--- title: "Wednesday Buzz: Social Media Mistakes of 2015" id: "31373" type: "post" slug: "wednesday-buzz-social-media-mistakes-of-2015" published_at: "2015-12-09T21:33:12+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T17:50:25+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/12/09/wednesday-buzz-social-media-mistakes-of-2015/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/12/09/wednesday-buzz-social-media-mistakes-of-2015.md" excerpt: "As the year nears conclusion, it’s time to review some of the biggest social media mistakes of 2015. Plus: Twitter is experimenting with yet another big change." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Digital Communication" - "Marketing" - "Social Media" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Wednesday Buzz: Social Media Mistakes of 2015 It’s been another banner year for social media: Associations [gained more confidence with new platforms](http://associationsnow.com/2015/06/associations-social-media-confidence-grows/) and [revealed their thoughts about](http://associationsnow.com/2015/10/association-professionals-average-social-media/) how they use them, and the platforms themselves [evolved](http://associationsnow.com/2015/11/friday-buzz-facebook-fundraising-tool/) and [grew](http://associationsnow.com/2015/03/dont-camera-shy-making-case-instagram/) . And, throughout the year, major brands provided great examples of what to do and, more importantly, what to absolutely avoid on social media. From the misreported death of the Queen of England to inappropriately suggestive advertising, *CIO* has compiled its list of the [most cringeworthy media campaigns of 2015 (opens in a new tab)](http://www.cio.com/article/3012772/social-networking/top-10-social-media-misfires-of-2015.html#slide1) . Keeping these failed attempts at humor in mind is key when using your association’s social media voice. When updating your association’s members, Twitter offers a bit more personality than a press release. But [as our resident technology expert Ernie Smith noted](http://associationsnow.com/2015/11/social-media-authenticity-how-authentic-are-you/) , authenticity, not humor, is what matters. And to avoid embarrassment, remember to always double-check your posts. ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton has learned that lesson. In a tweet about a football recruit, Hamilton included a link to what he thought was a highlight video; [instead, he sent audiences to a pornographic website (opens in a new tab)](http://www.cio.com/article/3012772/social-networking/top-10-social-media-misfires-of-2015.html#slide6) . One expert describes the mistake perfectly, blaming it on “the real-time nature of social media,” which can be hard to navigate. So, in 2016, make a list of your tweets, and check them twice. ### Tweet of the Day > See every Person of the Year cover in 15 seconds [https://t.co/4FBVhie37p (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/4FBVhie37p) > [#TIMEPOY (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/TIMEPOY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [https://t.co/byfU6tyGFb (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/byfU6tyGFb) > > — TIME (@TIME) [December 9, 2015 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/TIME/status/674597318465740801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been named Time magazine’s 2015 Person of the Year (opens in a new tab)](http://time.com/4141619/time-person-of-the-year-angela-merkel-helmut-kohl/) , joining a host of prominent artists, leaders, organizations, and more being honored. ### Other Good Reads **Twitter is experimenting with time.** The company has announced it will [start testing a new timeline (opens in a new tab)](http://time.com/4141948/twitter-experiment-timeline-out-of-order/) that would do away with the platform’s iconic reverse chronological order. Many fans are displeased. **Journalism secrets for marketers:** *Forbes* contributor Brian Hughes has [shared some reporting techniques (opens in a new tab)](http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/252340) that will make your future content marketing campaigns stronger than ever. **Are “white hat” hackers paid enough?** [Atlantic contributor Donna Lu explores (opens in a new tab)](http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/12/white-hat-ethical-hacking-cybersecurity/419355/) the extent of their use by major organizations and looks into the conflict at the heart of using hackers to prevent hacking. (MacroZone/ThinkStock) [Eli Zimmerman](https://associationsnow.com/author/eli-zimmerman/) Eli is studying Journalism at the University of Maryland. When not studying, he likes to relax with a nice book or a couple rounds at the local boxing gym. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/eli-zimmerman/) Tags: [#Digital Communication](https://associationsnow.com/tag/digital-communication/) [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoDaily Recap: Day 1 from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/daily-recap-day-1-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoThe Future is Yours to Create. 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