8 Social Media Mistakes Bloggers Should Avoid
Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash
So you’ve gotten into the rhythm of blogging and are ready to promote your posts. That’s great! If you’re still new in the scene, however, chances are you’re unaware of certain habits that may irk your followers on social media.
In this post, we’ll shed light on social media mistakes we’ve all made in the past – things that could annoy your readers and fellow bloggers.
Don’t be that newbie and catch the mistakes before you make them!
1. Posting too much content
It’s important to spread out your blog posts – both on your actual blog and wherever you’re promoting them. You invest so much time and effort into your content – don’t sell yourself short by oversaturating readers with your work.
Put together an editorial calendar that ensures your posts are published with ample space in between. Think 2-3 posts per week, for example. And when you’re promoting your work, take the time to strategically schedule your posts. There is nothing worse than scrolling down your X, formerly Twitter, timeline only to be bombarded by a million tweets from the same account. Not only does it appear like you’re rapid-fire tweeting, but chances are followers won’t take the time to click on each link in each tweet.
Think small doses. Less can be more.
2. Using too many hashtags
Sometimes using too many hashtags can look like a desperate call for attention. If you’re posting a picture of your family, don’t hashtag things such as: “#family,” “#love,” “#perfect,” “#goodlooking,” “#wearecute” or other generic words and phrases.
Yes, discoverability is key, but be strategic and use your hashtags at the right time. Hashtagging is great for marketing, but you should aim to use niche hashtags or even tag/mention brand names. And if hashtags aren’t necessary, don’t include them – there’s no need to force it.
Also, when it comes to platforms, it’s really a matter of “to each their own.” For example, hashtagging on Facebook really isn’t as effective as on Instagram, and hashtagging specific events is great on X for live tweeting (e.g., #sxsw2024 or #CES2024).
3. Starting X posts with “@”
You tweet: “@dunkindonuts has the best iced coffee in the world.” Reality check: This tweet will only be shared with @dunkindonuts and those who follow both of your accounts. Starting a tweet by mentioning an X handle limits your audience.
The correct way to tweet would be “.@dunkindonuts has the best iced coffee in the world” – with a period before the X handle. A lot of beginners on social media are unaware of this. It’s one of those unspoken things X just expects you to know. (You’re welcome.)
4. Asking to follow back
Publicly asking someone to follow you back is like giving someone a gift during Christmas and expecting to receive one back. People will follow your account if they’re interested in your content. Everyone has different tastes and preferences on social media. Trust in your content, and you will gain your following naturally.
5. Keeping your social media accounts private
If your goal is to grow your blog, you simply can’t keep your social media accounts private.
If your accounts are private but you’re still utilizing hashtags, users won’t be able to find those posts via search. Furthermore, if your X account is private, influencers you tweet at can’t view your tweets, and therefore can never retweet your posts to their followers.
If this seems like a hurdle, you may have to take the time to really decide on what you’re going for – is it a popular blog or a personal diary?
6. Calling to action, with no call to action
You want people to view your video, your blog post, etc. However, you don’t leave them with an easy option to do so. When you promote your content, you want to make it as easy as possible for someone to view your work or even share it.
For example, bloggers on Instagram will regularly copy and paste the post URL into their photo caption. URLs in Instagram captions are not clickable. Your followers will likely not take the time to memorize the URL and input it into their browser. Instead, direct them to a link in your bio. This way, they can just click on your profile page and access the post from there.
Another example: You post a video on Facebook promoting your new podcast. You show how awesome the guest is through amazing video content, but you don’t leave a link to the full episode. Include a link to the podcast in the same post so that if someone’s interested, it takes little to no effort to tune in.
7. Posting the same exact message everywhere
You likely have accounts on several social media platforms, some with overlapping followers. Try to mix things up between each channel. There are so many different things you can do within each platform, so don’t post the same exact message in each one. But what works on each social platform?
For example, on Instagram, you can post 15-second behind-the-scenes video clips. On Facebook, you can post links to related creative content or full YouTube videos. On X, you can retweet what others are sharing or create a poll. The possibilities are endless.
Each social media platform has different functions and types of audiences. Be creative.
8. Sounding like a promoter
Yes, it’s great to promote your content across your platforms, but don’t sound like a promoter. Try to share your work as naturally as possible.
Instead of telling people to click, share, view, etc., try asking them questions. For example, “What would you do if wild animals kept breaking into your garden and eating all your vegetables? I had this problem and made this. More info on my blog.” Doesn’t this sound better than, “Check out this thing I made on my blog. Click, click, click away!”
Don’t overlook the “social” aspect of social media. Be as conversational as possible! And don’t forget to respond to comments and interact with your followers’ content.
