Blindly following trends, lack of a clearly defined identity and vision, or relying on too narrow measures of success. How not to fall into the most popular traps that lurk for brands on social media?
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Welcome to the capricious world of social media. A world teeming with specialists and self-proclaimed gurus who preach the "only, right truth" about promotional activities on Facebook. But when they think that everything that could be discovered has already been discovered, and the algorithms have no secrets from them, then they come in all white - traps of their own actions.
What are they? In short, these are errors made by organizations in the field of marketing, public relations or advertising. They can cover everything: from lack of quick response to comments or messages, to too many ads flooding users with unwanted content. Errors can also mean lack of engagement in relationships with followers and not using analytical tools to track campaign results. All these problems can lead to a bad user experience and ultimately a failed marketing campaign.
So what to watch out for? What to remember when responsible for the success of promotional activities on social media? And finally - how not to get caught in one of the many traps that are not talked about as often as the need to perform two-factor authentication?
Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, X, Threads - these are just a few of the most important platforms where companies publish their content every day. So it's no wonder that in the rush to maintain online activity, communication errors often occur.
Recent reports on social media activities clearly show that the approach of "quantity over quality" is being abandoned in favor of reversing this trend. Therefore, it is worth spending extra time to adjust the content, its quality and the way it is conveyed appropriately to the platform. Inaccuracies or sloppiness in the message can lead to loss of customer trust.
Jakub Rusak
Social media have gained a reputation as the perfect tool for promoting products and services. However, they are also equally important in the reputation management process, especially if the brand development is taken seriously.
Meanwhile, a flood of negative comments, indifference of moderators to users' and consumers' remarks, selective response to their problems, and excessive idealization of reality can quickly harm the brand's image and lead to significant troubles. At stake are hundreds of hours spent on building and engaging the community, thousands regularly spent on training or the team - and ultimately - the managers' responsibility for the success of the project or strategy.
Starting a new project, a new job, or receiving a new budget, we often want to do everything here and now. The head is buzzing with ideas and each of them should ideally work in our actions. "Should" is the key word, because wishful thinking and predictions not supported by any data is a straight path to waste the budget.
Understanding exactly who we are targeting is key to effective social media marketing. If the content does not resonate with the goal, the result will be just a waste of time.
Protecting the company's data and its recipients, users and consumers is a priority. Although probably most people who work with social media platforms on a daily basis are well aware of the concept of "two-factor authentication", account thefts are still popular, and consequently, the loss of a lot of work and all data related to it.
The risk of not taking care of formalities increases directly proportional to the number of people having access to the account and actively working on publications. Therefore, strict adherence to security rules, monitoring potential threats, regular password updates and awareness of constantly developing phishing methods are key elements for securing our accounts.
Jakub Rusak
Everyone who focuses too much on the number of likes, shares, and other reactions, while neglecting the quality of interactions with customers, falls into it. Of course, online popularity measured by likes can be a good indicator of success, but it is important to understand that quantity does not always equal quality.
The number of likes can be the result of various strategies, including paid advertising campaigns, but user engagement and their authentic reactions are more valuable for brand development. Acquiring loyal customers and building lasting relationships does not depend only on the number of likes. Properly moderated discussions, engaging, responding to comments, and providing valuable information will make users more inclined to identify with the brand.
In the era of social media, becoming the central point of communication and marketing, there is a real risk of losing balance between strategic business objectives and online activity. It is worth remembering that social media is a tool for achieving business goals, not an end in itself. Therefore, it should be monitored whether online activity is fully consistent with long-term development plans. Too intense engagement in social media can lead to loss of focus on key business initiatives.
Instead of focusing solely on short-term benefits from social media presence, managers should maintain a long-term vision. This requires understanding that building lasting relationships and online reputation is a process that develops gradually and requires patience.
One of the biggest mistakes in social media activity is too much emphasis on self-promotion. Although promoting products or services is important, bombarding your audience with sales offers can quickly discourage them. Excessive self-promotion can be perceived as pushy or desperate in the long run, which ultimately harms the brand's reputation.
However, this trap can be easily avoided. It is worth focusing on creating valuable informational content, which the audience may find useful. In this way, we build trust, credibility and attachment to the brand.
Every company has its unique identity, target group and business goals. Blindly copying the social media strategies of other companies can lead to loss of authenticity and difficulty in standing out in the market.
Another aspect is the differences in resources and capabilities. What works in one company may be unattainable in another due to a number of factors such as budget, human resources or industry specifics. It is also worth remembering about the variability of trends. What is popular today may lose its significance tomorrow. Blindly following trends can lead to instability and lack of consistency in the long run.
Virals, trends, reels and shorts. Trend creation requires authenticity. Companies that try to forcibly introduce something that does not fit their values or philosophy may encounter resistance from the community. It is worth investing time in understanding your brand and creating trends that are consistent with it.
However, it should be remembered that social media is a two-way platform. Ignoring the opinions and reactions of the community to the introduced trends can result in loss of trust and popularity. So sometimes, although it may seem strange, it is worth giving up a trendy video in favor of a longer blog post with rich storytelling.
Lack of a coherent action plan, excessive dispersion of efforts on too many platforms, expecting immediate effects, focusing only on the number of followers, overly aggressive promotion, ignoring community opinions, and neglecting research and analysis - these are aspects that can significantly affect the effectiveness of actions in the world of social media.
Actions in this area require care, regularity, and flexibility to effectively adapt the strategy to changing trends and expectations of the online community. Ultimately, a conscious and purposeful approach to social media can bring the company benefits in the form of increased trust, building an authentic community, and a more valuable relationship with customers.
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