6 Ways That Your Social Media Content is Annoying Your Audience

Submitted By:
Sienna Brown

Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING goes unnoticed on the internet. If social media has given brands more visibility, it has also opened up the avenue for them to create a blunder and screw up in front of millions of followers. Users are quick to pass judgment, and they may not even ask you for an explanation before putting you up on a social media trial. The social media sheriffs are always geared up to shoot at your Achilles’ heel by turning a trifling typo into a meme.

Impressions are hard to build. If social media has the potential to make you an overnight success story, it also has the power to make you go viral for the wrong reasons. I’ll give you an example. Let us walk back to one of the biggest Facebook fails of 2018 when YouTube creators tweeted on the Fourth of July using the flag of Liberia. Within an unbelievable span of 3 minutes, the account got an infamous 1.2k re-tweets with the screenshots being turned into memes. Trust me; you do not want to be THAT guy!

Once you put yourself out there, you become visible to over 2-billion users throughout the world. You must not do anything that triggers your users. Today, I present the six pet peeves that annoy the hell out of social media users.

6 SOCIAL MEDIA FAUX PAS THAT MAKE YOU LOSE USERS

Adobe recently conducted a survey on 1,000 U.S. consumers, and they spoke their hearts out about all those "marketing" moves that annoy them the most. Want to keep your social media fans happy? Then make sure you steer clear from committing any of these common mistakes.

Don’t get too 'sale-sy’

Source: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/os-lockheed-bomb-twitter-fail-20180820-story.htm

Your users are not looking for a sales pitch. Instead, they want content that can answer their queries or help them solve a situation. So, do not talk too much about your brand. Take a cue from the screw up of the marketing team of Lockheed Martin, the biggest arms manufacturer. In August 2018, the brand asked its followers to share a photo using their products on World Photography Day. The post came down as an insensitive post when a Twitter user replied with the image of a bomb that was used to bomb a school in Yemen, welcoming a whiplash of such comments.

Do be clever while promoting

Social media marketing is like walking on a tightrope. Instead of talking about the miracle of our newest offers, we started to take in complaints from students. We asked them to share what kind of assignment help they needed from us, and as a solution, we developed those services for them,” says Alicia Tebbutt, the content marketing head of MyAssignmenthelp. You can also learn the art from Neil Patel, the marketing mogul here.

Don’t be verbose

Did you know that 39% of consumers find lengthy posts annoying? You have to understand that your users are busy as well as impatient. They do not have the time to read through verbose pieces, and they generally skip the 'read more…’ part. So, make sure that you write accurate and concise posts.

Moreover, think it this way: the lengthier is your post, the more is it prone to grammatical mistakes. But if you cannot cut down on the length, make sure you give the readers respite by making the content visually appealing. Intersperse the content with relevant images. You can use memes and gifs to make your post more engaging.

Do make it readable - If you want to cut the mustard, then I suggest that you hire a creative team of writers and editors. Do not rely on editing tools. Your users know you from what you post online, and it is based on that they create an impression of you. So, make sure that the copy you publish is flawless.

Don’t post without proper research

Chick-Fil-A lost thousands of followers overnight when the North American fast-food chain posted a reply to a customer query without adequate research. This is what happened when a Twitter user asked the "geographically challenged" brand to open a store in Alaska, the brand replied that they did not have “immediate plans of expanding beyond North America.” Twitterati lost its calm when the brand failed to identify Alaska as a part of North America. Some even went to the length of calling the brand an “anti-national imposter.”

Do get your facts right – Your audience is not exactly vapid. So, you cannot fool them with whatever you post. While engaging with your audience, it is crucial that you do your research. And even when you use stats, try to derive them from reliable sources.

Don’t get too personal

The other day I was searching for cushion covers on Amazon. I saved a few in my cart and then switched to Facebook. As the app opened, I froze with fear. Right at the top of my timeline was an advertisement from the upholstery brand that I checked out on Amazon. This is precisely what happens when you personalize the content too much – it becomes borderline creepy. Personalization is a fantastic thing. But too much of it gives an impression that you are prying into their lives too much.

Do maintain the balance - Provide your customers with a relevant solution to their problem but do not make it so accurate that it freaks them out. Research on the kind of audience you want to reach out to but do not dig deep into their personal tastes. Create content that is universally appealing so that they can relate to your posts.

Don’t overuse hashtags

Yes, hashtags are the roost of social media marketing today and can improve your visibility. But #too #many #hashtags #can #be #really #annoying. Hence, point proved. Too many hashtags can decrease readability. What is the point of using hashtags that make you lose users instead of fetching you more? And that is not the only problem that you have to deal with. Creating or using the right hashtags can be a different ballgame altogether.

Do use the right tools – Not every hashtag from your industry can make your posts go viral. If you want to find the best hashtags that are suitable for your company, then I suggest that you use these tools. All you need to do is insert a relevant keyword, and the tool would supply you with a list of 'em.

Don’t spam timelines

The more, the merrier is not the ideal motto when it comes to sharing content on social media. I know that you want to be the first thing that your users see when they login to their social media profile. But that does not mean that you will spam their timelines. “To be honest, scrolling down and seeing an almost psychedelic strip of similar posts from just one brand makes me want to hit the un-follow button” - that what’s my 18 y/o daughter Cristina says. And since the millennials are the ones that you need to gratify, I suggest that you listen to her.

Do create a social media calendar – If you want to be consistent with your activities on social media, then I suggest that you create a schedule and stick to it. Post a blog once a week and update the status regularly.

final thoughts

First impressions are the lifeblood of your social media marketing strategy. And that is exactly why you need to put every step carefully. One step amiss and your years of reputation building can go to waste with a social media trial. Always remember the “social” in the social media. Before you go all in with your marketing strategy, make sure you are liberal and sensitized in your approach.

Here’s to you becoming the social media star (for the right reasons, of course). May the force be with you!

about the author

Sienna Brown is a social media analyst associated with MyAssignmenthelp.com. She is also an active blogger and a social media curator