Building a solid base of followers on any social media outlet is a valuable way in which you can grow your website or business’ audience while also having a direct line to those who are interested in your products and services. This tool revolutionized the industry of conversion, which until just a few years ago, relied solely on emails and cold calling for possible conversions and leads. These days, however, you can get your message out to millions of people in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, mishaps can occur and those very same people may end up getting a message that is out of step with what you meant. In order to avoid those social mishaps, we have put together a list of things you and your social media team should consider before engaging in any further outreach.

Do Not Save Passwords

Oh, woe is you if your social media credentials fall into the wrong hands – particularly someone who has a grudge or is in competition with you. In most cases, however, information for social media accounts is stolen via the unknowing download of viruses or spyware that grabs this information and relays it to the perpetrators. Many people out there will get a kick out of just throwing a horrible status update or tweet onto your profile, pinging websites with comments that you did not make. While apologies and explanations are great, once the damage is done, it cannot be taken back. Be sure to manually enter your passwords each time you log on and do not leave them written down or saved in web browsers.

Proofread

Whether you are just starting out or broadcasting your message to hundreds of thousands of followers, having your message clear and correct is important – and can avoid some embarrassing mistakes in certain circumstances. Sometimes our brains think one thing and our fingers type another, so be sure to read everything prior to posting. In this day and age, spelling mistakes and grammar errors are not really excusable; if your browser does not have built-in spell checking, then consider using an online service in order to make sure everything is spelled and formatted properly before posting.

Understand Others’ Mistakes

One of the best ways in which to prepare yourself and your team from making those huge social media blunders is by learning from the mistakes of others. There are dozens of horror stories out there that outline how even the biggest companies with massive PR departments have found themselves in a tailspin over a simple typo or poorly timed remark. If you can gain insight into the main ways in which these little issues become big problems, then you can set a framework that helps your team avoid even being in these situations in the first place.

By being aware of the mistakes others have made, proofreading any and all social commentary prior to publication and keeping your passwords safe and not cached, you can make sure that you are pinging websites with only error-free content – and hopefully avoid those massive media failures that we so often hear about.