4 of the worst mistakes brands make on social media

However, many brands still don’t get it, and consistently make mistakes that damage them on social media.

In my opinion, there are four big no-nos that not only kill those all-important relationships, but tarnish your reputation:

1. Broadcasting

Blasting sales messages rather than listening and engaging has to be the No. 1 relationship killer of all time. People hate when you sell to them—especially on social channels, where their main objective is to talk, get opinions, relax, have fun, or find answers to pressing problems.

When a brand spends the majority of its time broadcasting, it sends a clear message to followers that it’s not interested in real, two-way communication.

Listening should be your first priority, followed by engagement. Don’t try to sell to people until you’ve earned their trust!

2. Resolving issues offline

If someone has a problem and comes to one of your social profiles to try to resolve it, the worst thing you can do is shunt him off to a customer service contact with a “form letter” response.