5 Social Media Goofs to Avoid

Do you want to generate tons of social media buzz quickly? Wade into social media without knowing what you're doing, post something without thinking it through, and see how much attention you get!

The stories are legion among businesses of companies who've posted, replied, or used hashtags that generated plenty of negative publicity. While there is some truth in the old bromide attributed to P.T. Barnum, “I don't care what people say about me as long as they say something.” The reality is that these days when social proof is a major determining factor in buying decisions, most can't afford that luxury.

So in order to limit the amount of negative social posts about you or your company, here's 5 social media goofs you can easily avoid.

5 Social Media Gaffes to Watch Out For

Getting into fights online – One of the biggest and hardest to fix social media gaffes is when the site owner or merchant gets into a public spat with a customer online. This turns ugly fast, and the truth of the matter is that even if you win, you lose. It's just not worth it. Take the high road, swallow your pride and use the situation to impress others. (Who ARE watching!)

Not being present – If you're the type who shows up once a month or so on your social channels, and expects this to be anything but a waste of timetake this advice: Be present, be engaged, and be social. This only works if you are using the platforms to get your audience to know, like and trust you. Anything else is a waste of time.

Buying social love – If you think you can simply purchase your way into thousands of fans and followers and all will be well, you've got another thing coming. You will likely have your account banned, and if you don't the “fans” won't be worth anything to you, as they don't know you, and you haven't earned any trust with them.

Too many pitches – You can and should market to your social following, but only after you've earned the right to by giving, contributing, engaging and winning trust. Then, only do so perhaps one out of five posts.

Giving the job to someone with no experience – One of the surest ways to have problems is to have a social media novice run your business accounts. Don't trust this to anyone who is just starting out, as they will, through no fault of their own, make mistakes, and you will pay for them. Hire experienced people, or train them up.