Reason #4 Why Your Social Media Sucks: You’re Being a Debbie Downer

Apr 2012

Welcome to our new series “Top 10 Reasons Why Your Social Media Sucks,” where we point out many common mistakes that prevent businesses from reaching the full potential of their social media marketing. Stay tuned for more missteps, errors, faux-pas, and boo-boo’s every Monday and Wednesday ’til the list runs out!

The Problem

Sure, social media is a place to be yourself and converse with your audience. And Lord knows we all love to commiserate over common gripes: traffic, canceled appointments, botched coffee orders, taxes, you name it.

But it’s possible to take it too far.

You know that one friend whose every utterance is a complaint of some kind? Don’t you kind of cringe every time you see her number on an incoming call? Well, when you overdo the grousing, you have much the same effect on your followers.

Which brings us to today’s top mistake: Letting negative commentary creep in until it takes over your social media feed.

The Solution

Of course, nobody expects your Facebook or Twitter feed to read like a Disney princess’ diary. What your followers want is for you to be real, and part of being real is balancing the ups, the downs, and the neutrals.

So when you write your next post, take a moment to imagine how it might come across, especially next to your last two or three posts. Are you seeing a negative trend? If so, you might want to think about tweaking your tone before it loses you any followers.

Turnaround Tips

When writing your posts, try to keep the mood light or at least neutral, even if you’re posting about a serious subject.
The occasional gripe is fine—just remember, everything in moderation.
Be mindful that your followers don’t need to know about every traffic jam or rude store clerk who ticks you off.
Never, never, ever complain about your customers or your staff. Ever.
I have to say it every time: talk to your audience. Ask them what they like most and least about your posts, and use their feedback to drive your progress.

So, how do you find just the right tone for your social media posts? Tell us in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!

Read earlier posts in the series:

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