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Our biggest social media pet peeves

It probably comes as no surprise that we spend more time on social media than watching TV. Social media is part of everyday life; we scroll our timelines without even realizing we’re doing it. We’re not only following high school frenemies and far-away family members, but also our favorite brands and local businesses.

Organizations can use social media to connect with potential customers and post in real time about products, services and events. But if your business doesn’t keep its profiles up to date, the 4.6 billion active social media users worldwide may just stop checking in.

So there are lots of people using social media every day, and your business should be too. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy to do it right. Our team spends a lot of time on social media posting for our clients, looking at our friends’ updates and uncovering the latest trends. We’ve seen enough posts to know exactly which bad social media habits are most frustrating—because they’re so easy to avoid!

Learning what grinds our gears may help your social accounts look a little more professional and gain more engagement.

1. Inconsistent posts

Don’t just post to social media at random.

Whether you use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Tik Tok, maintaining trust with your social community is important. If you posted twice a week on each platform in the months leading up to your grand opening and then just… stopped, your followers may lose interest. At the very least, they’ll be a little confused.

Posting without a plan probably isn’t the best idea. There are lots of ways to automate posts to keep your potential customers’ interest. Parkway automates social media posts using Later; other platforms (like Hootsuite and Tailwind) work just as well. You can also use Meta Business Suite to schedule posts for both Facebook and Instagram.

2. Lots (and lots) of copy

Use text strategically—in both your visuals and your captions.

Though visuals are priority on platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok, copy also plays an important role in engagement. However, too much text in your videos or captions and your followers may just keep scrolling. Think about what you’re posting and how you can make it easier for your customers to absorb the information.

3. Cluttered Instagram grids

Keep your Instagram grid clean(ish).

Instagram is a visual platform. It was designed to engage us through photographs, graphics and, now, video. If you’re a business owner, your Instagram grid should use these elements in a way that reflects your business. An easy way to keep your grid looking professional is to save flyers and collages for Stories, and retake blurry photos before sharing. A little bit of strategy, including consistency and organization, brings life to your Instagram grid—without it looking overwhelming.