social media Archives • RekaVeszeli

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Scary social media marketing nightmares and how to avoid them

Halloween edition

Halloween is about costumes, pumpkins, treats and spooky decoration. Scary, you say? Well, if you’ve ever worked as a social media manager I bet you have some really scary stories that kept you up all night or made you burst into tears in a minute.

Here are 4 relatable and true social media nightmares and a few tips on how to avoid them.

Image source: Pexels.com

#1 Posting from the wrong account

When you’re managing multiple accounts there’s a huge chance, that one scary night you’ll find yourself staring at your screen wishing you could disappear as the cat/dog video you’ve made is smiling back to you from your company account.

Posting personal content to your company account is just one version of the nightmare. In a worst-case scenario, you post the picture of company A to the Instagram of company B. Ouch… Now you should explain the situation to two customers.

How to avoid this nightmare

Use different browsers for different clients/accounts.
Look for the logo before you schedule or send a post. Usually, it’s in the corner of the interface. Is it the logo of the brand you’re posting for?

#2 Losing control of your email or social media account

Forgot your login details? Got shut out or hacked? A rude ex-employee hijacked your account? This demon comes in different forms – and none of them is nice.

Once I got locked out from my Instagram account. I remember I was shaking from anger since I had no idea what happened. In the end, I deleted all the connected apps, reinstalled the Instagram app and when it finally let me in again I’ve changed my password and turned on two-factor authentication.

How to avoid this nightmare

Don’t give access to your account to anyone.
Don’t use the same password everywhere.
Use two-factor authentication.
Never allow scam apps to get access to your account.

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/malware-infected-instagent-pulled-from-app-store

#3 Ugly typos and nasty grammar mistakes

Imagine that you worked so hard on the perfect post that will finally get you the engagement you deserve – just to realise after you’ve hit send that there’s a typo in it. This is even more painful if you realise your mistake after your post is shared or you set it as a promoted post.

How to avoid this nightmare

Use an online proofreader like Grammarly. You can learn more in my previous article.
Ask someone to check your scheduled posts.
Copy your text to a Word document and set up the grammar check.

#4 Scheduling mistakes

Switching up pictures, forgot the link, scheduling your post to a wrong day or week… And this is just the beginning.

Automation of social media posts is a real miracle, but it also makes it easier to make mistakes or stray further from reality. Using scheduling apps has amazing advantages, but with great power comes great responsibility.

How to avoid this nightmare

Use a content calendar.
Make sure the link you’ve embedded is still working.
Double check your scheduled posts every Monday. That 5 minutes can save you a big headache.
Don’t only post scheduled messages. Keep your eyes on current events.

Looking for a treat? Here are some extra tricks.

Double check. Everything. Always.
Set notifications to know when your post is out. So even if you made a mistake you’ll see it instantly and you can act quickly.
Double check your #hashtags and @mentions.
Don’t neglect security settings.
Accept that sh*t happens. Everyone makes mistakes and you are no exception. Do your best to avoid these situations, but if it happens admit your mistake and fix it as soon as possible.

Hi, I’m Reka,

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5 common social media marketing mistakes you should avoid

Everyone makes mistakes, and social media is not an exception either. To help you prevent these I’ve collected the 5 most common mistakes that brands do online – so you can avoid them.

1) You're trying to be on all social media networks

You jump into every new social media platform instantly? You feel lost and overwhelmed? Maybe you should consider first which networks you really need…

If you are a solopreneur or a small business owner with twenty other tasks, you should be conscious of how you use your time. Here comes one of my top tips: “Do it properly or don’t do it at all”

Being on every network with a questionable presence will not help you at all. As you can see I’m only active on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, plus I post my blog content consistently on my LinkedIn profile.

Choose 2-3 (maximum 5) social media platform, that best fits your biz. Learn as much as you can about these few and rule them with your content 😉

2) Posting updates randomly

I can’t say often enough: Consistency is key.

Almost everyone is guilty of one of these: Posting every day, when you have the time and inspiration, then disappear for a week or more. Or posting day by day – which means you sitting in front of your phone daily, trying to figure out what the heck you should put out there. Both is frustrating for you and can result in potential followers turn away from you.

Have a social media calendar and use it properly. It will help you stay consistent while save time for you in the long run.

3) You're only interested in quantity

This is especially true for Instagram. All you’re care of is the number of followers you have, so you jump into every follow loop possible – no matter it has anything to do with your audience – or you even bought likes? While I understand it is really demotivating when you grow extremely slowly, but you should never forget why you are on social media.

If your only reason is to get followers, then keep going, you’re fine. But if you’re about to build an engaged community, then you should reconsider this strategy for the long term. People who follow you for no reason are probably won’t subscribe to your newsletter or buy your products later.

Instead, post high quality, valuable content and engage (post, like, DM) with users who match with your target audience.

4) Not knowing your audience

The previous tip drives us exactly here. Your audience is the people you are trying to serve with your services and products. It seems obvious that you should know them, but I still see examples of businesses who are obviously has no idea whom they try to reach.

Spend a few hours to define your audience – trust me it totally worth the time. The best way is to create buyer personas, which is an effective and fun way to do so.

5) Using the same messaging for every social media network

Seems easy right? Create a branded image and one message, then post it everywhere. Well, please, don’t!

It’s like having an outfit you like and wear it everywhere. While your favourite little black dress is perfect for a workplace event it might be strange to wear it for camping or as a pyjama… Social media is kind of the same.

Every platform has its’ own style and requirements. I’m talking about image sizes, caption length and even more. You should be aware of vocabulary and the demography of the different networks. Pinterest users for example are mostly women, while LinkedIn is slightly dominated by men. Furthermore, the age of users also differs on social media – just think of LinkedIn vs. Snapchat.

Instead of posting the same everywhere tailor your messaging and utilize the advantages of each network. Like: use the generous character limit of Instagram and add clickable link to your Facebook post.