Social Media Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Social media plays a huge role in both our lives and careers, so it’s important we know how to use it correctly. Here’s how to avoid some common social media mistakes.

Don’t overpost

We all know these people. Every time you open Facebook or Instagram, this person has a new update. We don’t want to be these people and constantly post.

But, this social media mistake is easy to avoid by keeping a posting schedule. Posting schedules keep your accounts organized so you know exactly what to post and when to publish it. Though some are free, others cost money. Check out some of the best social media schedulers here.

Keep your posts professional and on-brand

This common social media mistake applies to both your personal account or if you’re running accounts for your organization. No matter what, content you publish reflects back on you and the organization. So, it’s important that your posts appear professional and don’t include inappropriate or sensitive content.

Great branding can help organizations avoid a social media mistake.

Also, if you’re posting on accounts for your organization, make sure that they align with your brand. Every post should be strategic and a representation of what your brand stands for. Here are some examples of organizations with great brands to look to for inspiration.

Avoid polarizing or overly political content

This final social media mistake probably speaks for itself, but it’s still worth including. This doesn’t just mean not ranting about politics on social media. Generally, when working for your organization, the best course of action is to steer clear of polarizing topics overall.

Though it's important for organizations to avoid social media mistakes, they should keep up with current events surrounding their industry.

However, the organization can and should comment on current events. As social media professionals, we should be keeping up with what’s going on in your industry and events that can impact your industry. After all, anything that impacts our industry and competition could directly or indirectly affect our organization.

Hopefully this article will help you avert a social media mistake the next time you post.