I don't typically call people or brands out for their bad practices on social media since, honestly, who am I to pass judgement!

I don't claim to be a social media expert because there literally can't be one.

You can't become an expert in something that is always changing. Social media is a living, breathing organism that is constantly evolving. What could be considered bad this week could be awesome next week, and so on.

However lately I've been coming across a lot of things that really grind my gears. So I've decided to call out some serious social media faux pas.

Exploiting a trend without living up to it
When it comes to social media trends and brands, you either do it or you don't—there's no in-between. That would be like only doing the beginning of a Harlem Shake video then posting it online for all to see, exploiting the trend for marketing attention.

It's even worse when the trend is a charity fundraiser, like the #icebucketchallenge, a social trend aiming to raise awareness and money for the ALS Foundation. It's such a good cause, which is why Chili's really deserves to be in the dog house this week after simply posting a video of a pepper with water being poured on it. Their lack of creativity commitment to the trend (and charity) is disappointing and despicable.

We took the #IceBucketChallenge! Donate at http://t.co/e75Azd9lTS. Your turn @Applebees, @ChipotleTweets & @DrPepper https://t.co/VDMjSVvga6
— Chili's Grill & Bar (@Chilis) August 14, 2014

Notice how they didn't forget to use the hashtag? Exploitation!

Chili's took a lazy cop out while other brands are getting their CEOs involved, like Mary Barra of GM. They could, at the very least, gathered some random employees to make a video, like DECA.

Staying with a trend long after it's not trendy anymore
Is #FF / #FollowFriday even a thing anymore? Long ago Fridays were known for giving shoutouts to fellow tweeters in order for them to get more follows. Typically this was used by individuals, sometimes brands but it never really panned out. But that trend has all but disappeared. This week @BetterMade, a potato chip manufacturer in Detroit, posted an onslaught of 22 #FF tweets over the course of 16 minutes, giving shoutouts to over 170 accounts—majority of which are just random people (fans, I guess).

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This looks like a desperate ploy for attention—like they're just hoping these 170+ people will retweet them. So not only did they beat the dead #FF horse into the ground but they also took the lazy way out. Why not try some actual engagement with the fans? People are much more likely to retweet a brand's tweet if the sentiment feels personal. Anyone can type in their followers' names and place a #FF in front of them but only a true artist can craft something engaging and personal that is deserving of attention. Check out Shinola on Instagram for a good example. They regram their customers pictures all day with the sincerest of compliments.

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