The social media presence of any brand can be a strong selling point for first-time visitors and potential customers. It can provide your brand with a voice that is unique and that allows you to interact in ways that a standard website or blog simply cannot provide. However, all is not perfect in social media land – especially when you make mistakes regarding what you post. Simply put, there are some things that businesses should never post to social media sites like Facebook. What should your brand avoid posting? We’ll detail a few of the most common offenders below so that you can avoid shooting yourself in the foot.

Rants and Raves

Let’s face it: the world of online brand management can be frustrating. Between unfair negative reviews and terrible comments, you can quickly find yourself in the middle of a PR nightmare. The last thing you should do is post a long-winded rant about how unfair these developments are or why the critics are wrong. This not only will make you look petty and whiny, but it will additionally draw even more attention to the problem – one that might not even be very noticeable to the average follower at present. By pinging links to this type of commentary, you are inviting more criticism and negative attention.

Dishonest Claims

As tempting as it can be to make claims that might product short-term gains, this is often a recipe for destruction. If you purposefully – or even accidentally, in some cases – distribute information that is false or misleading, then you could be putting your brand’s reputation on the line. Rather than doing this, be sure to always be honest and straightforward with your customers. In the end, this is more likely to generate positive reviews and more engagement than some silly stunt that will almost certainly backfire.

Unedited Content

If you are sharing a new blog post, detailed update or some other form of content, always be sure to both edit and proofread it. Your business’ reputation is on the line with every update you publish: you don’t want to tarnish it in some people’s eyes by publishing content that contains tons of spelling errors, syntax issues or poorly formatted wording. In order to maintain a professional presence, always be sure to draft your content first, give it a second glance, and then – and only then – publish it. Pinging links to error-filled content can cost you both credibility and followers.

Inconsistent Branding

Last but not least, be sure that your brand has a unified appearance with every post. This means no use of multiple, different logos and slogans; no inconsistent color schemes on various pages of your website; no cover images or profile pics that contradict the values of your company; and no wandering off script when it comes to what the brand embodies and stands for. You’ll only send mixed messages to your audience and that can negate countless hours of hard work on the branding front.

Posting on social media as a brand can be a minefield, but if you’re careful to watch out for the most common mistakes, you’ll likely be just fine. Avoid ranting and raving, don’t use inconsistent branding, be sure to always edit your content before publishing and avoid dishonest claims if you want to have a long and successful presence on Facebook.