5 social media habits you should break

Stop building a community around your product. Stop telling stories. Stop making your organization sound human. The advice sounds blasphemous, but it could bring you more business.

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Build a community around your organization. Tell your company’s stories. Humanize your brand.

Contrary to popular belief, this is all bad advice.

If you’re staring at your screen incredulously or are about to write an angry comment, hold on a minute.

David Spark, founder of Spark Media Solutions, recently published an ebook filled with 50 pieces of social media advice that, over the years, has gone sour.

The book, “Hazardous to Your Social Media Health: 50 Previously Condoned Behaviors We No Longer Recommend,” lists 50 behaviors communicators should stop. Spark shared with us the five he thinks are the most controversial.

Before you come after us with torches and pitchforks, hear him out.

1. Stop focusing on your nonexistent community.

“Very few companies truly have a community,” Spark says. “It’s kind of a misnomer.”

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