3 Behaviors Brands Should Avoid on Social Media

February 3, 2015

Building a following and community on social media takes work – often lots and lots of work, patience, creativity, more patience, and more work. It isn’t for the faint of heart and it does not happen over night, regardless of what some of the shadier companies out there might promise. So trust us when we say that you don’t want to see all of that hard work go down the drain because you are continually doing things to baffle and/or annoy your followers.

There are so many things that you should and should not do with your brand’s social media presence, but rather than giving you a list with 100s of tips, we’ve decided to highlight the top 3 behaviors that social media users consistently say annoy them from the brands that they follow. Steer clear of these 3 behaviors and your social presence will be much better received by your target audience and the public at large.

1) Like-Baiting

“Like us! Like this post!” It sounds a little desperate, honestly. Followers will like a post if they agree with the content. There is no need to ask for a like. Most social media users are savvy enough to realize that videos on YouTube with more likes get more visibility in video recommendation sections. So the “like” is less about them enjoying your content and more about growing a wider audience, which can make loyal followers feel used.

2) Over-Posting

No users enjoy when they open their feed and see three posts in a row from a brand they follow. It clogs up the feed and they are more likely to skip past it without really viewing or engaging with the material. Users are also very likely to grow annoyed of the spam and un-follow the brand. Posts should be kept to one to two daily, with a number of hours spread between them. Social media users are more active from noon until the late evening with the peak from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm. Posting during those times increases potential visibility.

3) Brand Awareness

Knowing the mission of your brand and giving that information to customers is incredibly important. Lush Cosmetics has grown a massive following by their stance against animal testing. Brands who have a mission should post about it so that potential customers know their values and where the money customers spend goes. Posting content relevant to that is encouraged. However, posting on issues that are not part of the brand mission can seem disingenuous. There is no need for a shoe company to create a memorial post on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks when it has nothing to do with their products. More than anything, it comes off as an underhanded way of using a tragic event to sell products.

Do you agree with us that these are the 3 primary brand-infractions on social media? What else would you add to the list?

This post was originally published on the HireInfluence Social Media Brand Advocates Blog.

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