Late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon and singer Justin Timberlake demonstrate the ridiculousness of hashtag overuse. Too many hashtags distract from your content and undermine your marketing efforts, said social media expert Dakota Shane.
The pressure to participate daily on social media can lead small business owners to scribble off some hurried posts, sometimes with qualities that make customers cringe. Dakota Shane, co-founder of Arctiphi, a social media agency based in Los Angeles, weighed in on some common mistakes in a recent article for Inc.:
1. Inauthentic, Forced Content
In response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, thousands of women have taken to social media to open up about their experiences with sexual harassment and assault, accompanied with the hashtag #metoo. With more than 12 million #metoo posts in just 24 hours, the topic most certainly went viral — and continues to dominate public discourse at the moment. But it’s not something appropriate for most businesses to post about, unless, say, you’re designing flowers for a gala to benefit victims of sexual misconduct and want to discuss why you’re proud to support the cause.
“You see this mistake all the time. Companies and individuals force trending topics into their posts in hopes of gaining more followers and engagement,” Shane said. “But if it isn’t a seamless integration, you probably shouldn’t post about it.”
Instead, only focus on the topics relevant to your business. If “worst dates” or “relationship blunders” are trending, you could pen a funny post about the most outrageous card messages you’ve ever taken and emphasize how florists can help soothe over sticky situations. Or, when the winter Olympics come in a few months, you can weigh in on the bouquets winners receive on the podium.
2. Low-Quality Photography
You don’t need a $1,000 camera to have a strong game on Facebook or Instagram. But you shouldn’t mindlessly snap away outside your cooler and share images without first scrutinizing them. “Crappy photography can hurt the perception of your brand,” Shane said. “In the consumer’s mind, if a brand can’t take the time to post quality content, then what’s to stop them from delivering a sub-par service or creating a sub-par product?”
Your smartphone should suffice provided your background is clear (or artfully staged), your hand is steady and you don’t have anything creating glare (like your cooler door). Click here for some easy tips to drastically improve your images.
3. Spelling Mistakes
“Spelling errors don’t look good,” Shane said. “Perception is reality, especially online, where your customer touchpoints are limited.” If grammar isn’t your strongpoint, consider asking a colleague to proof your posts or typing your post in a program like Microsoft Word first, where you can run grammar and spell check functions.
4. Hashtag Overload
“Please don’t use too many hashtags,” Shane said. “It can make even the greatest content appear spammy.
According to research by the software firm Buffer, 11 is the ideal number for hashtags on Instagram, while on Twitter, it’s only one or two. “As a rule of thumb, be discreet with your hashtags,” Shane said. “Make sure they aren’t distracting your audience from the message you’re trying to convey in your content.”
