Social media has been incorporated into business plans worldwide, but there are still some companies who are using it incorrectly. In the social media world, consumer-generated content is key to building an online reputation and brand loyalty for your business. With the right direction from companies, customers finally get to learn from, interact and voice their opinions on their favorite brands, products and services. In order to create an online community through social media marketing, there are common mistakes that need to be avoided. Some of the most prevalent social media bloopers are listed below.

1.    Linking Your Twitter Feed to Facebook. Facebook and Twitter are two separate platforms; their environments and their users are both extremely different. On Twitter, posting 4-10 tweets a day is acceptable, where if a Facebook user sees this amount of posts from one brand on their newsfeed in a day, they will most likely unfollow or block. Linking a Twitter feed to a Facebook is a huge mistake for exactly that reason. Not only are too many posts overwhelming for the Facebook atmosphere, but they show just how lazy your company is. Try to make different posts for each platform and keep it interesting! Allow your Facebook fans to want to follow you on Twitter because they know they will be finding even more useful and fun information.

2.    Ignoring Your Fans. So you created a brand page to do all the talking yourself? Bad idea. Facebook, Twitter and blogs are a place for your consumers to come and speak to you. Your job is to encourage the conversation with interesting articles, engaging posts, awesome videos and fun giveaways and contests. When a fan or follower responds to one of your posts, the worst thing you can do is ignore them. Even if it’s a simple complement because they really enjoyed your last ad campaign, say thank you. Let them know that they’re opinion is always appreciated, and I’m sure you’ll be seeing more interaction.

3.    Deleting Negative Comments. When a customer leaves a comment on your page that does not make your product or service shine in the brightest light, the worst thing you can do is remove it. Do you remember what happened with the ChapStick campaign last year? Fans were commenting about how distasteful it was, and when the company deleted the comments, consumers were even angrier. Instead of trying to avoid consumer problems, face them. Direct them on how they can make a return or offer them a new product for free. At the end of the day, they have the power to make or break your online reputation, so you want to make sure they’re happy!

4.    Creating Random Content. Not all of the content on your Facebook and Twitter feed has to be industry related. Creating content inquiring about your fans plans, daily life routine and opinions is always a good idea when you’re trying to engage them. But when you’re a gourmet restaurant posting about the latest episode of Sesame Street, there’s a big problem. Keep your social media marketing goals in mind and create relevant content.

5.    Making Occasional Updates. Hey everyone, Like my Facebook page for updates once every 3 months! That doesn’t sound too successful. If you are looking to build a loyal online following, make sure you keep giving your fans something to look forward to. You should be updating your Facebook and Twitter daily, while blogging should be done at least once a week. No one is going to engage with your brand if there’s nothing to interact with!

Once you stop making the aforementioned mistakes, you will be starting to see more interactions with your social media fanbase. If you don’t make these mistakes, I am very proud of you. If you need help managing and avoiding these common problems, do not hesitate to contact PMC today!