Two years ago, I wrote the original 7 Deadly Sins of Social Media. While many of those offenses
continue to hold true, the landscape has changed considerably, and with it, our knowledge of each platform. Every good social strategy evolves with its
audience (and brand!), so here are seven new sins social media managers struggle with now—and how to reset your course.
Misappropriation
Just because something happens doesn’t mean you have to take advantage of it for your brand. There’s a difference between being clever and being annoying,
and forcing the royal baby into your content schedule for the sake of a post is spammy, not clever. An example? The summer’s weirdest trend: Hot Dogs, or
Legs?
Brands that sell hot dogs jumped in, and that made sense because, well, they sell hot dogs. Brands selling outdoor gear, on the other hand? A
less clear connection that looks like a desperate plea for engagement. The saying that any content is good content is false. Keep it grounded in your
brand’s footprint.
Abandonment
The worst community management offense is arguably what I call “hit and run.” Different from the neglect I called out in 2011, abandonment happens when a
post has been made by the brand, but then the brand drops re-engagement completely.
Social media is a vehicle for conversation, and if you fail to keep one going, you’ll also fail to be top of mind when consumers are offline. It’s all
about creating positive feelings that will be a reference point for your brand when someone in the aisle reaches to pick up your product.
Manipulation
I’ve been fascinated with Facebook’s EdgeRank since it first surfaced. However, now brands post photos simply because they have a longer hang time in the
news feed, not because they’re part of a tight content strategy. Stop the word searches and games, and post things that will inspire people.
Similarly, don’t ask people to vote on posts with likes or comments unless you plan to do something with those insights (like tailoring your
content). How will that word search post of yours deepen consumer relationships? It won’t, so don’t.
Ignorance
Another offense committed regularly by social media managers? Forgetting to study the terms of service on each platform. Did you know that you can’t use
Instagram photos in advertisements without consent? That you can’t ask Facebook users to share a post as part of a contest entry? Each platform is getting
more stringent, and will suspend you if you’re not following their rules. Know what you’re doing so that all of your projects run smoothly.
Monotony
Identifying a passion point for your audience is a powerful tool, but beating it to death ruins the point. Have followers who love football? Give them
content that validates that passion in a myriad of ways. Simply switching the team you mention in the same post template won’t do it. Get creative with
your content.
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The Internet should inspire and influence the branded content you create. If you run out of steam, do more research about what your fans connect to.
Remember to keep it on brand, or else you risk our first new sin.
Narcissism
It’s the feedback that content designers are too familiar with: make our logo bigger. However, plastering logos on every piece of content doesn’t emphasize
your trendsetting social brand; it makes you look like a personified advertisement. There’s a time and a place for your logo to go on content (e. g., if
you post to a third party site where others will share directly from there, not you).
What about adding your logo to half of an image on your Instagram feed? Not going to work. As a consumer, I don’t want to feel like I’ll be spamming my
friends by sharing your content. Let the cool factor lead here. Giving your audience a way to look smart to theirs requires subtlety, but
rewards you.
Uniformity
Each platform has different strengths and weaknesses. Twitter is the go-to for second-screen activity, and Facebook allows for the most data capturing when
you run a sweepstakes. Instagram video and Vine video have different qualities. Failing to use each platform uniquely to create a harmonized social
strategy will bore your audience and cause them switch loyalties.
Don’t cross-post the same thing every time; look at how you can make the most impact. Run competitive audits to see what utilities you can provide on each
of your platforms that will change the way your brand’s industry interacts. Sure, it requires more work, but nothing worth having ever comes easily.
A version of this article first appeared on
Social Media Today.
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