5 Things You Absolutely Need to Stop Doing in Social Media in 2014
STOP POSTING IN LIGHT OF A DISASTER OR DISASTROUS EVENT: Community Manager’s Need to have someone ready to put the kibosh on any automation in light of a tragedy. Hello? If people are dying, this is one of those times your snazzy cat picture with the “caption this” statement needs to take a backseat…Tragedy trumps cat pictures.
Overusing Hashtags: If your tweets look like they may be written in a foreign language or like you let your three your old discover the # button, or perhaps like your cat has decided your keyboard is its new treadmill – for the love of god – stop. Hashtags exist to create communication and conversation, not just to say, “Look at me! Look at me! I can use technology!”
Stop Using QR Codes Incorrectly (Inside the back of a toilet bowl, on a satellite in outer space, on a five year olds’ box of Cocoa Puffs…): Mobile users want things done quickly and easily. A QR code is like another language that involves effort for users to scan and figure out what they’re gaining from it. To sum it up: no one’s going to use it except the few people that just figured out how to download the QR scanner app to their phone and are curious….and then once they scan two things, they will also stop. Also, when you have a QR code on your billboard five stories in the air, it’s not really valuable real estate.
Ignoring Negative Comments: You are no longer that kid picking his/her nose in the school yard, wearing mismatched socks, trying desperately to blend into the crowd so no one takes your lunch money; Come on, you can do it – stand up for yourself!! Reputation and social proof can make or break your business. No one wants to buy into a business that doesn’t buy into itself. Show you’re proud and others will be proud to stand with you. There are those people out there that are just itching to complain, or are trolls, so pick your battles wisely. However, most people will respond much more favorably to a business that addresses a negative comment than to one that only has positive reviews. As humans we respond to others who are polite, sincere and genuine. Use this approach and you will not go wrong. Often, people have just had a negative experience that needs some of your attention. Think of it as valuable feedback that you can use in the future to keep progress on how well you are delivering your product or service.
Using Auto-posting For Everything: While auto-posting is a great time saver, social media is about being…hmm, how do I put this? Oh yeah, SOCIAL. It’s like you go to a party, say something interesting, and then when people respond back, you just stare at them wide eyed like you’re Bambi and someone just shot your mother. If you do that, no one is going to talk to you….about you maybe as they whisper, “Hey, look at that mute weirdo in the corner,” but they would no longer talk to you directly – your opinion has become void. Have a presence! Most people expect a response to a comment within an hour on Twitter. If you cannot be there to actively engage, try narrowing your focus to a place where you feel you can most effectively contribute.
Anything else that you can contribute to the list? You know, those things that make your eyes cringe? Leave it in your comments below!