Social media marketing is the fastest-growing platform for promoting one’s brand, product, and even themselves.

Digital marketing allows people to promote their businesses in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner. However, mastering the digital marketing world can be tricky and ineffective if executed poorly.

Let’s dive into the nitty gritty of what NOT to do when marketing your brand on digital media and some tips on avoiding making these mistakes.

Cockiness is NOT key. 

Think of that one girl in the back row of your high-school history class. The one who was constantly talking, flipping her hair, snapping her gum, and flirting with Johnny. She might have been the center of attention for that forty-five-minute class, but people couldn’t wait to get away from her. Avoid being this girl. Promote the best parts of who and what you are because something great may be underneath that obnoxious surface. Do not flood your page with overwhelming and unwanted attention that will drive followers away.

Blocking out the haters.

You might be tempted to block the negative comments that come your way. However, not every comment needs to be “SLAY QUEEN.” The point of social media is to be interactive with your audience. It is not just the creator that has the right to voice their opinions. Learning when and how to respond to negative comments is vital in digital marketing. Responding to the hater might protect your reputation and resolve the issue rather than putting a bandaid over a bullet hole with that pesky block button.

Double, triple, quadruple check. 

There is nothing more unprofessional than posting about your new bikini line with the tag #summerwhere. A surefire way to embarrass yourself and lose the creditability of your fanbase is forgetting to SPELLCHECK. Why would I buy a bathing suit from somebody that failed to use basic grammar? This mistake leads me to question the brand’s legitimacy and write it off as a scam before I admire the adorable floral one-piece in the picture.

1+1=10,000

The last but certainly not least rule is measuring your metrics. This does not mean looking at which post has the most likes, comments, and views. Going into cruise control the second a post hits ten-thousand views will not keep your stats up. You need to download social media monitoring tools that show you day-by-day how your viewers engage AND disengage with your posts. Cut the time of thinking about what to post in half by using the data that tells you exactly what the people want to see! Use applications like Keyhole, rewardStyle, and Buzzlogix to track how people interact with your business in real-time.

Social media may be daunting but manageable if carefully and attentively used. Learn how each platform works and what content works best on which site. You will quickly realize where you need to step it up and where you need to simmer down. Just keep calm and post!