging

There are far too many Twitter profiles and Facebook pages that only ever contain links to the company they’re promoting. While it’s fine to share your latest blog post, it’s just as important to share content from other people, as well as actually engage in conversations. By making engagement a priority, you’ll give other users a reason to follow you.

Forgetting the Importance of Brevity

If you have a lot to say, it’s probably best to put it in a blog post. While social media is all about communicating, studies have shown that on Twitter and other platforms, going with shorter messages actually increases engagement.

Misusing Different Features

Whether it’s a picture, hashtag or @ sign, it’s important to know the impact of the different features that social media platforms offer. If you don’t take the time to fully understand these features, it’s easy to accidentally hold back your social media strategy from being as effective as possible.
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