Advertising on social media is all about inspiring action. In the trend-setting world of technology, a cookie-cutter approach will not fetch results. Continuous change and re-evaluation are necessary to rid your social media campaign of dead weight that simply isn’t driving traffic, much less converting it. Data-driven media campaigns produce verifiable outcomes with measurable statistics.

Social media needs refreshment, and the same tired antics that worked when Computer 101 was a required course in high school have no place in today’s online world. Just as people grow and mature, so does the social media outlet. There are six tried-and-true social media tactics that you should cut immediately, without ever looking back.

1. Stop Linking to All the Same Content

Face it. People don’t go looking to be advertised to. They click on a link either looking for specific information or because there is a genuine interest. When all the links go to the same website, people lose interest quickly. They also lose confidence that they will reap any rewards for their time and may even stop following these accounts.

Of course, it is okay to link to a promotional website, but it is best to do it in moderation. Add some general interest links that expand on the topic and provide additional details. An experience on social media should be advantageous, and a worthwhile experience is promotional.

Balance out links with additional posts which do not offer them. Helpful tips and relevant insights can inspire an audience and keep them coming back. Repeat traffic eventually converts, especially if they feel they are reaping some benefit from following a specific account.

2. Don’t Run Across the Bridge from Follow to Pitch Without Looking

Don’t send automated pitch messages as soon as someone hits the follow button. That sends the message that they are not valuable, and it is an immediate turn-off. People typically tune out when they see this, and they usually unfollow.

People don’t want to be prospects which is why social media works so well. Social media is a relationship builder, and social media conversion requires finesse. A relationship is a give-and-take. New followers need genuine engagement with likes, questions, and daily meaningful commentaries. Followers can potentially be warm prospects, but it takes a little time to nurture that relationship and build some tech trust.

3. Stop Crowd Stacking

Stop following masses of accounts in hopes that they will reciprocate. Sure, a lot of people do it, and even more do follow back, but people are savvy these days and can spot these types of accounts. Filling a social media account full of hot air adds no value to it. These accounts are easy to spot because they have a balanced follower-to-following ratio and there is minimal engagement in the feed. Useless, junk-filled feeds have no value, and they certainly don’t build relationships.

Instead, join groups or communities with a vertical interest. Look for the people who consistently make valuable contributions and follow them. Engage with them and contribute. Eventually, they will lead to like-minded people.

4. Lose the Auto-Bot

Auto-engaging has no significance. Much like the previous habit, it is easy to spot, and it ultimately lowers credibility. It is hard to build influence and add value without a personality. Auto-bots can’t engage, and they ruin the verifiable factors in the feed which can be useful in the future. It is more fruitful to find the posts that are worth engaging and prioritize the feeds accordingly. Building a reputation and gaining influence takes time and can’t be done with an auto-bot.

5. Forget Best Posting Times

It is best to post at times when people are more likely to be online. The problem is that most of the studies conducted on this subject are based on averages. Activity hours are great and can be beneficial, but they are not ideal for all users and followers. Audiences are unique, and there is no fundamental guarantee that “high-traffic” hours suit them. The majority of traffic fits somewhere between low traffic hours and just before peak time, following a classic bell curve.

It is best to use Facebook insights and other tools created for the sole purpose of tracking follower stats. Stay alert to emerging traffic patterns which may be noticeable without tools. Take notes and run tests on possible theories and don’t rely on provided algorithms for answers.

6. Stop Using SEO as the End-All-Be-All

Search engine optimization is essential. However, you should optimize your social media content for sharing. People think search engine optimization is the end of the work and it’s not.  It is easier to optimize content for sharing than it is for search engines. It is best to display only a minimum number of sharing buttons and just show them to the most active audiences.

The truth is that many people share information without reading it, so it is best to place sharing buttons at the top of the content. Click-to-tweet pullouts allow users to tweet valuable quotes with one click. It is also best to take the time to specify what shared content will look like with Open Graph Tags for best results.

Follow these instructions and lose the tired old repetitive tactics that don’t produce results. These “in applications” are the new best practices that will help boost followers and build an audience. Freshen up the social media game and watch a following emerge.