The always smart Kaylynn Chong at Hootsuite has these six good reminders:
Don’t over-hashtag. “Too many hashtags can make you look spammy or desperate if you’re using ones that aren’t relevant to your post. Even if you gain followers, it’s often the wrong kind of follower—like bots or people only interested in being followed back.”
Don’t hop on trending topics. “Just because there’s buzz around a topic, that doesn’t mean people want to hear from you on the topic. If it’s not relevant to your brand and target audience, your efforts will fall flat and you might turn people off.”
Don’t publish the same message all over the place. “Even for your fans that are following you on multiple networks—imagine how strange it is to see the same message over and over again?” Create “unique content for each platform.”
Don’t promote-promote-promote. “Social media is a two-way conversation. It’s not the place to broadcast how great your business is—at least not all the time. Social networking platforms are place for people to meet and interact with your brand.”
Don’t keep your social media accounts private. “A private social media account can convey many things—laziness? Hiding something? Or, you don’t think social media is worth the investment?”
Don’t automate gratitude. “An automated thank-you message can come off as impersonal. … Plus, nobody likes talking to a robot. If they did, why hire someone to manage your brand’s social media handle?”
