There are various uncertainties Covid-19 has caused, however, one thing remains certain. Social media is here, and as far as things go, it’s here to stay. Although social media usage has increased drastically, it has had its controversies, and The Social Dilemma’s release on Netflix highlighted these. Users are significantly more aware of social media’s advantages and disadvantages, and they’ve been using it accordingly. If you’re a social media manager,you should certainly keep that in mind. No, Facebook and Instagram aren’t the only social media platforms out there, yet what you should or shouldn’t be doing applies to most, if not all social media platforms.
Here are some of social media’s BIG FAT NO NOS:
Skip the plan- Yes, most people are on social media, for many different reasons, that doesn’t mean doing some research on your target audience isn’t necessary. Research goes for getting to know the networks you use, its algorithms and payment policies. As for the target audience, this goes for its active hours, gender, age, and in certain cases, political views.
Lie/mislead- Social media does feel like a popularity contest sometimes, with the ‘cool kids’ and well known cliques for a while. These so called cool kids/cliques have many likes and followers while others are behind. Though creating a fake persona/ not being 100% to get more likes and followers does seem tempting, it’s never a good idea, since it could ruin your reputation in the long run.
Ignore trends- This one may be a little tricky, but it’s essential. In 2016, Wendy’s posted a meme of the Pepe frog as their mascot.
What Wendy’s didn’t know is that the Pepe frog later became one of the Republicans’ well known symbols. AKA racism and white supremacy. You can only imagine the responses Wendy’s got. Not something you’d want for your business, right?
4. Forget you’re there to enrich your followers- Are people making money using social media platforms? Yes. But it’s not only about increasing your earnings. It’s also about creating knowledgeable, creative, and helpful content likely to help your followers.
5. Getting careless with your stories- The content you post on your social media accounts affects your brand’s image, and whether you share your stories on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter, you should make sure it connects with your audience and you make the right impression. Before you share your stories you should ask yourself these 3 things- is this story interesting? Does your story provide value to my followers? Are your posts only asking people to purchase your products/ services?
Managing social media can be tricky, especially if you’re new to this. Though the algorithms may change, people will still scrutinize profiles on social media very carefully, and getting to know what you shouldn’t be doing on social media is vital in order to stay ahead of everybody else.