We’ve all had that cringe-worthy moment when we’ve realized we made a tiny mistake on a social media post that’s already been published for the entire web to see. Whether it’s a misspelled word, a forgotten comma, or a link that leads to nowhere, make sure you follow our checklist on what to do before you share on social media to prevent any future mishaps!

Proofread your posts:
This goes without saying. Misspelled words and grammatical errors can leave you with a lot of explaining to do and can tarnish your pristine reputation! Proofread every post before sharing it with the online world, whether it’s on Facebook or a short tweet. You’d be surprised as to what other’s can immediately pick up that you may have missed.

Check those hashtags:
Using hashtags just to use hashtags is not efficiently using your social media tools. For example, we use the hashtag #SocialMediaMarketing to tweet tips about how to improve your social media marketing – pretty obvious, right? But we often see other users utilizing the same hashtag for unrelated tweets. Moral of the story, use the correct hashtags for what they were created for. Also, don’t ever assume an acronym hashtag, like #SMM, is a shortened version of what you were trying to say – be careful!

Check your links:
Make sure to check that the links you’re sharing aren’t broken. That is applicable to all social media platforms, even Pinterest! Believe it or not, this frustrates and disappoints your users and can prevent future clicks. Always make sure your links are leading your followers somewhere besides an error page.

Credit the author(s):
Give credit where it’s due. When posting someone else’s article on your social media feeds, mention the author or website where it came from, simply by using the @! This not only can build relationships by sharing other’s blogs and articles, but you’re giving your audience a diverse variety of content (and not making anyone mad!).

Read what you’re sharing:
Sharing articles without reading them from start to finish can be a big mistake. Maybe you only skimmed the article, but you missed a strong offensive opinion in the third paragraph – oops! Or maybe the headline meant something other than you thought. Always read before you share.

Share to YOUR audience:
When sharing to social media, always be sure to be speaking to your specific audience or demographic. If your brand is a line of young women’s cook books, don’t tweet to the senior male population! The goal of your posts is to help others while achieving your brand’s goals. Just because you think an article is absolutely amazing, doesn’t mean it will get the point across if it’s targeted to someone outside of your audience range.

Adjust your format:
The same post that works for Facebook may need to be altered for Instagram, and so on. Check image size requirements, hashtag use, and mentioning etiquette. Each social platform is different, so before sharing to each one, tailor your posts to maximize your reach.

Check your timing:
Posting to social media is all about timing. If you want something to be seen by your target audience, adjust your timing to post when they’re looking. Your analytics tools can point you to the right spot on your social media clock.

Before you press the “share” button, follow our simple checklist to avoid any social media mishaps. Be sure to keep in mind that every social media platform and audience differs, and to always be mindful of what you’re posting. Your social networks speak for your brand!