7 biggest mistakes in social media and how to avoid them

It’s easy to get started with Social Media. That is both a curse and a blessing. Too many people jump into the fray without much thought. Here are the 7 biggest mistakes you can make and how to avoid them.

1. If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.

What is your goal for getting involved in social media? Is it to showcase your expertise? Is it to have more of an online presence? Is it to get a job? Having a goal will help you to efficiently and effectively focus your actions.

2. Me, me, me.

It’s NOT about you. Yes, you want to build your personal brand online. But, you don’t do it with shameless self-promotion. Write about what you know, so you can be viewed as a thought-leader.

3. More is not necessarily better.

There’s a lot of debate on how often you should put out content. This doesn’t mean a constant stream of twitter updates. People will start to tune you out.

Some suggested time frames:

LinkedIn – try to update your status or your profile at least once a week. You can do this by showing what event’s you’re attending or updating your reading list.

Facebook – a few times a day. Try to make it interesting and not just, “I’m going out for coffee now and I love coffee.”

Twitter – a few times at day at most. Most people who update constantly don’t have anything interesting to say, and this just increases the annoyance factor.

Blogging – at least once a week, a couple times a week is even better. But, even if it’s only once a month, have a schedule and stick to it so your readers know what to expect.

4. All talk, no listen.

Social media is all about building relationships. Have a conversation with folks. Look to see what others’ are saying about your topic. See which actions of yours generate the most comments/views/discussion.

5. Here, there and everywhere.

Have a focus. The more specific you can be in your content, the more you’ll be viewed as an expert. That’s not to say, you can’t be creative with your content, but make sure it fits in with your goals and your plan.

6. Same old, same old.

The world is changing quickly and it’s important to stay up to date. Let’s say you love the Apple iPad and choose to make this your thing. Well, probably in a while, it won’t be the latest thing, so you may want to switch topics.

7. No man is an island.

Don’t try to go it alone. Social media is just that, social. Join conversations, collaborate with like-minded folks. Ask for help. It’s all part of the conversation.