As a brand, having a social media account is like getting your Grandpa an iPad for Christmas: useless without the right instructions. In other words, simply having a “presence” online isn’t enough to bring in the audience you’re hoping for. You’ve got to truly understand how the platform operates and be intentional with every move if it’s going to work in your favor. 

“...But there’s no guidebook telling us exactly what to do!”

This is true — and that’s because there is no perfect formula for success when it comes to something as elusive and ever-changing as social media. However, sometimes that best way to understand what you SHOULD do is to get a grasp of what you SHOULDN’T. And that’s what we’re here to help you do.

Check out these FIVE social media mistakes you could be making right now…and how to fix them! 

  1. ‍Being Inconsistent. Growing online communities is about establishing trust, reliability, and reciprocation — kind of like with friendships. Now, would you trust a friend that randomly called you every few weeks only when they needed something? Or a friend who switched their tone of voice every other voice message? Probably not. Your audience — aka your potential customers — wants to know that you’re here to share value and that you take this relationship seriously. This means coming up with a consistent posting schedule (for example, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays at 4pm), always sharing value (whether that’s via inspiration, education, or engagement), and sticking to a brand voice that resonates with your target audience. 
  1. Underutilizing Video Content. A lot of people aren’t gonna be happy about this one, and that’s okay. (We’re bracing for your soggy digital tomatoes). But the cold, hard truth is that video content — no matter how hard you may try to fight it — isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s only going to become more valuable. Gen Z’s and Millennials (the quickest growing consumer demographic as of late) are not only highly visual, but are also becoming increasingly reliant on short-form content to get their information; this means news, life hacks, and product insights are mostly coming from videos from apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. That said, it’s time to conquer your fear of the camera and get that red light flashing. Whether it’s Reels, going on FB live, or recording YouTube content, your brand has got to hop on the video bandwagon or it WILL get left behind. 
  2. Mindless Jumping on Trends. Speaking of bandwagons — there ARE cases in the social media world where it’s not smart to hop on them, especially when it comes to trends. Anyone who’s done some doom scrolling on TikTok or Instagram Reels will tell you that online creators and brands go viral every day by participating in trends — ones that could be based on a cool new dance, a funny voiceover audio, or a new bop from Ariana Grande’s latest album. And although it’s true that riding the waves of these trends can get you lots of views (if the social media gods happen to be shining their light on you that day), they also have the power to put a chink in the armor of your brand. In other words, they can really confuse your audience and/or bring attention to your page for the wrong reasons. That said, before you spend two hours forcing your marketing department to learn a new TikTok dance, make sure the end result not only resonates with your target audience but tells the right story about your brand. 
  3. Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket. Although we know that social media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, the mediums with which audiences choose to be social are always subject to change (such is the way of modern technology). For example, TikTok is currently facing a potential ban from the U.S. government! If the ban is successful, this will mean that millions of online businesses who have made a name for themselves on the app will need to pivot completely. And if they’re not already building a presence on other platforms (such as X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.) they’ll be forced to start from scratch. This, undoubtedly, would be a marketing disaster. Keeping this in mind, we encourage you to start diversifying ASAP! This will certainly require some extra work, but fear not — it’s likely that a lot of the content you’ve already created can be recycled and adapted to fit a different platform! Even if it starts out a bit messy, it’s better than nothing. Get started TODAY! 
  4. Wearing All the Hats.  You wouldn’t be an entrepreneur or a growing brand if you weren’t wearing 26 different hats at once. (We’re talking CEO, CFO, head of marketing, head of HR, head of customer service, the list goes on and on). But, at some point, you realize that *gasp* you can’t do it all and, in fact, you shouldn’t have to! The more responsibilities you take on, the more burnt out you get. And the further away you get from the part of your job that actually sets your soul on fire. 

If you hate social media, outsource it (if you’re able to — and we get that you sometimes you aren’t). There are people out there trained to do the exact work that you’re dreading, and they’re better at it, too. So, why not take some tasks off your plate? Once you do this, you can get back to focusing your precious time and energy on the parts of your business that you love most.

There you have it, folks. The cold, hard truth about the mistakes you’re probably making in your social media. But don’t get discouraged! Calling out these errors is only going to help you build your presence smarter, faster, and stronger. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither can your social media. So, keep posting, keep planning, and, above all, teach your Grandpa how to use the iPad. He may learn quicker than you think.