Social media still rules in content management, so it is crucial that your social media content targets the right audience, expands your brand, and helps build product awareness.

Unfortunately, even with the best social media content, businesses still make simple and avoidable mistakes.

These mistakes may not seem like much, but they can be costing you big in reputation, brand awareness, and sales potential.

The big three mistakes

Here are the most common social media mistakes:

1.  Replying instead of mentioning on Twitter:

A reply on Twitter limits the audience to the account you are replying to and any mutual followers that you and that account have in common. No one else will be able to view it. A mention will be in your Twitter stream and all of your followers will be able to view it. There’s a pretty significant difference between the two actions. To change a reply to a mention, simply place a period in front of the @twitter account. For example:

@twitteraccount - reply
.@twitteraccount - mention

2.  Not including photographs on Facebook posts:

People typically respond better to images than plain text. Posting an article without an attached image will lower the chances that a large number of people will actually take the time to read it. An article with a picture occupies more space on a user’s newsfeed and draws their attention. Additionally, you’ll want to eliminate the URL Facebook automatically attaches to the post.

3.  Using the wrong Instagram hashtags:

Hashtags are used on almost all social media platforms but Instagram is where they are most commonly misused. It's best to think of them as another way for consumers to search for specific things that interest them. You’ll want to make sure your hashtags are relevant to your topic. Avoid hashtags that are more than two to four words and don't hashtag each individual word in a phrase. Balance the length of your post and the number of hashtags (Social Media Today). You shouldn't have more hashtags than you do words in your post.

Social media is still the best way to engage with a large audience of potential customers. If you are looking for more tips on how to make your social media campaigns successful, check out our blog at ALHAUS. Our content management experts are constantly updating our blog with the latest developments in social media to help ensure that you are creating the most effective social media campaigns possible. Make sure you subscribe so you get the latest updates weekly.