Avoid These 7 Common Social Media Mistakes for Better Engagement

Whether you’re a social media newbie or a pro, we’ve all been there – trying to figure out why our posts aren’t hitting the mark. In this blog post, I’m spilling the tea on seven common mistakes that might be hurting your engagement rate on social media.

I’m here to guide you on how to elevate your online presence and connect with your audience in the best way possible.

So, grab a comfy seat, maybe a cup of coffee, and let’s chat about the mistakes that might be cramping your social media style. Ready to boost your engagement? Let’s do this!

important reminders about your audience:

Their attention spans are SHORT: the truth is, you only have a few seconds to make a good impression on social media. Your post has to be interesting enough to make someone stop and read/watch, otherwise, they’ll swipe away to find something better.

They’re on social media to relax: most people go on social media to relax and escape. So if any content feels like too much work, people will swipe on past it!

They’re interested in how things relate to them: people are more likely to engage with content they relate to. You want to keep your target audience in mind with every piece of content you create.

7 common Social Media Mistakes and How to Fix Them ASAP:

too much text on graphics

This usually comes from such a well-meaning place. You’ve got so much juicy advice and value you want to give your audience. So you try and cram in as much as possible on your graphic.

The trouble is, the important words get lost in the big block of text.

Try this instead: keep the text on graphics to a minimum. Use your graphic to share a headline that encourages someone to swipe through your carousel or learn more in your caption.

Really long captions

Clear and concise communication is key for success on social media. The problem with long captions, is that just like text-heavy graphics, they may dilute the main message or call-to-action, making it harder for people to get to the point of your post.

As we’ve talked about, people typically have short attention spans. Long captions may be overlooked or skimmed through, rather than engaged with.

Try this instead: edit your captions to get the point across in as few words as possible. And if you’re sharing a lot of information, use bullet points to break up your caption into digestible steps or points.

Too many carousel slides

At the moment, Instagram allows you to share up to 10 slides in a carousel post. Although, they are testing bumping this up to 15 slides! And while this sounds like a win – more slides to share your content on – it might be more of a problem.

Unless your post is super helpful or entertaining, people won’t swipe through every slide in your carousel. And if you’re saving the best bit or call to action for the end, your audience is probably missing that entirely!

Try this instead: aim for around 5 slides per carousel to maximise engagement (1 for the title, 3 for your tips and 1 for your call to action.)

Using all caps

If what you’re saying is important, I know it can be tempting to emphasise it or get your point across using the BIGGEST LETTERS POSSIBLE.

But here’s what happens instead: our brains struggle to read the all caps so we miss out on the important info you’re sharing.

Try this instead: use all caps sparingly. It’s best for emphasising a single word rather than an entire sentence. All caps work especially well for your call to action eg. CLICK TO READ.

overusing script fonts

Social media users are often scrolling quickly through their feeds. The problem with script fonts is that they tend to slow down the scanning process, as people need extra time to decipher the characters.

As a result, your content may get less engagement simply because people don’t read it!

Try this instead: use script fonts with caution and try to choose fonts that are easy to read. Consider chatting with a brand designer, they’ll help you pick not only readable fonts but also fonts that are the perfect fit for your brand.

inconsistent/DIY branding

A cohesive and uniform online presence helps you to create a strong, memorable impression with potential customers.
Whereas, inconsistency in branding elements such as logo, colors, and messaging can confuse your audience.

Trust is crucial in building and maintaining customer relationships. If branding is inconsistent your followers may question the reliability and authenticity of your business, potentially eroding trust in your brand.

Try this instead: invest in your branding. It is the KEY to establishing your business as professional, trustworthy and memorable.

stock images

I know not all stock photos are cheesy and generic but A LOT of them are. They may be convenient but since stock photos are available to a broad audience, using them can lead to the repetition of images across various brands and accounts. This lack of uniqueness may make it challenging for your content to stand out and be memorable.

Whereas, photos of you, your office and your team are 100% unique and help to build trust with your audience. People like to see other people and they’re more likely to engage with photos of you vs random stock images.

Try this instead: get professional brand photos taken. These are so valuable not just for your social media pages but across all your marketing platforms.

fOOLPROOF GUIDELINES FOR ENGAGING CONTENT (FREE TRAINING!)

Creating engaging content requires avoiding the pitfalls that hinder your brand’s reach and impact. We’ve covered seven of these social media mistakes that could be undermining your efforts, now let’s dive deeper!

The good news? There’s always room for improvement and the first step is awareness.

Ready to boost your engagement and create content that stops the scroll? Dive into this free video guide – it’s packed with practical tips to transform your social media presence. Click below to get access to the free training.