Here’s the thing: When you post bad content on your social media channels, you run the risk of defacing your online reputation and again working hard to build up your relationship with your on line audience.
And because we don’t want to let you do this, in this post, we’re going to outline eight content types that can ruin your social media reputation – and lose your followers.
You must avoid these types of posts if you don’t want to lose your followers.
1. Overly Promotional Content
Whatever your social media goals you set, what matters is that you bring value to your audience.
Some brands make the mistake of assuming that what’s valuable to them is also important to their audience, and they use their social platforms to broadcast, to “sell, sell, sell”, rather than considering what really matters to people they’re trying to reach.
Instead of using your social platforms for broadcasting, try using them to engage in conversations that are already happening. Listen to what your audience is already discussing and interested in, read what influencers are talking and writing about, then pitch your content according to that, or share a well-crafted pitch deck that highlights your brand’s unique value proposition without feeling too sales-driven.
It may be worth considering the 50-30-20 rule, which states that for every 10 posts you publish:
- 50% should be curation – sharing other’s content
- 30% should be creation – relevant content you’ve produced yourself
- 20% should be humanization – personal, fun, and relaxed content that humanizes your brand.
2. Irrelevant Viral Posts
When you’re short on time and your social feeds look empty, avoid sharing the latest viral memes. In some cases, you can share it. But keep in mind – chances are, your audience has already seen it, and the reposting you’re doing can be the reason for the ignorance of your followers to the rest of your important activity.
Instead, plan your content in advance to ensure your post is important and attractive to your audience.
SEMrush’s social media tracker is a tool that can help you in this situation, it can help you analyze your (and your competitors’) audience preferences so that you can start delivering content that they will enjoy.
3. Negative Or Derogatory Content
There’s a time and a place for voicing concerns about your clients or competitors – and it’s not on social media.
If a dissatisfied customer is complaining about you on their Facebook or Twitter feed, then resist the temptation to fire back. If you treat them politely and respectfully – and if possible take it offline – then you might even find that you win them back.
4. Posts With Spelling Or Grammatical Errors
Your social media profiles are like your website, these are your virtual shop windows. Making mistakes in your content – either a small typo or full-blown grammar error appears like you do not care.
When you’re drafting your content, make sure you proofread your copy before you publish. Or even better, share it with a colleague to proofread before posting.
5. Brand Inconsistent Content
Your social media profiles are an extension of your brand, and although you’re restricted by the format of the social platform you’re posting to, you still have creative control over your brand voice and tone.
When you are planning your social content, revisit your actual brand image. Think about it what they would be saying on social media and how they’d be saying it. Make sure that the content you publish stays as close to these personas and themes as possible.
6. The Same Message Across Social Networks
Although you want to maintain a consistent brand voice, posting the same content across all platforms is a mistake.
All social networks are different. They talk to different demographics for one thing, and they lend each to different content. LinkedIn is generally more copy-heavy and formal, Instagram is predominantly visual and informal, while Twitter is more suited to bite-sized tidbits and GIFs.
Think about each of your social media accounts, and tailor your content to each one. Even if you have the same thing to say, make sure your message fits with the style and tone of each stage.
7. Unaccredited Content
There is nothing wrong with sharing other people’s content – in fact, We recommend you to do it actively. But so many brands copy content directly from other sources, without giving them credit.
The same is said for citations – inspirational quotes have their place, but when you don’t name the citation source, it sounds low.
It even gets worse in the case of copyrighted images. If you use an image in your content that you are not legally entitled to use, you may be exposed to some serious legal fire. Instead, be sure to get your images from open-source websites, such as Creative Commons, and follow the instructions for crediting the creator or source.
The next time you see something you want to share, use it as an opportunity to connect. Click on the “share” button on that content so that its source is automatically included in your post. Alternatively, post the content on your profile and include the source’s social media handle.
8. Hashtag Stuffed Content
Hashtags are super useful because they help increase the visibility and shade of your content on social media, they let you grow your audience, and they can open your content up to more discussion.
So it has been said that if you share your social content with irrelevant hashtags, you will make your posts unreadable, reducing the importance of more relevant ones.
Next time you post, first do some hashtag research to ensure that the people you choose are relevant to your audience, and to your content – and you are following best practices.
Conclusion
When you’re posting regularly to social media, it can be simple to get into bad habits, and brands often make the mistake of thinking that posting any (substandard) content is better than posting none at all.
On the contrary, posting negative, irrelevant, or clumsy content can damage your brand, and lose you valuable followers. Cut out these eight content types, and you’ll give your valuable content a better chance of getting seen.
