There are Facebook mistakes and then there are Facebook mistakes. Posting an unflattering photo of yourself singing "Don't Stop Believing" at karaoke on your personal page? Not a good idea, but at the same time, not particularly catastrophic. Spamming dozens of would-be customers from your brand's business account on a daily basis with your recent 2,000 word blog post that wasn't even particularly interesting? Now that's a mistake. It's a mistake because it annoys followers, belies a lack of professionalism, and ultimately alienates the very people you need to engage the most. 
Ultimately, there's a right way and a wrong way for businesses to use Facebook. Therefore, here are a set of somewhat damaging Facebook mistakes that your company should very much work to avoid.
Posting lengthy captions. This is a bad idea for two reasons. One, most people view their Facebook accounts on mobile devices nowadays and the typical device only shows 2-3 lines. If you're writing more than that, you're wasting time. And two, users viewing their accounts on desktops nonetheless have short attention spans. Don't overdo it.
Posting only your own content. Don't get us wrong, your inbound marketing strategy needs to be built on compelling, homegrown content. That said, you need to diversity your content sources. Viewers will get tired of only reading your material and furthermore, there's no shortage of cool stuff out there written by other people. So mix it up, but make sure to properly attribute content posted from other sites.
Talking only about yourself. We realize that brands need to exude expertise to gain the trust of prospects, but please try to keep things in perspective. Don't only post about your business. Rather, post about your customers, useful third-party content (see above), and compelling photos that strengthen your brand.
Losing your cool. In other words, avoid politics, don't pick fights, and don't push too hard on prospects. It's unseemly. This advice is particularly helpful when someone posts an unflattering comment about your brand or product. The impulse here is to engage and defend yourself, but rarely do these things end well. If someone takes a shot at your brand on Facebook, take a deep breath, read our advice on this matter, and act judiciously.
Ignoring your followers. Don't get complacent and assume followers will always engage with your brand on Facebook. This is not a given. When a follower reaches out, respond in kind. Generate a conversation. Thank them for their feedback. These relationships need to be cultivated and over time, you'll find it will lead to greater chatter and audience engagement in the future.
Overposting. Of course, you need to consistently post on Facebook, but at a certain point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in. Don't inundate your followers; it will only hurt your brand in the long run. Our suggestion is 3-5 posts per week, pulling from from different content sources, and alternating between the commercial and non-commercial.
Improperly utilizing photos. Photos generate more Likes and engagement than mere text posts. Photos are your friends, particularly on the prime real estate that is your Timeline photo.
Lack of a strategy. Perhaps the most egregious of all the Facebook mistakes. If you're looking to simply have a Facebook presence with no clearer goal in mind, then a strategy isn't necessary. Just remember that randomly posting stuff on Facebook without considering buyer personas, brand development, compelling content, and content marketing (among other things), won't accomplish much. If, however, you're looking to leverage Facebook as a platform to strengthen your brand, generate leads, and grow your business, well — no surprise here — you need a strategy.
Now we'd like to get your input. What are costly Facebook mistakes you make sure your team avoids? Has Facebook proven to be a powerful inbound marketing channel for your business? How is Facebook fitting into your overall social media marketing strategy?
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