Tip: 19 Big Mistakes Businesses Should Avoid When Managing Social Media (2023)

When businesses decide it's time to step up their social media efforts, they need to find a way to get the job done. Some companies rely on their marketing team or interns to manage their social media. Others may enlist the help of volunteers from various departments, consider hiring a dedicated social media manager to take over, or even try relying on artificial intelligence technologies to manage their social media.

While posting branded content on a daily basis may seem like a fairly simple and straightforward marketing function, there is much more to successfully building a strong social media presence that will help a business attract and retain customers. Below: 19 membersForbes Communications CouncilShare the common mistakes businesses make when managing their social media. Read on to find out whatit is notwhat you need to do to ensure your social media marketing efforts are effective.

1. Treat social media like a bulletin board

It would be a mistake to treat social media as an announcement forum and only post news about company events, releases, product updates, etc. Because of this, forget to put social media users in the spotlight. This can lead to several problems for the brand, the most important of which is public indifference or even negative sentiment. Creating content for them would add value to them. -razrad Yael,Similarweb Ltd.

2. Focus on the subject, not the tone

Too often, companies focus on the problem rather than the tone. Social media needs its own tone. Even if your idea or asset is great, you have seconds to grab someone's attention on social media, and if the tone isn't right, you won't make it. Mindset is key, and when people are on social media, they're in a different space than when they're reading email. Therefore, you should take advantage of this advantage, and not just to amplify the sound. -Rosie gast,Apex Group Ltd.

3. Give general answers

Giving generic responses to negative customer comments or feedback can damage a company's reputation and lose customers' trust. Instead, act like a man. -Corey Quinn,Corey Quinn, Inc.

4. Failure to sell with the right head

A common, insidious mistake social media executives make is to emphasize only improving metrics without worrying about whether the brand maintains consistency, authority, and reliability in achieving those metrics. While shares, likes and views are transactional milestones in lead generation, they can cause any brand to shut down and forget. -James O'Connor,Word Textured

5. Self-promote

Companies often think that social media is there to promote their company's products and services. In reality, it's more important to provide useful content and resources to an audience that includes (but is not limited to) potential customers. The biggest social media mistakes many businesses make are not providing real value and over-promoting themselves. -Tom Treanor,Cut interactively

Forbes Communications Councilis an invitation-only community for executives from successful PR, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies.Am I qualified?

6. Give social teams the task of managing the executive's online presence

Executives often choose to let the social team manage their online presence. This can be successful if the facilitator remains committed to the program and provides ongoing guidance and feedback. Giving someone else complete control over your executives' voice can quickly come off as disingenuous and inauthentic, which can damage the reputation of the brand and the executives and the company. -only Iliff,wonderland

7. There is no limit on the number of administrators

Unnecessary administrators can lead to serious problems, including account theft and data security breaches. To protect your social media accounts, limit the number of administrators with access and require multi-factor authentication to log in. Also consider creating new accounts that are linked to your business email and independent of personal profiles. -Cord Himelstein,SNOWS

8. There is no organizational standard for social media posts

Organizational activities can spread quickly through social media, so it is important to communicate social media updates within the organization. It is important to listen and assess the tone of customer feedback and act on it from an organizational perspective. Just reading the news is not enough. Measures are needed to address the target audience and solve their problems. -Humsa Dhir,Sony Pictures Networks Indien

9. Non-commitment to long-term social media management

Content driven organic social media is a tedious job. Social media platforms are primarily hubs of conversation and engagement, not billboards. To really socialize and get results, you need to be fully engaged and drive engagement through consistent content creation and interaction. If you don't, it will be difficult to use the full potential of the media. -Michelle Stark,Red Sage Communications, Inc.

10. Just post and expect results

Social media is not a one-way street. You can't just post and expect results. Add engagement as part of any social campaign to see real progress. This could mean assigning a team member to reply or "like" responses, or figuring out how to showcase the best responses in a testimonial-style campaign that will retain positive feedback for years to come and capitalize on increased growth. -Melissa Kandel,little word studio

11. Ignore engagement opportunities

Engagement is one of the easiest ways to build a social media profile and is often overlooked by businesses who don't understand its importance. Ignoring opportunities for interaction, such as replying to posts and comments or liking posts from other accounts, can be a big mistake and can easily lead to you missing out on a great opportunity to increase visibility. The engagement lasts only a few minutes, so don't miss it! -Victoria Zelefsky,Menkiti group

12. You're trying to do too much with a small team

It takes an incredible amount of time and attention to create rich multimedia content that conveys cohesive key social media messages. Lack of focus leads to disjointed messages, inability to convey clear messages and content that is unattractive. Focus on empowering your team to organically reach and grow your audience with memorable content. -Radhika Duggal,Super

13. The opinion that social media is the responsibility of marketing

A common mistake companies make is to believe that social media is the responsibility of marketing, which is a recipe for disaster! Working for analytics and AI brand leaders, I've seen firsthand how these companies train, engage, and leverage their entire executive, go-to-market, and even product teams to drive brand equity through social media. -Andy D,MedeAnalytics

14. Failure to establish social media guidelines for employees

The biggest mistake is that there are no guidelines on how employees should interact with the platforms. Companies need to develop a well-thought-out policy for everyone. Without them, time is wasted putting out fires started by employees who should have known better but didn't use common sense. Policies primarily help prevent problems and contribute greatly to maintaining a positive brand reputation. -Monica Kumar,Hitachi Vantara

15. Use of Inconsistent Brand Voice

Brand voice inconsistency is a killer. When the brand voice is different, it can create uncertainty among the public about the company's identity and values. This uncertainty can weaken the relationship by reducing trust. Trust is the lifeblood of all business relationships, and without trust, a brand is likely to lose engagement and lose customers. -Patrick Ward,root zone

16. Sharing messages that are not related to the brand

A social media management mistake is sharing inconsistent or off-brand posts. This can confuse customers, weaken brand identity and negatively affect credibility. Consistency in tone, style and content is key to maintaining a coherent brand image, building trust and effectively engaging audiences. -Jonathan Schroyer,Get up playing

17. Trust that only customers see your social media channels

It is a mistake to think that your social media channels are only seen by users. Social media can also be a great channel to connect with employees and potential employees. Before potential employees apply, they can check out your social channels to get a feel for what it's like to work for your company. Don't forget to put your talent or work environment in the spotlight through social media. -Thomas' account,Seismic

18. Use social media as a tactic, not a strategic channel

Using social media as a tactic rather than a strategic channel is a mistake. Before launching a campaign, it is important to plan social media in advance – including when, how and why you will use it. If a channel is an afterthought or a box to check, it will be massively underutilized and unfollowed. -Erica Morgenster,virgin pulse

19. Articles without purpose

The biggest danger on social media is posting without a purpose. Consistency is key, but it's not just about daily releases; It also consistently delivers value, encourages intimacy and invites engagement. Aimless posting can prevent audience engagement, dilute your brand message and diminish perceived value, damaging your brand's credibility. Post on purpose, not just to post. -Bretagne Garlin,social point of view