Posting whatever comes to mind. I cannot tell you how many horror stories I've heard about erroneous and/or aimless social-media posts. It doesn't matter if you are a rookie or a veteran — posting mistakes can happen to you! You can avoid this one by doing several things:
- Make sure your posts are conducive to your overall social media and business strategy.
- Aim to get two sets of eyes on each post.
- Avoid being too politically or religiously charged.
- Always double check to see where you are posting your content — business or personal?
Being too boring. Due to the endless barrage of posts and tweets out there, it's a challenge to become a priority in the daily routine of your audience. You must find a way to pique their interest in a profound way. According to HubSpot, "We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and become what they are interested in." Instead of posting merely to fill space, be intentional, interesting and unpredictable. Here are some ways to achieve that:
- Use humor. People enjoy jokes, memes, witty diagrams, etc.
- Use images. If you take a look at the direction social media is going, you'll notice that it's becoming image-oriented (Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr). Take that as a sign that images are effective.
- Use eye-catching statistics. Who doesn't love an interesting stat? Especially when it's about something you care about or are interested in?
- Create an emotional connection. If you observe the successful brands on social media, you will notice that they aim to create an emotional connection with their audiences. This consists of tapping into the deeper feelings and needs behind your services and products.
- Catch them off guard. Avoid the "same-thing-different-day" syndrome. Keep it interesting by throwing in new things from time to time.
If you are relatively new to social media, it's easy to stumble and make simple mistakes without realizing it. Take some time to comb through your social-media activity to ensure you're making the most of this valuable asset.
