Each day on Facebook, 584 million active users create more than 55 million status updates. Even though Facebook's own mission is "to make the world more open and connected," sometimes the nature of those status updates can make friendships go sour, or turn a consumer against a brand.
With that in mind, we asked PR News' online community which types of Facebook posts get on their nerves the most. Many of the responses focused on Facebook posts from personal friends, but there were still lessons to be learned for brand managers: avoid politics, don't ask too many questions that are naked ploys to boost engagement and avoid the mundane.
Irksome Facebook posts shared by @PRNews' Twitter Followers:
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"Changes in the weather and bad driving posts are the worst on Facebook." -
"Quotes by Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn...enough already, we've heard them all!"
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"Ones that begin with 'LMS if you...'"
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"FarmVille (etc.) updates."
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"Vague posts with no explanation or context explaining why user is happy/sad etc. 'I'm so happy/really upset.' #fishing"
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"The brand pages that post 'Like this status if you hate cancer!'...everyone obviously hates cancer, a pathetic way to get attention."
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"'It's Friday! How will you spend your weekend?' Un-liking your page, obviously."
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"Posts like 'Anyone can make a baby but only a real man...'"
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"Detailed gym updates."
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"The ones that are a cry for attention. 'Wah my life is so hard...' #SocialMedia #Annoying"
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"People posting kids fresh out of the womb. #havesomedecorum&keepcertainthingsprivate"
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"A breakdown of what they are doing that day. I'm pretty sure nobody cares you are going to the gym. #vent"
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"The emotional. #vent"
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"'Like my status or picture for a wall post' annoy me the most on Facebook."
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"Political rants, which always lead to public FB arguments. #fail #vent"
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"Relationship posts. RT #vent"
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"#Facebook posts that highlight complaining, negativity and rhetoric. Blech."
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"Any status that should be in a diary, not on the Web."
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"#Vent Passive aggressive complaints about people on their friend list, who can clearly see their posts. #justsayitalready"
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"Astrology updates. #Vent"
From PR News' Facebook Fans:
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"Posts in which people tout their personal political beliefs." -
"Some of these cornball 'spiritual' quotes that are overdone. Sometimes, I need them to get me on track or to help me stay centered, but there are some doozies—as Hazel the maid would say...that make me think: 'Glad they invented the delete button.' Good question there, PR News...what are yours?"
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"Those with questions."
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"The posts that say 'only a few of you will share, the rest will scroll right through...' and then talk about their personal cause or belief. Talk about the belief or the cause (I think cancer sucks too), but don't try to guilt me into sharing, liking or commenting."
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"Local news stations posting questions to deliberately incite people."
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"Posting about going/having gone to the gym. This also applies to Twitter."
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"Humble brags. No contest."
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"The ones where people use hashtags like it's Twitter."
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"It's the 'like my status for _____ or share if ____' type of posts."
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"Overly promotional ones."
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"Political rants and bible scripture. News stations asking the same questions three times to build traffic or getting cutesey about important news."
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"I like questions that solicit a positive response. Example: What kind of Facebook posts do you most like or engage with? We could use a few more positive posts on this platform."
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"The ones that are the 2010's version of the chain letter....'forward this in the next 10 minutes or blah, blah, blah.'"
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"Misspelled ones. No excuses."
Feel free to vent and share which Facebook posts annoy you the most.
Follow Bill Miltenberg: @bmiltenberg