how to screw up your company's social media page

Ever since society has caught the social media bug, there's been a huge scramble to get Facebook and Twitter accounts up and running for companies small and large.  The problem is, so many people are anxiously throwing up social media pages without considering effective methods of implementation.  I've come up with a list of things I've noticed companies do that quickly become pet peeves.

Companies that use every post as a shameless promotional opportunity.

Seeing this makes me cringe.  If every message on your Facebook or Twitter page reads something like: "check out this sweet deal!" or "get your tickets now!" your bounce rates are probably very high.  This is because you can't just use accounts as a personal advertising platform, you have to integrate other material as well.  If you add personal messages to the mix, you're more likely to get a better response when you do send out blasts because you've earned the trust of your readers.  Which brings me to the next common error...

Companies that don't communicate with the fans.

Social media is a two way street.  Your posts should be interactive, and encourage response from your readers.  While official messages are okay once and while, you really should be conversational with your followers.  I don't care how big your company is, don't feel like you're never "too famous" to engage in conversation with the readers.  It's super easy and can be extremely rewarding.

Companies that post too often/not enough.  

Depending on your content, you should post once, maybe twice a day.  This doesn't really apply to gossip sites, news sites, and entertainment blogs that rely on the moment, but for the most part, keep your posts to a minimum.  The last thing you want is for your readers to feel like they're being spammed.  When someone tweets too frequently and crowds my homepage I un-follow them without thinking twice. However, while you should limit your posts, you should still keep them consistent.  You want your readers to grow accustomed to hearing from you every day.  If you don't post often enough, you will quickly fall off the radar.

Companies that don't vary their content. 

Stray away from raw text and throw some media into the mix.  Share a cool video related to your industry.  Upload a funny photo from the office.  Post an article about developments in your product category.  Even if it doesn't directly relate to your company it's a great way to create fan interaction.