Biggest Mistakes Startups Make on Social Media in 2023

One of the biggest mistakes startups make on social media is not understanding the importance of a social media strategy. Many small businesses and startups make that mistake when setting up social media accounts for the first time, failing to realize that social media marketing requires planning and advanced techniques to achieve success. It is more than just understanding social media trends.

By gaining insight into social media marketing, startups and small businesses can create engaging content for their target audience. But it is crucial to maintain a strong presence, so monitoring, analyzing, and adjusting strategies is important. Here are the biggest mistakes startups make on social media and tips for correcting them.

Not Posting Consistently

“Entrepreneurs must take advantage of every single opportunity to achieve their goals, as these windows won’t stay open forever. In our industry, lack of speed equals failure.” – Rudy Mawer

Inconsistent content posting is one of the primary mistakes startups make, especially when it leads to irregular posting patterns. Although it might seem like any activity is good, a pattern like having bursts of activity one week and then nothing for the rest of the month will actually be harmful.

The lack of reliability caused by not posting consistently will cause followers to overlook a profile until new content appears in their feed, meaning they will not check in regularly or engage to the same degree they would otherwise.

To avoid a consistency problem, aim to post at the same time every day to establish a pattern and encourage followers to actively check your profile. Whether posts are daily or only a few times a week, pick a schedule and stick to it to avoid one of the biggest mistakes startups make on social media.

Not Tailoring Content to the Medium

Another of the biggest mistakes startups make on social media is not tailoring content. While that can also be a consideration for specific audiences, platforms also have their own preferred content, and startups need to be aware of that when creating posts for each of them. That includes preferred formats for:

By posting generic content across all mediums, startups limit the impact of their message. The issue can be addressed by hiring experts familiar with each platform or training a team to create platform-specific content. Ultimately, each social media account should have its own unique content and schedule to avoid this common mistake startups make on social media. It is not one-size-fits-all.

Not Having a Strategy or Target Demographic

There are many mistakes startups make on social media, but not having a defined strategy and target audience can be a deal breaker. While posting regularly is important, doing so without clear or captivating goals can be detrimental. It can even have repercussions on the brand as a whole.

To effectively use social media, posts should be interesting, relevant, and targeted to a specific audience, and one that is interested in the business. Failing to reach the correct audience can result in losing engaged followers or failing to grow a desired following, making any other efforts fruitless.

Not Adding a Human Touch

Startups often make the mistake of relying too heavily on automation on social media since it helps reduce the burden of having a large team. However, social media is not just for promotion. Engagement is also a major part of the experience, and one that requires human interaction. 

Rudy states, “Building trust takes work to create an emotional bond and a lasting relationship – with loyalty between the brand and its audience being key for businesses to grow and thrive.”

Forgoing a human touch can cause followers to feel disconnected. However, among the mistakes startups make on social media, this is one of the easiest to solve. Simply allocating time to interact with the audience and build relationships through genuine engagement goes a long way. It can be achieved through:

• Likes
• Shares
• Comments
• Going live to interact directly

Giving a brand a human touch will increase an audience’s connection to it, and it will help startups avoid a major pitfall. The best part? It takes very little time to add that extra little touch.