Here at Bowda the name of our game is social media. Over the
years, our team has spent a lot of time online, and have come across a lot of witty Tweets, interesting
Instagram posts, and fascinating Facebook pages. That being said, we are no
stranger to the less than wonderful posts being shared every day. What makes
them less favourable? We’ve collected a list of the most frustrating faux pas we’ve encountered, and what you can do to avoid them.
1. Automated Messages
This faux pas applies mainly to Twitter, but should be taken
into account with all platforms. While we agree that thanking a new follower
for their support, either through a direct message or a tweet, is a good idea,
please avoid sending an (obviously) automated message. The point behind
messaging a new follower is to establish an, albeit small, relationship with
them, and thank them for noticing you online. However silly this may sound,
going unnoticed on Twitter is never good for a new business, so you always want
to demonstrate your appreciation. That being said, the entire meaning behind
your message is lost when you’ve used a program to generate a very unnatural
response to recently acquired followers. In some cases, it can even lead to
being un-followed, if the individual suspects you may be a spam account (which
do exist, by the way, and are incredibly irritating to have on your feed).
Also, using these auto-mated responses as a marketing tool to advertise your
services, or increase your followers, isspam, and will always be treated as such (i.e. blocking, deleting,
un-following). Twitter is a fantastic way to connect with strangers all over
the world, but your efforts have to be genuine (just like they would be in person).
Bottom line: If you
choose to send a thank you to your newest followers, always send a personal
message.
DO: “Hey @BowdaPR,
thanks for following! We look forward to learning about how to improve our
presence on social media!”
DON’T: “Hey, thanks
for following. Sign-up for our newsletter here/buy my cool product/give me
money.”
2. Overuse, or incorrect use, of the
infamous #hashtag.
Since the beginning of Twitter, the use of the #hashtag has
been heavily debated. It is one of the more major learning curves that comes
with creating your Twitter account, and most have figured out how to use them
on a trail-and-error basis. It is now 2015; Twitter was created in 2006. If you
still aren’t sure how to use the hashtag, listen up! There is nothing that
demonstrates amateur hour better than misusing #hashtags.
I realize you may be making funny faces at the computer by
this point. “There is no purpose to a hashtag, they’re for fun” is, perhaps, one
reason behind your distorted brow. Although creating a hashtag can be fun and
seemingly useless, there is a method
to the madness. A hashtag, essentially, places your tweet in a list of other tweets
that share the same hashtag. This can work to your advantage if you decide to
share something that is “trending”, where others may see. By using a hashtag,
it allows others to see your content who may not have been following you
before, and then choose to because you are so
wise/hilarious/savvy/inspirational.
Now, you’re probably thinking “If hashtags are so
great, I’m going to use them all the time! In all my tweets! Only hashtags, no
words!” This is where the problem lies. Although this may seem like a great
idea, it really isn’t. You only have 140 characters to demonstrate how
wise/hilarious/savvy/inspirational you are, so don’t waste them on lengthy
sentences that become too difficult to read without spaces. The longer your
hashtag, the less likely someone else has used it before, therefore stripping
the hashtag of its purpose. At Bowda, we have a golden rule of no more than
three hashtags, and make sure they are short and sweet. The more concise you
are, the easier it is for someone to re-tweet/quote you to their followers. And
why wouldn’t they want to, since you’re so wise/hilarious/savvy/inspirational?
Bottom Line: Do not
use more than three hashtags. Do your research- make sure they are concise, and
preferably exist already.
DO: “We all need a little
extra pick-me-up on our Mondays. #MondayMotivation”
DON’T: “Click this
link for more information on #climatechange #globalwarming #renewableenergy
#letsworktogethertosaveourplanetbeforeitexplodes
3. Abbreviate, but never use lingo.
OMG, LOL, LMAO, ROTFLMAO, IDK, SMH – what on earth am I
saying? Exactly!
Even though it is tempting to use MSN language, with a limitation
of 140 characters, it is never a good idea. You have no idea who your Tweets
are being read by, and the last thing you want to inspire is confusion amongst
your followers. Being clear and concise are two absolute musts when tweeting,
and as funny as these lingo terms can be, they are anything but clear. SMH? I
had to open up a new window, and resort to urban dictionary to solve that one
(it means “shake my head” if you didn’t already know!).
Abbreviations are acceptable (i.e. B.C. instead of British
Columbia, ‘&’ instead of ‘and’, TGIF instead of thank god it’s Friday), but
try to only use the most obvious ones.
Avoiding lingo also assures you avoid sounding ignorant
(remember, you’re really wise/hilarious/savvy/inspirational and want to remain
being seen that way). Nothing takes away from an inspirational quote or a
thought-provoking article quite like “omg lololol” following immediately after.
Bottom Line: Minimize
your character count without compromising your message.
DO: “Learn why BC has
become the smartest & most environmentally friendly province”
DON’T: “omg look at
dis pic à I
h8 this s0o much! #smh #idk
4. Improper Grammar
This faux pas results in a lot of head-banging against a
wall for some people. It would be really great if the individuals out there who
still use “your” instead of “you’re” and “one” instead of “won” would be
stripped of their right to access social media platforms, but sadly, this is
not the case.
If you are one of these people, I am SMH at you! (Just
kidding – there is no judgement here at Bowda. We understand that grammar mishaps happen to even the strictest grammar nerd, thank goodness for that edit button!)
However – and this is a big however – there is no excuse for
the use of improper grammar and spelling on your Tweets and/or other social
media posts. Nearly all, if not ALL, technological devices that provide us with
the ability to post on such platforms come equipped with spellcheck. Please use
this tool on a daily basis, and always pay attention to those red/green/blue
squiggly lines (you know, the ones that appear every time you try to spell
necessary? Or maybe that’s just me) that indicate you have chosen an incorrect
letter arrangement. Other times, you have spelled the word correctly, but used
the wrong form (i.e. your – you’re, they’re – their – there, whole – hole, lose-loose
and I could go on and on and on...); this, my friends, is unacceptable.
Thousands of people are on Twitter every day, and they are all presented with
the freedom to follow, and un-follow, whomever they please. The followers that
you have worked so hard to attain, you need to KEEP them. The best way to do
that? Never fail to show them how wise/hilarious/savvy/inspirational you are
with every single post. People may choose to write you off, and assume what you
have to say, or the services you wish to provide, or the messages you want to
share, or not worthwhile if they can’t trust you to pay attention to basic
grammar rules. The internet can be a cruel place amigos; we just want to help
you master your way through it.
Bottom Line: Always
triple check your tweets, Instagram captions, and Facebook posts. As we say at
Bowda “spell-check yourself, before you
wreck yourself”.
DO: “At Bowda, we represent an
environment based on peace and love, and always admire your feedback”.
DON’T: “At Bowda,
we represent an environment based on piece and love. and always admir you’re
feedback”.
5. Don’t forget that social media is
a two-way conversation.
This one is extremely important. Never forget that social
media is best used as a conversational tool. Engaging your followers encourages
them to continue to follow and support you. Nobody likes to see companies that
choose to fill their feed with advertisements or self-proclamations about how
great they are. If someone tweets at you, tweet back! When you choose to post
something, always encourage a conversation. Never be afraid to ask your
audience their opinions. People love to talk, and if you allow your social
media page to be a place for them to do it, your number of followers will
increase faster than my cat runs after a bag of Temptations treats.
Twitter chats exist for this very reason; both celebrities
and companies do it frequently. This concept allows people to ask questions
they may have about your company, or comment on ideas that your company
represents. Twitter Q&As are always very popular (occurring more with
celebrities, authors, talk-show hosts, etc.). Live-tweeting is also done
frequently nowadays, which consists of individuals informing people of the
details of an event that is happening, that they may not be able to attend. Either
way, it’s all good press when you encourage your followers to reach out to you.
Bottom Line: Always
engage ALL your followers, and encourage a conversation.
DO: “At Bowda, we believe Twitter & Instagram are the most successful platforms; what do you think?
#socialmedia”
DON’T: “At Bowda
we’re so great.”
“At Bowda, we offer services to
run your social media and blog accounts for you. Let us do it. We’re great!!”
At the end of the day, we want to commend you for all your
efforts to remain relevant on social media and expand your brand on platforms
you may be unfamiliar with. If you think conquering social media is easy,
you’re most likely not doing it correctly. At Bowda, we believe practice makes
perfect, and hope that you take these constructive criticisms as encouragement
going forward. After all, what would the world do without your
wise/hilarious/savvy/inspirational self?
