At this point, there is probably no doubt that social media is beyond something filed under “nice-to-have.” It’s became a massive channel for social media marketing — a channel that is used by 98% of all digital consumers. If someone has a business, then the chances are high that it’s a good idea to use some form of social media to advertise that business.
However, like everything else in this world, social media marketing is plagued by misconceptions. In order for your business to be successful, you need to be able to see past the misconception — and bust the myths. Here are the most common myths, along with the facts that bust them.
Myth 1. You need to be active on every social media platform
There is a common myth that says if you want your company to be successful, then you need to be active on every social media platform. However, this is just close to the truth.
Yes, it is indeed important to have a social media presence — but you need to work it on the platform/s that matters. Depending on the type of business, some social media channels may be more effective than others.
For example, if you are a divorce attorney, a LinkedIn account is essential to have, whereas a Pinterest account might not be that helpful. You need to have an account on the platforms where your audience spends most of their time.
Myth 2. You can post at any time on social media
While you can hit “post” at any time, it is not recommended that you do that. Just because you can, it doesn’t mean that you should. Every social media platform is different, and it has different times when it attracts “customers”.
One tip would be to use analyzed data from previous marketing campaigns and see where the users are most active. For instance, reports say that the LinkedIn posts added on Tuesday and Thursday get the most engagement — although this will also depend on the business.
Ideally, you may want to use Google Analytics to see when the ideal time for posting is.
Myth 3. The more you post, the better
Some business owners believe that the more you post on social media, the better it will be for your business. You post a lot — so this means that it will make you more popular, right?
Wrong. Aggressive promoting can actually annoy your followers — so, if all they see on their newsfeed are your posts, you may end up being unfollowed. Try to limit your posts to a decent time frame — for instance, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And when you do post, post something substantial — something that brings value to the reader.
Myth 4. You will always be followed back
A common myth is that if you follow people on Instagram, they will follow you as well. However, that is not always the case — and if they do, it’s not always long-lasting.
Instagram followers will follow you back based on how much value you can offer them. If they follow out of solidarity, they will keep the follow there for a couple of days — and then probably unfollow you, if you don’t provide anything of substantial value.
Once the follower realizes that what you post actually brings value to them, they will go to your website. Otherwise, they’ll just unfollow, and you’ll end up wasting your time. To avoid that, follow the users that already seem to be interested in your domain — and not just randomly follow everyone there is.
Myth 5. You shouldn’t get personal
We know what you’re saying: keep business as a business and keep the personal out of it. It should be logical, right? Customers only care about the service or product that they buy, so there’s no reason why you should be putting all your feeling out there, right?
Well, not exactly. Indeed, while “over-sharing” is indeed irrelevant — and to be honest, no one cares — customers like to see some personality in a brand. While you should be targeting a certain group with your posts, remember that you must also try to connect with them.
You can try writing posts with personality — or even add a few “behind the scenes” pictures. It might not be related directly with your industry, but it will certainly make the reader connect with you. After all, they will be able to feel that they are connecting with an actual person — and not just some robot or system.
Myth 6. Social media marketing is only for young people
Many people think that if their audience is in their late years, they have nothing to do with social media. “Social media is for the young,” they would say. However, lately, the case has changed. More and more people are joining a social media platform — and a lot of them are over the age of 50.
Around 52% of the people over 55 have social media accounts — and around 95% of the adults are active on Facebook. Therefore, if you think that social media is not for your business, think again.
Importantly, most of the active users are active on different networks. According to pewinternet.org:
As was true in previous surveys of social media use, there is a substantial amount of overlap between users of the various sites measured in this survey. Most notably, a significant majority of users of each of these social platforms also indicate that they use Facebook and YouTube. But this “reciprocity” extends to other sites as well. For instance, roughly three-quarters of both Twitter (73%) and Snapchat (77%) users also indicate that they use Instagram.
Myth 7. Social media marketing is free
It might be free to join — but it is still an investment. Granted, It is generally cheaper compared to other types of marketing — but some investments may cost you a fair fee. You didn’t think that those Facebook ads which keep popping up were held there for free, did you?
Myth 8. Hashtags are crucial
Indeed, hashtags are very important for adding you in a certain conversation trend — particularly if you are tagging a certain event. However, you do not have to fill your description with hashtags in order for your post to be successful. Not only are they unsightly — but if there are so many of them, the chances are that some will also be generic. And generic hashtags won’t help you much.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, social media marketing is not that straightforward. With all these myths busted, you can now start promoting your business like a boss.