The most important part of a do's and don'ts list? The don'ts. Now that you know what to do on social media, here are some mistakes to avoid.

Don't auto-DM followers

Setting up automatic direct messages to new followers is about as impersonal and robotic as it gets. “Thanks for the follow!" or "Looking forward to connecting with you!" are common messages that are generated immediately. Recipients will likely assume these were sent automatically and may think you’ll be spamming them in the future. They’re also disingenuous to people you don’t know and might not reach out to. If you do know the follower, they'll know they're getting the same impersonal response that you send to everyone else.

If you do respond with a DM, personalize it to let them know you're paying attention to them—and your social media feed.

Don't flood influencers with @mentions or DMs

The industry and consumer influencers in your region (bloggers, food writers and social media personalities) can help you get out your message. But nothing will prompt them to unfollow you more than a barrage of @mentions, @replies, and DMs asking them to check out your establishment or products.

Instead, follow influencers and share their posts.

Don't Over-Post

You wouldn't send out three courses of a meal at the same time, so don't do it with social posts. If you dominate your followers' feeds, they'll unfollow you.

Instead, use a scheduling tool.

Don't Over Market Yourself

This one should be obvious: there is no value in blasting out the same message (or some variation of it) every day. Use the 80/20 rule: talk about the industry and human-interest stories related to the industry 80 percent of the time. 20 percent of the time, promote your amazing recipes, specials, etc.

Related post: Social Media Strategies for Coffee Shop and Restaurant Owners