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Social Media Strategy: 7 Deadly Sins to Avoid

August 10, 2025

Social media strategy plays a crucial role in your business’s online presence and growth. However, many businesses fall into the trap of common mistakes that can harm their reputation and hinder their progress. In this article, we explore the 7+1 deadly social media sins you need to avoid to ensure your brand stays relevant and engaged with your audience.

1. Having an Inactive Account

Social media requires regular activity to be effective. When a business’s social media accounts go quiet for weeks or even months, it gives the impression that you’re not engaged with your audience, or worse, that you don’t care about your business. To avoid this, either delegate the management of your social accounts to an internal team member or hire an external agency to ensure consistent posting.

2. Hashtag Spamming

While hashtags are valuable tools for broadening the reach of your posts, overusing them can make your content appear desperate or spammy. Using hashtags excessively or inappropriately can alienate your audience. Use hashtags sparingly, and focus on relevant tags that contribute to meaningful conversations.

3. Social SEO Suicide

Posting duplicate content or irrelevant links across social platforms can negatively impact your SEO efforts. Google’s algorithms have become more discerning, penalising repetitive content. Ensure your social media posts are unique, engaging, and optimised for both social engagement and search engine algorithms. For more tips on improving your SEO, explore Purplex’s SEO services.

4. Zero Relevance

A successful social media presence requires relevance. Avoid posting personal content, such as pictures of your lunch or pet on your business account. Followers follow for insights into your industry, not for random personal posts. Stay focused on content that resonates with your audience’s interests and needs.

5. Blatant Broadcasting

Social media is about engagement, not just broadcasting. Don’t use your accounts to push only corporate messages. Think of social platforms as virtual pubs where you engage in two-way conversations. Share content that invites discussion, rather than just pushing product promotions.

6. Retweeting for the Sake of It

Don’t retweet content just because it’s popular or interesting to you. Your retweets should be strategic and relevant to your audience. For example, if you’re in the manufacturing sector, retweeting industry news or government reports positions you as an expert in your field. Retweet with purpose.

7. Over-sharing

While it’s important to be active on social media, you need to think carefully about what you share. What’s appropriate for a personal account might not be suitable for your business’s social media. One poorly timed post could damage your reputation and cause a loss of followers. Be mindful of the content you share, and ensure it aligns with your brand values.

Summary Table: The 7 Social Media Sins

Social Media Sin	Consequences	How to Avoid
Inactive Account	Damaged brand image, disengaged audience	Post on a schedule; assign clear ownership
Hashtag Spamming	Decreased credibility, audience alienation	Use relevant, specific hashtags sparingly
Social SEO Suicide	Lower search ranking, reduced visibility	Avoid duplicate posts; optimise copy and links
Zero Relevance	Lost followers, weaker engagement	Share industry-relevant content for your audience
Blatant Broadcasting	Audience disengagement, loss of trust	Hold two-way conversations; invite replies
Retweeting for the Sake of It	Misaligned brand, loss of authority	Retweet with purpose; add context
Over-sharing	Reputation damage, lost followers	Set posting rules; review sensitive content

8. Irrelevant Reposting (New Sin)

In light of Instagram’s recent Repost feature, businesses need to be cautious when resharing content. The Repost button allows users to share posts from other accounts to their feed, giving the original content more exposure. While this can be a powerful tool for businesses to highlight relevant content, it can also backfire if misused.

The Problem: Sharing irrelevant content or reposting content that doesn’t align with your brand message or audience can quickly alienate your followers. It might seem like a good way to show engagement, but your audience is likely to stop following you if they feel like they’re just seeing random, unaligned posts. Always ensure that reposted content is directly relevant to your business, mission, and target demographic.
Best Practice: Don’t just repost for the sake of it. Instead, share content that reinforces your brand values and resonates with your audience. When using Instagram’s Repost feature, try adding your own insight or perspective through a caption, so your followers understand why you are sharing the content. Make sure reposts are an intentional and strategic part of your social media content.

Contact Purplex for Social Media Success

For businesses that want to build a strong, strategic social media presence, Purplex Marketing can help. Our expert team designs tailored social media strategies that not only avoid common pitfalls but also drive engagement, increase brand awareness, and ultimately boost conversions. Contact us today at 01934 808132 or email us at grow@purplexmarketing.com for a consultation.

You Might Also Like to Read

For further insights into effective social media marketing and strategies for growing your business online, check out the following articles:

These resources will help you understand the broader impact of social media on your business and how you can stay ahead in the ever-changing digital landscape.

Wrapping Up: How to Steer Clear of Social Media Blunders

By addressing these 7 deadly social media sins, you’ll be well on your way to creating a more engaging, relevant, and effective social media presence. Social media can be a powerful tool for your business, but only if used properly. Let Purplex Marketing guide you toward a more successful and strategic social media approach.

About the Author – Martyn East

I am an SEO Executive at Purplex Marketing, with a focus on how SEO and social media strategy work together to build visibility and trust. My role involves identifying where brands lose ground online, from technical SEO gaps to poor social activity and creating clear, data-driven plans that improve engagement and search performance. By translating complex jargon into practical steps, I help businesses avoid costly mistakes and strengthen their digital presence.

Connect with me on LinkedIn or read more of my articles: Martyn East.

This entry was posted in Digital Marketing