It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, accidents happen – even for social media gurus.
Influencers, content creators and social media managers (hired by brands and marketers) have all slipped up online. And while these mistakes can be embarrassing at the very least (or cost you your job/audience at the very worst), there are quick and easy ways to fix some online screw up’s.
We’ve rounded up a list of six common social media mistakes and a few quick fixes, so you can quickly fix any errors you make online.
Accidentally Liking A Post While Creeping
Sometimes ure having a good day & sometimes u accidentally like a 4 yr old Instagram post of the ex girlfriend of a guy u went on 2 dates w/
— nicole byer (@nicolebyer) September 3, 2017
This slip-up is quite common, but there’s an easy way to fix it.
If you accidentally liked someone’s post, all you need to do is quickly unlike it. If the person who own’s the account you’re creeping isn’t online, the notification you liked their post will dissapear the second you remove your like.
Confused? We explain it all in a video here.
Tagging The Wrong Account
My grandma just tagged me as a heaping spoonful of Paula Deen sausage casserole on Facebook.
— Amanda Mancino-Williams (@Manda_like_wine) June 6, 2015
Talk about a big whoops on Grandma’s end.
But, if this happens to you Facebook has the option to remove tags of yourself.
Want to avoid being tagged in the first place? Turn on Timeline Review where you have option to approve tags of you before they’re published.
Sharing Too Much in Polls
The worst thing is flipping through Instagram stories and accidentally voting that you need more information from a pyramid scheme girl
— the hemp girl (@miraclestweets) May 28, 2019
Imagine you’re just innocently tapping through your Insta Stories but someone has placed a poll sticker right where you routinely tap.
You accidentally vote when you didn’t want to, and it gets worse: they asked if you liked their new haircut and you hit “No.”
Unfortunately there’s no ‘un-voting’ option here, but you can drop the person a message saying you accidentally voted and didn’t dislike their haircut.
Throw in a compliment for brownie points.
Sliding into the Wrong DM’s
I hate accidently dming someone a video that I meant to dm myself for later & I have to either tell them the truth or pretend it was on purpose & send "haha miss u" after bc there's no way I'm letting the guy i liked for 2 weeks in hs find out i send videos to myself like a loser
— mature irish cheddar (@psychedelmic) January 23, 2019
Whether you’re sending yourself memes or another person, there is an easy solution for this.
Go into your chat with them, press and hold the post and click “Unsend.” Poof, it’s gone.
If they open it instantly, just tell them you accidentally sent it to them; we’re sure they can relate.
Unfortunate Emoji Use
Do you ever tweet something and accidentally add a wrong emoji? Because I just did that with and that really changes the mood of it all.
— tyler oakley (@tyleroakley) December 4, 2014
This seems a fitting fail because today is World Emoji Day!
Here, you have a few options.
When using Twitter, if you notice it early on, you can delete your Tweet and re-post the corrected version.
If it’s been a while and you’ve already had some engagement on your post and don’t want to lose it, you can create a thread with an edit.
Just use an asterisk and type out what you meant to write.
On Facebook and Instagram, you have the option to edit the post without having to repost. Phew.
Accidentally Linked With Strangers
I accidentally sent a friend request to a stranger on LinkedIn, I renounce my life and will live as a hermit in a desert pit like I deserve.
— Lauren O'Neal (@laureneoneal) July 23, 2015
A more unusual faux pas but nonetheless relevant, if you connect with a stranger on LinkedIn, our advice is not to sweat it!
Unless the person’s profile looks suspicious or potentially harmful, it never hurts your professional profile to have more connections.
Who knows, maybe that stranger could come in useful one day!
What did you think of our tips? Let us know in the comments below.