One of the worst things to happen to any brand is being banned on social media. Whether you are new to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or LinkedIn or you assume that you can get away with posting anything you like without consequences, a social media ban can be very damaging to your reputation, growth, and overall success in digital marketing.
The Wrong Way to Use Social Media
Just how easily can your pages get blocked? Easier than you think, actually. Some of the quickest ways to get banned on social media platforms include any of the following:
Hate speech
Every single platform has very clear rules on hate speech. This could include posts that are racist, bullying, threatening, aggressive, and offensive to any gender group, minority or person. On a corporate page, this type of content is especially risky as not only does it increase your chances of suspension – it also puts your brand reputation at risk. If you frequently post or reshare ‘jokes’, memes or any other content that could be seen as offensive, your content can be reported by followers and anyone else who happens to read any of your posts.
Gambling
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube are all very clear on following local laws. Almost every social platform has clear rules on posting content that promotes gambling or other nefarious activities. While this may be tricky if your business is centred on gambling or a similar industry, most businesses get caught out by this rule when trying to organise seemingly harmless promotions or contests that could be seen as gambling.
Illegal activities
Promoting any illegal or dangerous activities is also against the policies of most social platforms. It is always best to be very careful when sharing content that may be perceived as promoting such activities. That includes videos, images or any other type of post that directly or even indirectly glamourises or promotes drug use, robberies, scams or any other illegal activity.
Spamming
Another way that you can easily get your account suspended or even removed is spamming your followers. This applies to a wide range of spam practices – commenting aggressively on hundreds of posts shared by other profiles or pages, sending spammy direct messages to followers or those who are not following you, posting the same content over and over again, and generally not following basic guidelines on responsible use.
Buying followers
It is also best to be very careful about how you find your followers. Buying followers is seen as a quick, easy way to grow your page reach. In reality, this strategy is not usually permitted as it goes against basic spam policies. Many bought followers are either fake or unaware that their details are being sold.
The simplest way to avoid a ban is to read through terms and conditions carefully. Follow the rules and you will have no trouble growing your social media presence without the worry of bans or suspension.