10 Dos and Don'ts of Social Media in 2024

Hello loves! How are you? Wow, it's been a while since I've shared something on the blog. Reasons why are for another post - (if I ever get round to it!) How are we already into the fifth month of 2024? Crazy.

As I get back on track with my own marketing (yes, it even happens to us marketing professionals sometimes) and with Instagrams latest update on algorithm changes, I feel inclined to share some dos and don'ts I've been thinking about when it comes to social media. Like always, apply elements of this you find helpful and ignore the rest, because what works for some might not work for you, and you shouldn't listen to every single piece of marketing advice you hear because you wouldn't get anywhere. But these are things that are helpful to my clients and I, so I wanted to share them here with you too.

Do: Create content that you love

Remember the early days of social media? At its core, it was intended to be a fun channel to express yourself. While it has evolved into an important business tool, sometimes we can get so caught up in the business side of things and chasing the latest algorithm advice that we forget, social media should be something we enjoy. If at the end of the day, a post doesn't do well, but we genuinely loved putting it together and were happy with what we created, is that really a failure?

Don't: Create just for the algorithm

Every individual, creator, or business is different. When you remember that, it's easy to see why chasing the latest algorithm advice is a waste of energy. The same things won't work for everyone. Even when you do create for the algorithm, posts can still under perform, leaving you questioning why something didn't work and getting yourself flustered over a social media post (which when you think about it, is ridiculous really.) Focus on creating content that you love and you'll notice how less impacted you are by the numbers you see on the screen.

Do: Take advice with a pinch of salt

If we listened to every single piece of advice from blogs, Meta, or influencers, we’d drive ourselves crazy. It’s good to be aware of best practices but remember, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to social media. And no one knows you or your business like you do.

Don't: Compare yourself with others

We are all on our own paths and each have our own goals. It's great to be inspired by others, but when we feel like we have to copy, it's not nice territory to be in. Focus on you, who you want to be, and where you want to go, the rest is simply noise.

Do: Remember why you started

If things start to feel messy, maybe you're not so in love with your content anymore, the ideas aren't flowing, or you're not seeing the results that you hoped, it's reassuring to remember why you started posting on social media in the first place. Go back to your goals, remind yourself of your strategy or your intentions, you'll be surprised at how inspired you feel.

Don't: Rely solely on social media

Social media usually isn't the best tool for generating business. Read that again. Despite what many of us would like to believe, the reality is that, there are plenty of other ways of selling your product or service. Relationships, community, in-person interactions, and word of mouth still trump social media in terms of generating business in my experience. When was the last time you explored a different avenue?

Do: Experiment

You won't know unless you try. Be curious and try new things. If you've been doing something the same for so long and it's not working for you, don't waste more of your time on it.

Don't: Only pay attention to likes

Likes give an indication of how many people enjoyed a piece of content, but they're not the only or most important metric. And depending on your goals, they're probably not the main number you should be looking at. If you run a restaurant account, saves is an important metric, as it suggests people are saving your post to visit sometime in the future. The same might be for a recipes creator. Reach is an important metric if your goal is brand awareness. Shares is also an interesting one to watch, as it shows your content is being seen by more people, or that your content sparked a conversation.

Do: Play around with apps & softwares

I love this one. Make time to explore the possibilities on third-party apps and softwares, such as CapCut or Canva. Mess around with editing tools and trial a few different ways of doing something. While tutorials and blogs are great, we learn best by doing.

Don't: Take it all too seriously

Whether you're a business owner, freelancer, or marketing manager, chances are you've had a bad day or two when it comes to social media. It can be helpful to take a step back sometimes, breathe, and remember its not the be-all and end-all. You're doing amazing, be proud of yourself.

With love,

Selini / Chapters Marketing

To be continued...