4 common social media blunders and how to avoid them

For brand marketers, social media can be scary, because they’re accountable for every action there.

If they post something offensive, the brand can face serious backlash.

When Pepsi thought it was smart to capitalize on Black Lives Matter to sell more beverages, social media users indicated it was a bad idea. When a Ryanair steward failed to respond appropriately to a racist passenger, social media users made it clear the brand’s actions were inadequate.

Here are four of the worst mistakes companies make on social media, with ways to prevent future errors:

1. Joining a conversation three days after it’s relevant. Social media is a reactive channel, and brand managers often fail to provide timely takes on cultural moments. Laborious signoff processes and safeguards can slow larger brands’ reactions to cultural events, so by the time their response makes its way online, it’s no longer relevant.

Solution: Understand when your brand should and shouldn’t speak out. Ensure that your entire social media team has a deep understanding of the company’s tone of voice, so you can trust those people to react quickly.