Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—all of these social media platforms can help your business reach out to customers and get more website views. Companies can use social media as an advertising tool, but there are some mistakes that companies should never make. Keep reading to learn about some of the biggest social media faux pas your company should work to avoid.

Using Too Many Hashtags

Hashtags may have started on Twitter, but they’ve quickly made their way to almost every social media platform—as well as everyday conversations. Including hashtags in social media posts is a great way to make them more visible to potential customers and take advantage of online trends.

Illustration demonstrating the problems of using too many hashtags.

However, using too many hashtags can make people scroll right by your posts instead of actually viewing them. Avoid giving your followers a hashtag overload by sticking to 1 or 2 hashtags per tweet and 1 per Facebook post. You should also avoid using hashtags just for the sake of using them, and only include ones that are popular and relevant to your business.

Posting Too Much

Potential customers like it when a company is active on social media websites because these platforms provide an easy way for them to find new information and contact companies with questions or concerns. Unfortunately, being too active on social media can end up annoying your followers and even result in you losing followers.

Illustration depicting the idea of posting on social media too much.

Many companies think that more is better on social media, leading them to post multiple times each day. According to Forbes, posting once a day or more typically results in less engagement for businesses with smaller Facebook followings. Aim to post 3 to 5 times per week on your social media pages and only post interesting content instead of just posting for the sake of putting something new on your page.

Not Doing Your Research

Jumping in on viral hashtags can be an effective way to reach more people and gain more followers. It is essential to always research viral hashtags before including them in your posts, though, or you may end up committing one of the biggest social media faux pas.

Illustration depicting the idea of not doing proper research for social meia posts.

In 2014, DiGiorno Pizza tweeted “#WhyIStayed You had pizza.” Unfortunately, that hashtag was about domestic violence, and DiGiorno’s tweet was met with heavy criticism. Make sure you know what a hashtag is about before using it in any social media posts.

If you want help managing your social media accounts, you can get custom social media posts, content, and graphics from Pennington Creative. Explore our website to learn about our services, or contact us to schedule a consultation.

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About the Author

Jessica - Digital Marketing Manager, Social Media Services
Jessica DeMilt

Digital Marketing Manager, Social Media Services

Jessica - Digital Marketing Manager, Social Media Services
Adrienne Lobl

Digital Marketing Specialist, Graphic Design Onboarding Services