Social media has opened the world up to everyone. In many respects, social media can be classified as internet 2.0: where the internet made it possible to connect with information and individuals from all over the globe, social media made it possible to do the same on a niche level. Brands and businesses have realized the power that social media can provide when used properly, but not everyone understands the ins and outs of the trade. Today, we’ll talk about some age-old social media habits that need to die in order for brands and businesses to truly be successful at the social media marketing game.

Total Automation

There is a lot of buzz lately about the role that automation can play in social media management. From duplicating posts across a half-dozen social media networks to pinging users with the same cover images where possible, it can be all too tempting to streamline the social media experience. Unfortunately, too much automation can wreak havoc on your overall social media marketing strategies. A lack of customization of each post that takes into account the nature of elements specific to each social media network can result in under-performance and no engagement. Additionally, it can reduce engagement among users who connect with you across multiple networks. While not always possible, it is essential to strive to customize the experience followers have on each social network.

Irregular Posting Habits

We can sometimes feel like there isn’t much to say. Likewise, it can be all too tempting at times to pepper our social media followers with post after post, update after update. The next day may arrive and inspiration may either be lacking or abundant. These irregular posting behaviours can be detrimental to long-term social media success, for a variety of reasons. Posting infrequently can harm your brand’s reach in social media algorithms and reduce the number of people who see your content. Likewise, posting too often will result in a less than ideal saturation of brand awareness within a given audience. If you lack content ideas or don’t have time to post on a daily basis, then consider scheduling posts in advance and limiting them to no more than 5 per day. This can help spread your inspiration more evenly and ensure each post maximizes the brand’s potential reach.

Too Promotional

Many brands have a relatively narrow focus. Especially for businesses, it can sometimes be difficult to incorporate content-related ideas that pertain to a brand that deals with a niche product. Nevertheless, social media must be social. This means that people must find value of some sort in your posts. Whether it be humour, information or entertainment, social media should be about pinging users with stuff they enjoy. Posting too many updates that solely pertain to your brand – whether they be new products, press releases, or some other related element – will result in little to no engagement over time. Don’t be afraid to go off-topic every once in a while!

Rambling on about yourself, posting infrequently or in rapid spurts, and automating every element of your social media presence are big no-nos and need to be purged from your social media routine.