To jump on the latest social media trends or not—that’s the perennial question so many marketers grapple with. Before you dive deep into the next trending tactic, consider these dos and don’ts.

DO: Go all in with video.

True, video is by no means new to social media. But the pandemic brought on new patterns of consumption that open the door for more organizations to fully adopt video. Consumers have become increasingly comfortable with lower-production video: think, Zoom-recorded roundtables or live-streamed videos recording on a smartphone.

GET INSPIRED: Check out our post on cost-effective video ideas.

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DO: Personalize your content for your audience.

Social platform algorithms prioritize engagement. By personalizing your social content for your audience, you’ll be creating content that people connect with—and engage with. Plus, platforms like Facebook continue to offer sophisticated advertising tools to target your content to a very specific audience.

DO: Serve up content in a way that’s inclusive.

Make your audience members feel your content is considering them. Always include captions in videos—both for audience members who may be hearing-impaired and for those who tend to keep videos muted. Provide text alternatives for images, so people who use screen readers can still consume all the content.

DO: Make your position known.

Consumers want to see the brands they support take a stand around issues they care most about. Of course, that’s not without risk—your stand might not align with all of your audience.  But consumers want to know you don’t just make products they like, but also maintain the same values they do. It’s not just a matter of posting a position once a year; it’s something consumers want to see you live out. Social media platforms can help brands keep that conversation going.

DON’T: Partner with influencers who don’t align with your brand.

When you’re considering an influencer or individual to partner with to create sponsored content, remember it’s not just about whether you want to reach their audience—it’s about how well your content would blend in with their content mix. If you stick out like a sore thumb, you’ll likely trigger a negative reaction or a distaste.

DON’T: Get out of control with hashtags.

If you are using hashtags to simply raise your hand and chime in on XYZ day, you can come off as highly inauthentic. Instead use hashtags strategically to help your audience find your content by aligning it with relevant topics.

DON’T: Overdo it.

More than a year and a half into the pandemic, we’re all frankly burnt out online and on social media. Find your sweet spot of how often you post. You might find that less is more. Similarly, you don’t have to be on every single social media platform. If your audience isn’t there, you don’t need to be either. And if you don’t have the bandwidth to regularly maintain every platform, it’s better to not be there than to have a dormant account.

WANT EVEN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS? Check out our post on the 3 must-have components of a strong Instagram strategy.