The pursuit of visibility on social media nowadays is almost mandatory and should be a priority for companies aiming to attract new customers. According to a survey commissioned by Sebrae in 2023, 64% of small businesses have a social media profile to promote their products and attract more customers, as well as to strengthen the brand, generate leads, and maintain contact with current clients.
The problem is when the need to stand out leads to strategies that compromise credibility and generate negative impacts in the long term, as explained by Raphael Mattos, the biggest franchise influencer in Brazil: “Engagement at any cost, without planning or alignment with the company's values, can result in reputational crises and end up driving customers away,” he says.
According to Raphael, one of the riskiest practices is using controversies as a marketing tool. Provocative or sensationalist publications can generate immediate reach, but also result in negative reactions and even boycotts. Companies that get involved in controversial issues without a clear strategy or that take too long to respond end up losing credibility and facing impacts on their results. "The virality of content does not guarantee a positive return. If the approach is poorly received – as recently happened with Tânia Bulhões, who took time to respond to a problem – the brand can be associated with negative values and have its image damaged," states the authority on the subject.
Another common problem is the purchase of followers and fake interactions. Although high numbers may create the illusion of popularity, using these tactics harms real engagement and undermines public trust. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok use algorithms that identify suspicious activities and may restrict the actual reach of profiles that use these features. Furthermore, increasingly attentive consumers notice when a profile has fake followers, and this again undermines the brand's credibility.
Founder of the Digital Revolution, a company specialized in digital marketing, Raphael Mattos points out that another recurring mistake is the excess of publications and the insistence on passing trends, the trends, without connection to the company's purpose. "Brands that flood their social media with irrelevant or repetitive content lose engagement and drive followers away because it becomes boring. Communication needs to be strategic, dynamic, and consistent with the company's identity; that's what ensures a lasting relationship with the audience," she explains.
Organic growth can be achieved through genuine interactions and the delivery of valuable content. This is essential nowadays, regardless of the size of the company or what it sells. The virtual showcase represented by social media strengthens brands and generates consistent results in the long term, but it is important to work with well-thought-out strategies to not only attract temporary attention but also earn the trust of the target audience.
