How NOT to do social media

We’ve blogged about all things social media; how to maximise your social ROI, debated whether social media can make the world a better place, and mulled over the good, the bad, and the ugly of social campaigns. But we’ve never told you, our beloved reader, what NOT to do on social media for your business or brand.These might sound like a no-brainer, but even big brands are getting these painfully obvious things very, very wrong.  

If you want to ‘do social’ well, AVOID doing these things like the deadly plague:

DON’T….

1. Create a profile, forget about it and never post any content: An inactive social media account is probably worst than having no account at all as it shows you do not care and are not keeping up-to-date.
2. Pick profile and background images that are not on brand or even loosely related. 
3. Automate all responses and direct messages. No one likes these, they’re annoying, and people would much prefer a personal message than something from a robot. 
4. Talk at your audience and demand them to do stuff. No one likes to be told what to do and it can seem aggressive!
5. Post irrelevant content. People follow you for a reason, so don’t post things that are off-brand and irrelevant as people will likely unfollow you. 
6. Not engaging with audience, or not replying to a single question / query. Social media is a two-way communication tool and if you never engage with your audience, then this can be a turn off. 
7. Wait days or even weeks before even considering replying to a message, then when you do, don’t answer the question.
8. Be as unhelpful and rude. Bad customer service is a big no-no on social media, so don’t do it!
9. Write a scathing replies or tweets. Being rude is bad in real life, so why do it on social media, for everyone to see?
10. Post offers, discounts or giveaways that are too good to be true and include some sneaky small print. People will do their research, broadcast their findings and massively down rate your credibility.

So, there we have it. Just do the exact opposite of these 10 tiny things and you’ll be onto a winner! Social media can often provide a quick easy foundation in which you can build strong communities of people willing to back your brand.

Just instill confidence, be transparent and remain relevant to the audience.