Social media marketing mistakes and how to avoid them

When it comes to digital marketing it’s very easy to get lazy… especially when marketing isn’t your thing and it’s just ‘something you have to do’ to promote your business.

But there’s a few common mistakes that we make, which could be easily avoided if we just spent an extra five minutes thinking about them, this short blog explains more…

Incomplete profiles

This is probably the most common thing I see when I take on a client, and to me it’s like handing in an incomplete CV at a job interview, or only filling in half your exam paper.

In my opinion, this is one of the worst things a brand can do on social media – taking the time to fill out all the relevant information on your page shows potential customers you are taking your business seriously… look at it this way, would you eat at a restaurant with half a menu?

Blanket sharing across all platforms

Guilty! I get it – some days we just need to get stuff out there, and we don’t have time to think of the different functionalities that each platform offers, but treating each social media platform in the same way is a common mistake that can easily be avoided.

Every social media platform has its own set of guidelines that need to be considered when posting, additionally, each algorithm is unique to each platform, so if you post the same thing across the board, each platform isn’t being used to its full potential.

Neglecting engagement

Many people will think that posting on social media is enough, but it isn’t. Social media is all about community and Facebook takes a lot of steps to protect it’s community so naturally, it favours those accounts that build and nurture them.

The more active an account is, and the more they are engaging with others, the more likely their posts will perform well. It’s also good practice to talk to and engage with your customers – it’s called social media for a reason, right?

Only sharing your own content

So you want to link back to your website and increase your own brand awareness – yes – but once again we need to think about the bigger picture here: the sense of community.

When you share someone else’s content you can tag, you have the potential to reach new audiences if they repay the favour by tagging you back, social media is all about collaboration and connection, not competition.

Lack of planning

A marketing plan doesn’t need to be a big fancy power point presentation – and nor does it need to be full of words you don’t understand.

Setting simple goals for your social media like ‘reach new audiences’, or ‘gain 100 followers by the end of the year’ can help you move forward with your marketing and begin to create some meaningful content that your customers will really start engaging with.


Emily at EmPower media  has more than ten years experience in broadcast, journalism and digital content marketing, working for a variety of brands including ITV, adidas, Aviva, BT, Guide Dogs, Maersk and Barratt Homes.

During that time she has also worked with a number of small businesses from Pilates instructors to travel agents, building firms and festivals, helping them develop their brand, and reach an engaged audience through digital media.