Do you want to be one of the “social glitterati?” Do you want the admiration and respect of the impressionable masses that follow your every post, Tweet, update and check-in? Then pay close attention to this list of social media mistakes you should avoid:
- Set it and forget it: The worst thing you can do is open a social media channel (like Twitter) and then never use it or respond to users who follow you.
- Direct selling: Don’t use social media channels for direct sales. It’s a surefire way to turn off your fans and followers.
- Going silent: You need to respond to your friends, fans and followers in a timely fashion. This means hourly, not daily.
- Inconsistency: Human beings like predictable patterns. So publish your content on a dependable schedule, as opposed to erratically or in bursts.
- Too much: Cramming too much content through one social media channel is a distraction for your readers – and you as the creator. The value in creating separate channels for multiple instances of your product or service is that you will speak directly to the needs of each customer. What it would be like if ESPN only had one Twitter account? That would simply be too much content for such a diverse audience.
- Not enough: Try not to spread yourself too thin over multiple channels within a social media graph. Just as with having too much to say – if you don't have enough, then the minimal efforts you put forth will be fruitless.
- Life support: Develop a sense for knowing when to shut off a social channel and let it die gracefully. Pre-plan and extend alternative connection points. You don't ever want to lose your audience, even in channels that render minimal conversation. Do your best to relocate them to a channel that would be more conducive for conversation.
- Poor community management: Nothing is more important to your loyalists than consistency in tone, temperament and content. If you have too much drama or inconsistent messaging within your community, your numbers are sure to drop.
- Underestimating your customer: In this day and age, it is smarter to ask a question than to claim you know all the answers. Smart brands got that way by listening and adjusting based on honest feedback from loyalists.
- Passing the proverbial baton: Don’t transition a campaign to an untrained client or staff member before she is ready for the challenge.
- Blame game: If you make a mistake, fall on your sword and take the blame ASAP. The faster you step up to your faults and advocate change based upon what you've learned, the faster you will regain loyalty with your friends, fans and followers.
- Inserting foot in mouth: This is a global platform for communication. Use caution when speaking candidly so you don’t offend or alienate other members of your communities. Likewise, view what you link to or show through the same politically-correct lens.
- Douchebaggery: There’s a fine line between being an expert and being a douchebag. Humility is often a rare commodity in social media. Learn its benefits and you will succeed.
What are your thought? Did I miss something? Give me shout! I'm always looking to get you the best content that I can. Just probably not in a timely fashion, I have masters too ;)