Over the past ten years, social media use among adults in the U.S. has multiplied over 9 times. As we wrap up 2015, about two thirds of American adults are using some form of social media, a statistic that is all but guaranteed to rise in the coming year. Yet with all of these savvy social media gurus out there (my New Year’s resolution: eliminate “guru” from my vocabulary), many basic mistakes are still being made. So top off that glass of bubbly and count down these 16 social media tips for 2016.

16 Social Media Do’s & Don’ts for 2016

1. DO spellcheck. It may be the oldest tip in the book, but it still counts! Misspellings in social media updates (and typos on any marketing material, for that matter) can make your content appear less credible. However, we are human, and if something does slip by your radar, especially if it’s spotted by a follower, don’t simply ignore the error or worse, delete it. Own up to the mistake, and when appropriate, credit the follower(s) who spotted it. Humility can go a long way to help people connect with your brand on a more personal level.
2. DO be careful with auto-scheduling. I always laugh when I find articles advising readers to avoid auto-scheduling altogether. If you manage multiple social media accounts, even if they’re for the same brand, you know how stressful it can be to try to live post all the time. Auto-scheduling is a must, but it is not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Take the recently postponed Janet Jackson tour, for example. When Michelle informed me that Live Nation continued promoting the upcoming February concert on their Facebook page days after Janet herself made the announcement it would be postponed, it was clear that auto-scheduling was at fault. For event and destination brand in particular, keeping a close eye on world news, weather, and other frequently-changing topics is critical. Done correctly, auto-scheduling can make your social media team much more flexible and productive so don’t dismiss it!
3. DON’T suffer from social fatigue. If you’re relying on auto-scheduling in order to populate your plethora of social media networks, it could be a sign that you’re stretching yourself too thin. You could get serious whiplash trying to watch every new channel that crops up, but the discerning social media manager knows which ones are worth investing the time and resources to join. Be sure to focus on networks that will deliver ROI for your brand by keeping your goals, like lead generation and influencer engagement, top of mind.
4. DO try something new. If you’re already on the cusp of social fatigue (see #3), a new channel might not be for you, but you can and should freshen up your strategies and goals. Set new reach goals to keep yourself and your team motivated, and get creative with your formatting and content. Is it time for a new blog theme? Or are you ready to try out stop-motion videos on Instagram? Offer your followers something fresh in 2016 and you’ll have them hooked all year long.
5. DON’T ask questions you’re not prepared to answer. You’d think that brands would have learned by now that Reddit “Ask Me Anything” forums and Twitter Q&A’s are slippery slopes of doom. Nope. Whether you’re participating in an organized Q&A session or throwing an open-ended poll out to your followers, think carefully about how your audience might interpret and answer the question. Negativity might crop up regardless, but if you are racking up 2, 3, or more ways that followers could derail your question, best to keep it off of social media.
6. DO be prompt. Your followers will often be the ones posing questions, and even if you don’t have the answer readily available, let them know you’re listening. A quick response of, “Thanks for your question, we’ll look into it and get back to you soon!” can mean the difference between a happy follower and negative reviews.
7. DO share, share, share. If a follower has taken the time to ask a question or share a story or photo of your product, acknowledge and share it! This will not only make your follower feel great, but it can help connect you with their collection of followers and encourage your other fans to share, too.
8. DON’T overshare. Not every follower interaction needs to be continued publicly on social media – or at all. It’s also critical that you don’t lose your cool over negative interactions or reviews. People are going to find ways to voice their opinions, especially if they are negative ones, so have a plan in place to handle it, and avoid public meltdowns at all costs.
9. DO give credit where it’s due. We all know that it’s not just common courtesy, but often a matter of legality, to credit sources in our blogs, articles, and case studies. But it’s also an important rule to follow in your social media content. Recognizing the original source of a tweet, Facebook post, or photo on Instagram can help cover your behind and help you reach a whole new audience of loyal followers.
10. DO say please and thank you. If you are sharing and crediting other users’ social media content, consider giving them a special shout out for a job well done and requesting a share in return. A simple please and thank you can go a long way in getting more exposure for your content.
11. DON’T abuse hashtags. In trying to get your content noticed, you may be tempted to go a little hashtag haywire. Don’t. Please. Too many hashtags makes your content look spammy and can be a big turnoff for your followers. Use hashtags wisely as a way to latch onto a trending topic, make your content searchable, and on occasion, have some fun. But don’t drown your content with them!
12. DO spend wisely. Social media advertising has taken off in the past year or so, and targeting options have made ads on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook great options for reaching your audience. It’s important to spend wisely, and not rely solely on ads to boost your content. When you do decide to sponsor a post, choose the ones that are already performing well organically so you can guarantee they will resonate with your extended audience, too.
13. DO use authentic visuals. One of the best ways to generate organic engagement is to use visuals on social media. This is nothing new, but now more than ever, consumers are quick to recognize cheesy stock. That’s not to say you can’t use stock images. There are plenty of quality sites that offer both free and paid stock for your blog posts, social media content, emails, and more. Here is a good list from Hootsuite to get you started.
14. DON’T forget to check your links. We’ve all done it: we tweet or email content without bothering to check the links and your followers and readers end up on a 404 page. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to recover from a dead link, including a thoughtful or funny follow-up email or a tweet thanking the follower who found the error. You can also have fun with your 404 pages and make your readers almost glad the link was broken. Almost.
15. DO make a content calendar. You thought I’d leave this one out, didn’t you? It’s impossible to ignore the social media content calendar because it’s critical to your sanity. Organize your content by day, week, and month, as well as by channel, to make sure you are sharing at the right times to the right people. Sound like a lot of work? Then you’ll love the next tip.
16. DO hire an agency. There are a lot of crucial things to remember when building and growing your brand’s social media program. That’s why hiring an agency could very well be the right decision for you in 2016. And it just so happens that we can help!

We hope these 16 social media tips for 2016 will help keep you on the right track in the coming year. Now it’s time to make those resolutions and, most importantly, have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!