Social media can be confusing at times. There are many different ways to use social media, some of which can be very beneficial to your brand. If you use social media the wrong way, it can actually end up hurting your brand. I am here to let you in on some of the basic don'ts of the online world. 

1. No Social Media Plan – This is probably the number one mistake that I see in small businesses. They post freely with little thought about they content they put out. Some businesses only put out ads or call to action posts about their store, and miss out on big engagement opportunities. Other businesses post content that doesn’t pertain to their brand, leaving their followers confused. Some will only post a couple times a month, allowing almost nobody to see them active on social. There are so many opportunities you are shutting off when you use this kind of behavior with your business’s social media. Every social media plan needs a detailed schedule of what content you are going to be pushing out. The posts need to have a balance of selling your product/service while still connecting with your fans. There are certain peaks of when your fans are online, you should be using this information to figure out the best times for your channel to post. 

2. Using Excessive or Insufficient Hashtags — This is one of the major errors I see all the time in my feed. Businesses look silly when they overuse hashtags. It makes the post look clunky and hard to read. Hashtags are meant to be a tool to reach more people and add substance to a post. Businesses will sometimes use hashtags that aren’t popular, which doesn’t help the post at all. When it comes to hashtags, it is good to do an analysis of the popular hashtags that resonate with your brand and incorporate them into your editorial calendar. That way the hashtags have meaning, will allow more people to see your posts, and won’t be overused. 

3. Not Engaging With Your Followers — The whole point of social media is to interact with people. It is a free platform where you can reach out to your followers, and they can reach out to you. If you see comments on your posts, respond to them! If you see people tweeting about positive experiences they have had with your brand, engage with it! If anybody chooses to reach out to your brand on social media, do not leave them hanging. They reached out for a reason, and engaging with them will only create a stronger relationship with the consumer. 

4. Forgetting to Proofread — The content you push out on social media can be seen by anyone. Grammar or spelling mistakes make your brand seem unprofessional. Every bit of content you put out there is shaping the way your followers see and feel about your brand. Give a good impression, and take the extra time to make sure you don’t have any errors in your content.