Taking social media too far

Social media can, and often is, taken too far. Examine the screenshot below, which was taken from the ecommerce listing of a major US company:

Two social media buttons are present. The vendor expects its users to share a link of a 24 cent screw on Facebook, seriously? Even the social media link to share on Pinterest is hopelessly unrealistic. This is a clear example of a company misunderstanding how social media can impact sales. Social media buttons should only be used when they are relevant to the content on the page. Now, if the vendor in the above example used the same buttons on a piece of content they created instructing how to install an outdoor deck, the social media buttons would be appropriate and effective.

Keep your calls to action focused on the core actions you want your users to take. Yes, it's great to have many Facebook likes for your business page, but a Facebook like is an indirect conversion. When you sell a product, that is the principal...