A well-planned social media campaign has the potential to do great things for a brand. An ill-conceived campaign on the other hand can have the complete opposite effect.
Many businesses assume that social media for business is much the same as social media for personal use. After all, how hard can it be? All you need to do is add a few posts now and then, right?
Avoid these social media campaign mishaps
The world loves a big social media fail. Whether it is an insensitive Tweet, an auto scheduled Facebook post that fails to miss the mark, or someone accidentally posting from the company profile instead of their own account, fails like this tend to go viral for all the wrong reasons.
If you are serious about preserving your online reputation and avoiding this level of infamy, consider these social media campaign mistakes.
1. Automation going wrong: In Cape Town, a local travel website ended up with egg on their face after posting about the 2017 Cape Town Cycle Tour, which had been cancelled a few hours earlier. Some level of automation is a good thing. But, if you are planning on scheduling all of your social content, be sure that it is evergreen.
2. Personal posting to business accounts: As we briefly mentioned above, you really want to avoid posting from the wrong account. While it is not the end of the world if the post is harmless, it can be extremely damaging if the post contains inappropriate language or images, or views that conflict with your brand.
3. Emotional outbursts or comments: As humans, it is natural to feel upset on reading something that goes against your personal views. It is vital to keep your emotions in check when posting to your business profiles. The same goes for comments. Angry, rude comments will not do your reputation any good at all.
4. Obscure or offensive posts: You might think that your followers have a sense of humour. History has shown however that brands that attempt to be funny often end up being the butt of the joke. As a general rule of thumb, if there is even a remote chance that someone may not get the joke, it’s better to not make it at all.
5. Factually incorrect information: Unless you have done your homework, do not blindly share or post information. A few years ago, Delta Airways famously caused an uproar after using a giraffe as a symbol for Ghana… where no giraffes are actually found. Even a small oversight can make you and your brand look bad.
Of course, there are many other mistakes that are often made on a regular basis. If you’d like help crafting a winning social media campaign that hits all the right notes, get in touch today!