Social Media Mistakes That Are Killing Your Engagement (And How to Fix Them)

There’s a long-standing rumor in the small business world: You have to post five times a week, every single week, to grow on social media.

Over the years, this advice has made its way into countless workshops, trainings, and marketing plans. But here’s the thing. While consistency is important, the algorithm doesn’t just reward volume. It rewards connection.

Social media is, at its core, about community-building. Even Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram has confirmed this in his reels series. And the most successful creators and business owners have one thing in common: they’ve built real relationships with their audience.

We’re breaking down some of the outdated “rules” and common mistakes you might still be following. Plus, what to do instead if you want to boost your engagement and build something that lasts.

1. Posting Without a Clear Strategy

The Mistake: You're posting just to post.
Maybe it’s Monday, and you feel like you should post something, so you grab a product photo, throw on a caption, and hit publish.

Why It Hurts Engagement:
When your content lacks intention, your audience can feel it. If you're not clear on what you're trying to communicate (or why), people won’t know what to do with it.

Fix It:
Plan your content with purpose. Ask yourself:

• What is the goal of this post? (Engagement? Education? Conversion?)

• Who am I speaking to?

• What action do I want someone to take?

Try creating a content calendar that balances:

✨ Value-driven posts (tips, education, insights)
✨ Community-building posts (behind-the-scenes, questions, relatable content)
✨ Promotional posts (product launches, services, offers)

2. Ignoring the Power of Video

The Mistake: You’re still only posting static images or text-based content.

Why It Hurts Engagement:
Video, especially short-form video like Reels or TikToks, is prioritized by most platforms and often gets 2x–3x the reach of static content. If you're avoiding video, you're limiting your visibility.

Fix It:
Start small and stay consistent. You don’t need professional equipment, just natural light, a steady hand, and a good idea. Try:

✨A behind-the-scenes clip

✨A voiceover product demo

✨A quick tip or tutorial

✨A UGC-style video of your product being used

And remember: your first few won’t be perfect. People connect with authenticity. Post anyway 👏

3. Forgetting to Engage Back

The Mistake: You’re posting... but not talking to your community.

Why It Hurts Engagement:
Social media is a two-way conversation. If you're not replying to comments, responding to DMs, or engaging with other accounts, the algorithm (and your audience) will pick up on the disconnect.

Fix It:
Make engagement part of your daily or weekly workflow:

✨Reply to every comment (even with a simple “Thanks so much!”)

✨React to or respond to DMs

✨Like, comment, or share content from accounts in your niche or community

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook reward active users and that includes how much you interact with others.

4. Posting at the Wrong Times

The Mistake: You’re posting when your audience isn’t online.

Why It Hurts Engagement:
If no one sees your post in the first hour or two, the algorithm assumes it’s not valuable and it stops showing it to others.

Fix It:
Check your analytics to find your audience’s most active times (Instagram Insights makes this easy). Then test different posting windows (mornings, lunch breaks, evenings) and track the difference in reach and engagement.

As a general guide:

✨Weekday mornings (7–9 AM) and evenings (5–7 PM) work well for many audiences

✨Sundays and Mondays can perform better than you think, becauseless competition!

5. Using Hashtags That Don’t Help You

The Mistake: You’re either using the same 30 hashtags on every post... or none at all.

Why It Hurts Engagement:
Hashtags help categorize your content and make it discoverable, but they only work if they’re relevant and targeted.

Fix It:
Create rotating hashtag sets based on post themes, location, and niche. Mix:

✨Industry-specific tags (#slowfashion, #womenownedbiz)

✨Community tags (#vtbusiness, #vtwomenpreneurs)

✨Descriptive tags (#falllayers, #marketbag, #recycledcotton)

Keep your list fresh and remove hashtags that are too broad (#style) or shadowbanned.

6. Not Giving People a Reason to Interact

The Mistake: Your content looks good, but doesn’t invite action.

Why It Hurts Engagement:
People scroll fast. If they’re not told what to do next (save this, comment below, tag a friend, etc.) they won’t do anything at all.

Fix It:
End every post with a gentle, clear call-to-action (CTA). Try:

✨“Save this so you don’t forget!”

✨“Which one is your favorite? Let us know below.”

✨“Tag someone who needs to see this.”

✨“What would you add to this list?”

If you’re not used to writing CTAs, think of it as inviting a response, not pushing a sale.

7. Expecting Engagement Without Consistency

The Mistake: You post a lot for one week... then go quiet for a month.

Why It Hurts Engagement:
The algorithm loves consistency. And so does your audience. If they don’t hear from you regularly, they’ll forget about you (and the platform will too).

Fix It:
Pick a frequency you can actually stick to. Whether it’s 3 times a week or twice a month, show up on schedule. Tools like Meta’s Creator Studio or Metricool (what we use!) can help you plan and auto-post so you’re not starting from scratch every day.

Final Thoughts

If engagement has been feeling low lately, don’t panic and definitely don’t give up. You might just need to shift your approach.

The fix isn’t always about posting more: it’s about posting with intention, making content interactive, and showing up consistently.

Start by picking one mistake from this list to address this week. Small tweaks, repeated over time, lead to big shifts in how your audience connects with your content and your brand.