4 Social Media Mistakes That Could Be Hurting Your Brand

As a social media manager, I see businesses making a lot of mistakes online. On the one hand, if something works for you, great! You can continue doing what you do. But, from my experience, here are the top 4 mistakes I see companies making on social media that could be holding them back from achieving their full potential.

 

Many businesses overlook this crucial step: profile optimisation. Whether you’re using hashtags in your bio or failing to write a keyword-rich ‘About’ section on LinkedIn, this can drastically affect your visibility.

 

Imagine someone searching for a fitness coach on Instagram and finding a page with no contact details or bio explaining what the business offers. The visitor is likely to skip over your profile and go to a competitor with a clear description.

 

Ensure that your bio is clear and concise, listing what your business does, and include relevant keywords. On LinkedIn, for instance, your ‘About’ section should briefly describe your services while incorporating the right terms for search optimisation.

 

Posting 7 times a week for the sake of posting isn’t effective if the content isn’t valuable. It’s far better to post consistently, even if it’s fewer times per week, as long as each post has purpose and quality behind it.

 

Let’s say you post 7 times a week, but your content isn’t resonating with your audience. Now compare that to posting just 3 times a week with posts that are visually appealing, well-written, and relevant to your audience’s needs. The second option will almost certainly drive better engagement and build stronger brand credibility.

 

Quality content that educates, entertains, or solves a problem for your audience will always perform better than simply posting for the sake of staying active. Consistency is key, but don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.

 

It baffles me how many accounts have unanswered comments. Not only does this signal to the algorithm that you’re not active, but it also breaks trust with your audience. When you ignore comments and DMs, people feel like they’re talking to a wall, leading to lower engagement and a weak community.

 

If someone takes the time to comment or message your brand and gets no response, they’ll likely disengage. The next time they have a question or comment, they might not even bother. In contrast, when you engage with your community, they feel valued, and it encourages more people to interact with your brand.

 

Respond to comments and messages as quickly as possible. It doesn’t always have to be lengthy, but acknowledging your audience makes them feel heard, which in turn strengthens your brand’s loyalty.

 

I’m talking about post sizes here. Many businesses repurpose content across platforms without considering the proper dimensions for each platform. This can distort your posts and make them look unprofessional.

 

Posting a square Instagram post on LinkedIn can look awkward. The same goes for using the wrong size for Stories. It’s great that you’re repurposing content, but if the format is wrong, it might appear sloppy, which could damage your brand’s reputation.

 

Always check the recommended post sizes for each social platform. A well-sized post ensures a polished, professional look, which helps to maintain brand credibility.

 

Fixing these mistakes will take some time, but trust me – they are well worth it. When you optimise your profile, focus on quality over quantity, engage with your community, and make sure your content looks professional across platforms, you’ll start seeing improved results and a more connected audience.

 

Let me know if you want to hear more tips—I’ve got plenty more ideas to help level up your social media game!