2013 was a banner year for social media. For example, Instagram won Time’s Photographer of the Year, which indicates a big shift in the role that social media plays in our daily lives. For every social media win though, there were also a number of social media mistakes that were made in 2013.
Just last week, you probably heard about the tweet heard round the world where a PR executive sent out an offensive tweet, which eventually cost her her job.
And while you can always go and delete a tweet or Facebook status update or even your account, someone can always take a screenshot of a social media mistake that can cause it to live on forever.
So the key takeaway to help you avoid making social media mistakes is to be mindful about what you send out. If you’re not sure if something could be considered offensive or even taken out of content, ask people you trust. If there is any hesitation, don’t share it because it is not worth the time or energy you’ll have to expend to try to fix a social media mistake.
Remember, most mistakes can have a negative effect on a business, but that isn’t always the case.
In honor of 2013, here are 10 social media mistakes – some good and some bad!
10 Social media mistakes made in 2013
Your turn
Social media can be an extremely powerful tool, but you need to be careful about what you share.
Remember, what happens on social media stays there…forever so if you’re not sure if a tweet or status update is appropriate, ask someone first.
If you don’t have someone to ask, consider reaching out to your fans to see what they think.
Besides the social media mistakes that took place in 2013, were there other social media mistakes you thought should be included?
Leave a comment below on which mistake you think was the biggest and what you would do if you made the mistake.