Social media play an increasingly important role in our personal and professional lives.

According to a study by CareerBuilder, the number of employers using social media to search candidates increased by 500% in the last decade. In addition, the survey they conducted found that 60% of employers use social media to research their candidates, and more than a quarter of these, found information that led them to fire their employees.

Everything you post on social networks is part of your personal brand.

Yes, even if you are not an entrepreneur, you have a personal brand and it is a crucial part of your success. This is why we want to share with you some of the mistakes you should avoid making when posting something on social media, as it can affect your personal brand and reputation.

Avoid taking inappropriate photographs.

Imagine going to Twitter and seeing two vulgar pictures of an employee or one of your suppliers.

You'd definitely get a bad impression, wouldn't you?

A picture is worth a thousand words, so take good care of what your photos say about you.

Misspellings and bad language can be off-putting to potential employers or employees.

We all make grammatical errors from time to time, but there is no excuse for bad language.

You don't look cool and it doesn't create a good personal image.

Think twice before writing something negative or complaining about everything. It's happened to all of us when we had a bad day and want to vent.

Be mindful and think thoroughly before sharing your personal drama with the world.

Employers or clients may not like it and can it can leave them with an unprofessional impression.

Avoid talking badly about your past employers or clients; no matter the circumstances.

It is always better to speak kindly of prior employers and clients you have worked with. This shows potential employers and clients that you are a mature, respectful, and humble person (the kind of person they would like to do business with).

If you are an employer, avoid speaking badly about the people you are interviewing.

I have seen several publications by people who even make fun of candidates, demonstrating very little professionalism.

This type of behavior should not be condoned in the workplace.

Bad mouthing people you do not care for is a very common mistake and it's easy enough to do... but don't!

If you don't have anything nice to say, do not say anything at all.

Your time is better of spent on positive endeavors.

Social media can be an intimidating environment, but you should not be afraid to show off your work and what you're creating!

There are people who are doing incredible things but do not post what they are doing on social media for fear of being judged by others. Sometimes, being honest and transparent on social media can help build trust with your followers and can lead to an increase in sales in your business.

What social media mistakes do you see people commonly making? We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment below.