Monday, February 6, 2017

3 Social Media & Blogging Mistakes to Avoid

By Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Successful social media is something of an art form—with lots of gray areas. 

Building a successful online presence takes a good amount of flexibility and a little bit of experimentation. 

But even though I encourage people to find their sweet spots, there are a few things you want to avoid. 

Today I’d to weigh in on linking your social media accounts and other major blogging and social media no-nos.

Mistake Number One
Do NOT link your blog with social media. What I mean by that is you don’t want your blog to send a notification of your newest blog post to Facebook or Twitter or any other social network. On the surface it seems that would be a great shortcut for those (almost all of us) who find ourselves in a constant time crush. But it’s not. 

Here’s why:
  • You run the risk of spamming your friends and followers. Computers make mistakes, and especially if you have Facebook and Twitter linked, you can get repeat messages. This is unintentional spamming.
  • People today are smart, savvy and cynical. We can tell when something posted on social media is computer generated and we won’t bite. So you’re not getting any traffic this way.
  • Finally, you need to control the way your social media updates go out and how they’re worded. Different platforms may need slightly different wording. You also want the opportunity to add relevant hashtags and mentions.
Mistake Number Two
Do not link your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Like I said above, you’ll probably end up with duplicate posts and irritate your followers and friends in the process.

Mistake Number Three
Don’t use the auto-scheduler option on your scheduling program. For example, on Hootsuite, I can turn on the auto-scheduler and it will compute when the majority of my contacts are online and schedule my updates to go out then. Again, on the surface this reads like a time saving measure. It’s NOT. 
Here’s why:
  • If the program computes that the majority of your contacts are online between ten am and noon, it will schedule all your updates then. You may have a higher concentration then, but you’re missing out on some valuable exposure by ignoring the rest of the day.
  • The program doesn’t take into account those who will find you through hashtags or by referral.
Now, I can hear the question from here. “What about Hootsuite? Isn’t that an auto-scheduler?”

No, not really. Hootsuite (as well as Buffer and Tweetdeck) are SCHEDULING programs. They have the option of auto-scheduling. But utilized correctly, there’s nothing automatic about them. 
  • I compose the update. 
  • I choose the social media platform.
  • I dictate the time it goes out.
Now it’s your turn. What questions do you have about social media dos and don’ts? Leave them in the comments section below. Also be sure to share if you've gotten in a fix by letting a computer manage your social media life!

Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

TWEETABLES

17 comments:

  1. Thank you, Edie! I just had this conversation with one of my clients. As her VA I suggested that we might want to link her blog posts w/Facebook. So glad we did not do that because you make some great points here!

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    1. Mary, it really isn't the shortcut we might think. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Blessings, E

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  2. Good to know about the auto-scheduler! I've been using that recently and was wondering if it was beneficial or not. Thanks!

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    1. Tessa, some people use it and like it. I've found that I get more visibility when I schedule things throughout the day. Blessings, E

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  3. Always a good reminder! I just linked my FB and Twitter... about to go unlink them now! Thank you Edie.

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    1. Danetta, I'm glad you caught that! Blessings, E

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  4. I tweaked my Instagram to link with Twitter, and then Twitter to my Facebook, both the private profile and my author page. SOmetimes I get more exposure through the Twitter link post than actually writing the post myself. I don't have duplicates, but it is an easy way to have those two things to show up on my FB.

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    1. Daphne, be careful when you link. I've got a lot of personal experience with multiple bounce-back posts happening. Just keep an eye out for that so you don't spam your followers. Blessings, E

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  5. Thanks, Edie. As I am still learning, I appreciate all the advice I can get. I haven't link all my accounts but I do rely on auto-scheduler. The last thing I want is to spam my followers.

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    1. Ingmar, sounds like you're doing well. Blessings, E

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  6. I use Social Jukebox to schedule my tweets and it's worked really well. Thanks for the tips.

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    1. Pat, I haven't used that one. I'd love to know more about your experience. I may email you, if that's ok. Blessings, E

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    2. I use Social Jukebox and Buffer - Buffer for new posts (like for sharing this), and SJ for resharing my own older posts with relevant tags e.g. #MondayBlogs #WriterWednesday #TBT #FridayReads #VerseoftheDay (I have a Jukebox for each).

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  7. Sounds like I have some work to do.

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  8. I'm late to the party and hope you see this. Do you use the free version of Hootsuite or one of the professional versions? This is great stuff, as usual. Thank you so much.

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  9. Hi Edie, I love this blog and I've learned so much and have been inspired by your posts. I have a question. When I make a blog post, I go to my FB page and put a link on my page and on my Instagram. Is that the same thing you are talking about in linking your blog to Facebook. Am I doing a no-no? Thanks so much!

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    1. Beverly, you're doing the right thing. However, it is possible to connect (link) your blog to FB and Twitter so that when a post goes live an announcement is automatically generated and posted on social media.

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