In the final quarter of 2017, Twitter boasted an average of 330 million active users a month -- not bad given all the claims that it’s past its heyday, right?

All those users means endless sets of eyes on what you post, retweet, and site. With so many onlookers around to spectate on your activity, the spotlight is on, meaning a small slip-up could turn into a big embarrassment.

We have your back, so we’ve put together a list of 10 potential Twitter mishaps you should avoid:

1.  Inappropriate hashtags

What might be a seemingly innocent hashtag when you post it can quickly turn into a somewhat embarrassing oversight… one that might be hard to explain to your boss. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples:

• When singer Susan Boyle launched a new album, her PR team created the hashtag #susanalbumparty. The intention? Susan’s album party. The reality? Well, something rather rude.
  

• Another hashtag horror story comes in the form of #therapist. The publisher was hoping to promote their therapist services, but got their wires tangled in something totally different: the rapist.

The lesson? Always triple check for alternative interpretations.

2.  Ill-timed hashtags

Sticking with the hashtag theme, consider what’s going on in the world before posting away. For example, a doughnut company once referenced #notguilty in a tweet, the same day the same hashtag was being used for a high profile murder case.

Not only can it make you look insensitive, but you run the risk of inserting your brand into a political battle – somewhere most brands don’t need or want to be.

3.  Being stingy

If you hog your own feed and don’t ever retweet, reply or like anyone else’s content, what’s to stop your audience from doing the same to you? Social media is about connecting, so share the love every now and then, and it’ll be reciprocated!

4.  Lack of research

Retweeting is so simple, and because of this, lots of people click away without thinking about what they’re promoting.

Always do a quick background check to make sure a seemingly innocent retweet isn’t endorsing a questionable source – it’s better to be safe than sorry.

5.  Think before you link

If you’re going to link out to an external website, scout it out first. Similar to your retweets, you need to know who you’re promoting and where you’re sending people to.

6.  There’s no going back

Once you’ve hit publish, there’s literally no going back. Yes you can delete your post, but there’s no stopping people from taking a screenshot of what’s already been out there -- even if you only left it up for a moment.

Whether you’re bantering with a competitor, in a Wendy’s style feud, playing a prank or going on a rant, really think about what you’re saying before you go past the point of no return.

7.  Bombarding the sales pitch

If you’re tweeting for business purposes, don’t let your ego go overboard. While Twitter is, of course, a great platform to promote your product or service, you need to mix it up with content that people will want to engage with.

After all, who wants to visit a profile that’s repetitively salesy?

8.  Leaving people hanging

If someone’s taken the time to reach out to you, at least have the courtesy to respond!

If you build up a reputation for being unresponsive, people will stop engaging with you on social media. This can be particularly detrimental if you’re running a brand or business page – once you lose a relationship with a customer, it can be hard to get it back.

This is particularly important if you schedule your tweets – don’t forget to make sure prescheduled tweets posted correctly, monitor comments, and check your messages.

9.  Random retweets

If you retweet too many random posts, you run the risk of irritating your followers and making them hit that dreaded ‘unfollow’ button. We’re not saying don’t retweet things, but try to keep them relevant. And if they’re not relevant, keep them rare.

10.  Don’t hammer hashtags

Hashtags are great, but there’s a time and a place for them. If you hashtag every other word, your post will be hard to read. If you cram as many as you can into your character count, you can look desperate.
 

To make the most of them, stick to what’s relevant and trending, and leave the rest out.

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SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN GREENSBORO, NC

Stale social media presence? That's what we're here for! Whether you’re looking to increase your followers or simply need a break from handling your account, Hue & Tone Creative has you covered for all things social.

The following article is a guest contribution from Tamika M. Page. 

Twitter debuted March 21, 2006 when co-founder Jack Dorsey posted the inaugural Tweet which read, "just setting up my twttr."  While Jack was off launching what is arguably one of the biggest communications technologies of the last century, which currently averages about 328 million monthly active users according to Statista, an online statistics company, I was somewhere in the world learning the importance of thinking before I spoke.  Journey with me, if you will, back to Atlanta circa 2001.
 

At an early morning yard sale, I enthusiastically remarked to a potential customer that she looked like a lady basketball coach. She wasn’t flattered. In fact, she gave me a strange look, put down the candle sticks she had been eyeing and walked away obviously offended. Needless to say, I lost the sale. After fighting the urge to yell, “hey lady, that was a compliment,” I decided to ask some trusted advisors what they thought of the strange exchange. The results were mixed. My Grandmother heard genuine praise while my best friend stared at me in shock; as if I’d lost my mind for uttering the thought aloud. My brother laughed for what seemed like five minutes while my mentor gave me a copy of The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners.  How was it possible for one statement to spur multiple and varying reactions?

 

Meanings get lost in translation.

What I was attempting to express was that this lady had an athletic physique, a beautiful haircut and reminded me of the late, great Pat Summitt, coach for Tennessee Lady Vols. However, my meaning was somehow lost in translation. Why? Well, this woman and I had two different world-views, or lenses through which we viewed the world. What I meant was not at all what she heard. It seems this plays out repeatedly on Twitter. Every week some high-profile individual is reprimanded, or a company is hit with a wave of backlash for an uninhibited Tweet. While my impulsivity cost me, at most, seven dollars, these professionals and companies lose big when they quickly and, oftentimes, thoughtlessly take to social media with their opinions, jokes and grievances.

 

Your Tweet could be interpreted as an official declaration of war.

After President Trump exercised his First Amendment right via Twitterverse, North Korea’s Foreign Minister, Ri Young Ho, responded with the following, “Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make all self-defensive counter measures.”
 

You could lose your job, at least for a couple of weeks.

Take the case of ESPN’s Jemele Hill who Tweeted her opinion on how the public should respond to Jerry Jones’s threat to bench any Cowboy’s player who didn’t stand during the National Anthem. ESPN accused Hill of violating the company’s social media guidelines for a second time and suspended her for two weeks. Hill is lucky when one considers other celebs like Gilbert Gottfried who lost his endorsement with Aflac after posting Tweets making light of Japan’s 2011 tsunami.

You could lose customers and respect.

Home Depot quickly parted ways with a social media representative who posted a racially insensitive Tweet targeting African Americans from the brand’s Twitter account. The company decided to Tweet apologies, sans their media rep. When they directed one of these apologies specifically to Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the NAACP, it only made matters worse.

 

3 Ways to Avoid Twitter Faux Pas

1.     When in doubt, don’t: We all have a little voice inside us that nags right when we’re about to say or do something that might lead to unwanted trouble. If you possess the slightest inclination that your post may be inappropriate or could be misconstrued as such, don’t Tweet it out. It’s much easier to refrain than to retract.
 

2.     Never go to bed angry or Tweet that way either: Acting from anger is seldom a good idea. Typically, we behave in ways we later regret. Therefore, instead of Tweeting in this state, go for a walk, take deep breaths, do the stanky leg, whatever. The point is to delay expression until you’ve calmed down. This can potentially save your relationship as well as your reputation.

3.     Ask for Help: Consult a firm that specializes in multimedia communications. You may know construction or cakes or calligraphy, but framing your company’s messages perfectly is a specialty in itself. Outsourcing this all-important task will protect your brand and frees you to focus on what you do best.

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Meet the writer:

Tamika Page works as a marketing assistant and instructor in Atlanta, GA. Her first words were “increase market share.” Although her first words were far less remarkable than previously stated, she does have extensive experience in helping small businesses grow and discover their unique identities.

Want to chat with Tamika directly? TamikaMPage@gmail.com

Live video is quickly becoming one of the top ways to watch, share, and interact with brands. When surveyed, 80% of people said they would rather watch a live video than read a blog... in fact, we should probably be broadcasting this content to you right now...

Before you hit "record" on your smart phone, let’s check in about the state of live video on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Facebook Live

With an audience of over 78 million, Facebook Live is one of the best platforms to use if you want to connect and engage with your followers in real time. The interface is intuitive and easy to use and as soon as you go live Facebook notifies your followers. 

A few of our favorite features:

• When streaming is complete, anyone who missed your video can watch the complete video on your business page.

• Your followers can easily express how much they like (or love) what you're doing with the emoji reaction buttons during streaming.

• If you're looking to connect with your followers on a more personal level, you can also engage with your viewers by responding to their comments/questions live. It’s a great way to connect with your followers on a more personal level!

Our only warning about Facebook Live? It's prone to lagging, so we recommend streaming only when you have a 4G signal or WIFI connection.

 

Twitter

Twitter makes live video streaming simple with help from Periscope -- and videos are 6 times more likely to be retweeted than images. 

Periscope viewers watch over 110 years of live content daily!

Periscope is a live video app that lets mobile users stream anytime, anywhere. Twitter purchased the app in 2015, so every video you create on Twitter also gets posted to Periscope. This is a great way to expand your reach and expose your brand to audiences around the world. 

A few of our favorite features:

• Twitter’s streaming process is user friendly and full of engaging features. Viewers can “heart” your videos, comment, and ask questions while the video is live.

• You can use the Periscope Global Map to broadcast your stream to an international audience.

• 360 Video. Similar to Facebook, the videos are marked with a 360 badge and viewers can easily move the perspective around with their fingertips. While 360s are currently only available for select businesses, Twitter plans to roll out 360 to all users soon -- and you will need a specific camera to film.

 

Instagram

Need more details and ideas on what to post to Instagram? Check out this guide we put together for some inspiration!

Unlike Facebook, Instagram Stories are temporary (they last 24 hours). And, live videos on Instagram disappear as soon as you’re done filming, so this platform is best for people who only want to share videos with their followers. The videos aren’t stored anywhere, so there’s no way to rewatch it.  

While you’re filming live you can check the number of viewers that have tuned into your broadcast and you can start a Q & A session in the comments. Keeping an eye on the number of videos can help gauge how interested viewers are in the video.

That's the update! What other live video updates are you most excited about? 

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Hue & Tone Creative: Social Media Management in the Triad

In a social media rut? It’s time to make a change! From social media strategy to a fully customized management plan, we can help your brand break through the clutter.

Social media can be an overwhelming thing to do well -- between Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and niche sites (like Untappd or Houzz), it can be a lot to juggle. Managing multiple sites can turn into a full time job, so it’s important to pick and choose the sites that will work best for you.

Always remember that the main goal of social media is to connect with potential customers -- and to do this you have to be strategic in the sites that you choose to use. While social media is an important part of almost any digital marketing plan, spreading yourself too thin by trying to manage every site available won’t get you anywhere. We recommend selecting two or three sites that will give you the best return on the time you invest.

Each platform has a unique identity based on the people who view it and how they are engaged. It’s important to know where different demographics spend their time online, what kind of content will catch their eye, and what platform will best showcase your products or services.

When thinking about your target demographic, you should ask yourself two things:

1- Who are your current clients?
2- And who do you want your clients to be?

Social media isn’t a quick fix to getting you the types of customers that you want -- but, done consistently and done well, social will develop into one of the most valuable tools in your marketing arsenal.

So, without further adieu let’s jump into some quick facts about each platform.

FACEBOOK: Let’s start with the most obvious site -- Facebook. With 1.44 billion monthly active users, Facebook is arguably the most well-known and widely used social site there is. Because of its wide reach and varied user base, Facebook is a must for business. 63% of people 50-64 and 56% of people 65+ use Facebook -- this makes it the best platform if you’re aiming to reach older people. The leading demographic of Facebook users are also college educated. And 74% and 72% of adults who make $50,000-$74,999 and $75k+ (respectively) use Facebook -- making it a good place to market luxury brands.

Post ideas: Announcing limited edition products or daily specials, sharing customer reviews, or the details about an upcoming events.

TWITTER: If you’re looking for the challenge of whittling your message down to 140 characters or less, then Twitter is for you. Twitter is best described as an ongoing conversation… kind of like texting back and forth with someone. Connecting with clients has never been easier. By retweeting, utilizing trending hashtags, and following others, you can quickly gain a lot of reach. Like most social sites, Twitter skews towards the younger crowd, with 37% of 18-29 using Twitter. Because of it’s fast paced nature, Twitter is great for quick feedback and breaking news. One of the best ways to gain some fast reach on Twitter is to hop onto a trending hashtag!

Post ideas: Your take on trending topics, polls, quick tips and tricks.

INSTAGRAM: Where are you? What are you doing now? Who are you with? Instagram is one of the best places to answer these questions for your potential customers. Perfect for behind-the-scenes updates, Instagram can help your customers get to know the “real” you. With the capability to upload snippets of video, an arsenal of filters, and handy editing tools, you can take a picture from blah to drool-worthy. If you take great photos and invest time in finding the right hashtags, you can make Instagram work for you. Instagram is one of the trendiest platforms right now, and is perfect if you’re looking to capture 18–29 year olds. With over 53% of 18-28 year olds using Instagram, it has overtaken Facebook and Twitter as the most popular site with younger audiences. It also has a predominately female user base.

Our top tip? Take the time to stage photos properly. For more on that go here and here.

Post ideas: Feature customer reviews, behind-the-scenes shots of your office, or show off a collection of your products.

PINTEREST:  A mecca for designers, interior decorators, and brides-to-be, Pinterest is the place for all things girly. On a site built for browsing, you have to be able to catch a potential customer's eye -- this means carefully curating the look of each board, and keeping your boards organized by category (such as food, travel, design, etc) so that people can follow just the board they're interested in. Pinterest has a predominantly female audience with 42% of online women pinning on the regular. These women also tend to have more disposable income -- make it a good place to sell expensive products or optional services.

Post ideas: Organize boards focused around your products, or inspiration that relates to the services you sell.

SNAPCHAT: With 79% of its users under the age of 25, Snapchat is definitely a younger man’s game. Use Snapchat to share real-life action -- it allows your clients to see exactly what you’re doing, and if you are selling products it’s perfect for taking your audience behind-the-scenes. We don’t know alot about the average Snapchat user -- but we do know that 71% of everyone who uses the platform is under 25, and around 70% are female. With the exception of business like boutiques, Snapchat probably isn’t the best platform for a small business to utilize.

Post ideas: Employee takeovers, behind the scenes, and day-to-day life.

PERISCOPE: Periscope is a video streaming app that allows real time interaction with your followers. By “going live” with Periscope you stream and connect with your followers at any time, from any location. The best part about Periscope is that it integrates with Twitter -- allowing you to utilize your existing audience and reach a larger audience.

Post ideas: live Q & A, tutorial on how to use a new product, or live event updates.  

LINKEDIN: LinkedIn is like a virtual resume -- it’s all about making connections with other professionals. You can upload your resume, link to your portfolio website, share your professional insight, apply to jobs, and connect with employers all in one place. LinkedIn is great for people who need to market business-to-business or business owners who are looking to use their personal profile to make direct connections with potential customers. Specifically, LinkedIn Pulse is a great place to stay in the know about industry information, and show off your own expertise. A news feed within LinkedIn, Pulse is designed for members to share self-published content. You can also follow major brands or industry leaders!

Post ideas: Business insights, new job postings, and industry updates.

Each network has it’s own benefits and drawbacks, and there are tons of sites we weren’t even able to cover! The key to success is picking 2-3 sites that work well with your services/products, sticking with them, and posting regularly. Seeing a return on social media can take months of diligence -- but in a digital world, it’s an inevitable investment.

Thinking social media still might be a little much for you to handle? Need full time help? Give us a call at 336-365-8559 and we can set you up with all the help you need to get your social media up and running smoothly!