10 THINGS TO STOP DOING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR BUSINESS BRAND IN 2021

Social media is a computer-based technology that allows individuals and organizations to share ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks and communities.

Although social media was designed originally as a way to interact with friends and family, today it has been adopted by individuals and businesses who have taken advantage of the popular new communication method to reach out to their customers via electronic content communication strategy. 

These content includes personal information, documents, videos, and photos social media users use to engage with their audience. This is usually possible using social media platforms connected to a computer, tablet and smartphone via web-based software or web application. 

With the power social media have gained over the years and its ability to connect and share information with anyone on earth, or with many people simultaneously, it has become one of the fastest ways for individuals and organizations to build their brand identity and followership.

Despite the benefits of social media to individuals and businesses, many organizations and individuals still haven't mastered how to leverage social media for growth and visibility.

For you to build a strong social media presence for your individual and business brand in 2021, you must stop doing these ten things on your social media post;

1. Don't Talk About Topics You are Not Comfortable With

The fact that everyone else is talking about it does not mean you should also talk about it. It is better you don't say anything about that issue than to allow your brand to be dragged on the mud.

2. Don't Build Your Brand Presence on Just One Social Media Platform.

You know what they say about two is better than one right? Good. This does not mean you should be all over the place, but I bet with you that two social media platforms is better than one. This is so in the case of unforeseen circumstances, whereby if one platform goes down, the other will be there to take it up.

3. Not Thinking Twice Before You Tap That Post Button

Remember that prevention is better than cure. You are a brand and people will always hold what you post on your social media platform as the truth. Your social media account represents your brand. Whatever you post there will be taken as your opinion. What you say has more power than what you never say out to the public. Choose your words wisely!

4. Sharing Extreme Views on Sensitive Topics

Topics like politics, religion and race are sensitive issues that you should try as much as possible not to bring to your timeline and even if you must talk about it don't be insensitive to other people's feelings, air your opinion without being judgemental or bringing other people down. Your social media platforms stamp everything you post out and do not forget that the social media does not forget. Think about your brand when you want to put your mouth into issues as sensitive as religion or race, it matters and can destroy your brand image. It is better not to be found there than to be found guilty.

5. Lying About Your Achievements or Qualifications

 This is very bad and nothing destroys a brand on social media platforms or anywhere else than lies. Nothing built on lies will stand the test of time, sooner or later your lies will be discovered so don't be tempted to lie. Be honest with your followers and your real tribe will stick with you for who you are.

6. Not Spell-Checking Your Content

Having so much error on your social media post does not speak well of your brand. It is understandable that no one is above mistake but some errors are just too much to ignore! It is better not to post a content on your social media page than posting a content that is infected with grammatical errors.

7. Using Irrelevant Hashtags

Hashtags are important to increasing traffic on your post but using irrelevant hashtags does not speak well of your brand especially when readers search for a particular hashtags and come across your post that does not talk about the hashtag query. This will only show that you can not solve the reader's problem, it will affect how the reader perceives your brand going forward. Use hashtags that make sense and relate with the content you are posting.

8. Not Interacting With Your Audience

There can be no brand without your audience. Who are you branding for, really? An individual or business that calls itself a brand will soon fade if it refuses to recognize the place of its audience in its growth process. Abandon your audience and they will abandon you. 

9. Not Putting a Face to Your Brand

we are in a computer age with computer people, we want to see who we are buying from. Get a social media manager for your business page. Attach a name to your brand. People want to feel your presence. Brands with a face get more following than those who don't have one.

10. Not Entertaining your Audience

The world is already going through hard times, your social media page should not be hard too. People want to be entertained, so they will stick around brands that entertain them and you know what happens to you when your audience thinks you are boring right? Good! So give your audience something to laugh about.

In summary, social media has become one of the best place to build brands and attract large following but if you don't use it well by putting out a brand friendly strategic content, you will not get the visibility that you deserve and if you were lucky enough to have attracted some number of followership, you will soon lose them if you don’t stop doing some of the points mentioned above.

Therefore, work on the areas you are lacking and outsource for a good social media content strategist to help you in creating brand friendly contents for your social media posts.