8 Things Brands Can No Longer Get Away With On Social Media

The rules governing social media have changed along with the times. Brands can no longer rely on distributing content and hoping for action. Instead, in order to stay on top of the game, businesses must adopt a more strategic strategy and innovate.

The following eight social media “don’ts” may surprise you:

Posting Only Your Products’ Information

The most important social media “don’t” for brands is definitely this. People are going to soon lose interest in your feed if all of the posts are advertisements for products. And when no one responds, organic reach falls. Try to vary things up by posting about other industry-related subjects or showcasing creative uses for your product.

Sleeping On TikTok-Style Video

TikTok is quickly becoming one of the most popular social media platforms, with a very engaged user base. And brands that are ignoring the TikTok-style video are missing out on a big opportunity to connect with their audience—and even to be successful on other social media channels as well.

Remember, Instagram and Facebook have Reels. YouTube has Shorts. All the algorithms are rewarding those who produce horizontal, short-form video content that is easy to consume on mobile, thanks to TikTok’s influence.

Being overly salesy

The more you try to sell me, the more I’m going to try to ignore you. Essentially, people don’t want to be sold all the time. Instead, focus on creating content that is helpful and informative. If you can do that, people will be more likely to buy from you when they’re ready. Remember, just trying to make the sale isn’t the goal. Trying to get someone interested in your product is the goal. Content Marketing is the way to go now and you can learn that in any of our short courses especially that has been posted below; DIGITAL MARKETING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE.

Constantly posting the same kind of content

Don’t post the same type of content every time. From link posts to photo posts to carousels, so many brands use the same post type all the time and it gets boring. So switch it up and change the type of content you’re posting to match the post objectively. If brands want to succeed on social media, they need to be more strategic and innovative in their approach.

Focusing On Follower Count

Gaining followers isn’t actually very important, and it’s only getting less important. In fact, brands that focus too much on follower count often miss out on other opportunities to connect with their audience.

Instead of fixating on follow count, try to focus on engagement. That means getting people to like, comment and share your posts. If you can do that, you’ll be on your way to social media success. On TikTok, content can travel far regardless of follower count, and that’s going to become increasingly true on Facebook and Instagram.

Posting Too Often

This is a social media faux pas that a lot of brands are guilty of. And it’s understandable because they want to get as much exposure for their posts as possible. But posting too often can actually be counterproductive.

There’s a difference between creating quality content and a lot of content. Instead, focus on creating quality content and posting it less often. When we do this with our clients, metrics on reach, engagement, and website traffic all improve.

Taking A One-Size-Fits-All Approach To Influencer Marketing

A lot of brands make the mistake of thinking that any influencer with a large following can help them reach their goals. But that’s not always the case.

It pays for brands to actually work with an influencer who has influence. That means ensuring you pick the right influencer to work with—one that’s aligned with your goals, your target audience and your brand. Essentially, one that’s not just an ad factory. Let the influencer create content that’s going to persuade people.

Not Stopping Thumbs From Scrolling

The brands that succeed on social media are the ones that can stop people from scrolling. And there are a few ways to do that. You have to get people to stop scrolling, and reformatted ad copy or boring Happy [Insert Fun Holiday] Day posts aren’t going to do it.

The way to get people to stop scrolling is to produce interesting content that’s timely and visually appealing. So much content on social media is poorly thought out. Strategic, smart and surprising content can do very well.

The Bottom Line

Social media marketing has grown immensely over the past 15 years and brands have to keep up with ever-changing trends to remain relevant. While it’s more challenging than it used to be, brands are still being built via social media.

Avoid these eight mistakes and you’ve got a better chance of staying ahead of the curve.

Credit: Jim Tobin / Martin Thompson Ntem