Mistakes in social media posts happen. And they happen often. Whether you’re posting for your company or, if you’re a social media agency, for your clients, errors sneak in — outdated content, grammatical slip-ups, you name it.
Some mistakes are minor, but others can be disastrous. In regulated industries like insurance and healthcare, incorrect information can damage your reputation and even lead to lawsuits.
The good news is that most mistakes are preventable! Here are 8 straightforward ways to avoid social media mistakes and save face with your audience.
But before we discuss them, let’s take a look at the most common errors you can encounter in social media posts.
Common Errors in Social Media Posts
Quite a few things can go wrong in social media posts. And no, we’re not just talking about a typo or an emoji that doesn’t fit the message.
Here’s a quick rundown of the frequent mistakes found on social media:
1. Grammatical and Content Errors
Nothing undermines a social media post like a glaring grammatical error. These mistakes can range from simple typos to awkward phrasing, making your brand appear sloppy and unprofessional.
Take, for example, the time when influencer Scott Disick posted a sponsored ad for Bootea, a herbal detox tea, on Instagram. He accidentally included the marketing team’s instructions in the post itself. A quick once-over would have caught that mistake easily!
Content errors are just as bad. Sometimes posts go live with placeholder information that was supposed to be updated, like discount percentages or event dates. If these placeholders aren’t updated, you end up publishing incorrect information.
2. Compliance Issues
Another big mistake is when your social media posts don’t follow platform rules or industry regulations.
For instance, if an influencer does a sponsored post, they need to clearly label it as such. Industries like finance and insurance have to be extra careful about what they post. Incorrect or misleading information can really damage your reputation.
Related Read: How to Navigate Social Media Compliance (+Checklist)
3. Version Control Errors
Version control errors happen when outdated or wrong versions of posts are shared. This usually happens when multiple team members work on the same content without proper coordination.
4. Inconsistent Branding
Inconsistent branding occurs when your posts don’t match your established brand style. This could mean using different logos, colors, fonts, or even a different tone of voice.
For example, if you’ve recently rebranded but keep using old templates, it sends a mixed message. While it might not be a glaring mistake, a lack of visual consistency can look careless.
5. Wrong Timing
Imagine a Valentine’s Day promo going out on February 15th. Posting content at the wrong time is definitely a social media error that won’t impress your audience. This mistake often happens due to incorrectly scheduling the post or because someone within the team hasn’t approved the content in time for the publish date.
So, how do you ensure these mistakes don’t happen to you? Here are 8 things you can do.
8 Ways to Prevent Mistakes in Social Media Posts
1. Identify the Most Common Mistakes Your Team Makes
Before you can prevent mistakes, you need to know what they are. Take some time to review past posts and identify recurring errors. Are there frequent typos? Do links sometimes lead to the wrong page? Is there a pattern of incorrect hashtags or misaligned visuals?
Gather your team and pinpoint exactly where these slip-ups occur. Often, these mistakes happen due to rushed deadlines, lack of planning, or an unclear content review process.
2. Implement Checks and Balances Approach
You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s worth repeating: two (or more) heads are better than one. Establish a system where every post is reviewed by at least one other person.
Here’s how you do it: designate specific roles within your team. One person drafts the post, another reviews it for accuracy and tone, and a third checks for visual and technical issues. Use whatever system works for your team. Through a checks and balances approach, you can ensure that errors are caught before your posts go live.
3. Have a Content Calendar
A content calendar is your best friend in the world of social media. It helps you plan ahead, ensuring your posts are timely, relevant, and well-thought-out. When you’re not rushing to come up with content on the fly, you’re less likely to make mistakes.
A content calendar lets you see the big picture, schedule posts in advance, and allocate enough time for review. It also helps you maintain a consistent posting schedule, which is key to keeping your audience engaged.
4. Establish an Effective Proofreading Process
Proofreading might seem old-school, but it’s incredibly effective. Establish a dedicated proofreading process where every piece of content is checked for spelling, grammar, and factual accuracy.
Use a multi-tiered approach: the copywriter reviews their work, a peer checks it, and finally, a designated proofreader gives it the final once-over. This layered scrutiny ensures that errors are caught at various stages.
5. Lean into Technology to Pick Up Basic Grammatical Mistakes
We live in a tech-savvy world, so why not use it to your advantage? Tools like Grammarly and Hemingway can catch basic grammatical errors and suggest improvements. While they’re not perfect, they’re a great first line of defense. Just don’t rely on them entirely—human oversight is still crucial.
6. Don’t Ignore Your Visual Content
It’s easy to focus solely on text, but visuals are just as important. Poorly edited images, incorrect dimensions, or off-brand graphics can hurt your credibility.
Ensure your visual content is clear, high-quality, and aligned with your brand’s aesthetic. Use tools like Canva or Adobe Express for easy editing and consistency. Additionally, have a process for reviewing visuals just as you do for text. This includes checking for alignment with the overall message, proper branding, and technical specifications like resolution and size.
7. Create a Content Approval Workflow
A content approval workflow ensures that nothing goes live without proper oversight.
Set up a clear, step-by-step process where content is reviewed and approved by multiple stakeholders before it’s published. This might include the content creator, a proofreader, a compliance expert or legal team, and a final approver, such as a manager or client.
Each person should know their role and the specific aspects they need to check. This structured approach helps catch errors, ensures compliance with brand guidelines, and provides a layer of accountability.
8. Leverage Social Media Management Tools
Finally, using social media management tools can help you prevent many mistakes that occur due to a lack of proper content approval systems and overall planning.
One such tool is Gain—a platform designed to streamline the content creation and approval process. Gain allows teams to plan, create, review, and approve content in one centralized location, making collaboration seamless and efficient.
One of its most beneficial features is the post-preview capability, which allows you to see exactly how your content will appear on each social platform before it goes live. Additionally, Gain comes with a built-in image editor that includes cropping presets for each social media platform, so you don’t need to worry about formatting issues, incorrect image sizes, or other visual discrepancies.
Another powerful feature is Gain’s approval workflows. This functionality enables content to go through multiple stages of review, ensuring it is scrutinized by different team members or clients before being published. Automated reminders ensure that each stage is completed on time, preventing any last-minute rush that often leads to mistakes.
Gain also provides detailed logs of all activity for each content item, including feedback, edits, and comments, complete with names and timestamps. This feature is super helpful when dealing with multiple rounds of feedback, ensuring that all changes are documented and can be reviewed thoroughly. Plus, when interacting in context, you promote responsibility and eliminate potential issues arising from uncoordinated communication across multiple tools like your email or project management software.
Lastly, integration with popular social media platforms like Instagram, X (Twitter), Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Google Business Profile allows direct scheduling and publishing from Gain. This integration ensures that the content you preview is exactly what gets posted, eliminating discrepancies that might happen when transferring content between tools.
The platform’s visual content calendar also helps you keep track of all upcoming posts, making it easier to spot any potential issues or gaps in your content plan.
Conclusion
Mistakes happen because we’re only human. But you definitely want to save yourself (and your brand) from any backlash. That’s why following these 8 steps can be a game-changer to keep your social media posts error-free.
If you’re part of a social media team or an agency managing multiple accounts for clients, Gain can be a fantastic addition to your marketing toolkit. Get a free demo with our team and see how Gain can help you publish content without costly mistakes.
