You all know how much we love writing about social media marketing. Most of our blogs have some sort of social aspect to them (duh, it’s just that important). Inbound marketing– and subsequently social media, gets a lot of hype because it does work very well. However, it’s important to remember that there are limitations and costs to consider. It’s best to have all the facts in order to get the best results.
There are a few common misconceptions regarding social media marketing that we want to address for you today.
Jayson Demers wrote for Entrepreneur.com “6 Common Myths (Busted) About Social Media Marketing for Statups.” It’s a great list that we just had to share. We believe, however, that these are things from which any and all can benefit– and not just startups. It’s just some good ol’ fashion general advice.
- “Social media is free.” Okay, so this one is smart to get out of the way quick. Sure, having social media accounts and posting regularly is a monetarily free service. If you want to utilize ad campaigns (such as on Facebook), you’ll have to start shelling out the dough. Besides that, though, social marketing does cost one very valuable thing: TIME. It takes a lot of time to research and craft compelling content. It’s definitely an ongoing process that takes a lot of time and effort. Nothing in life is ever “free”– haven’t you learned that yet? Time is money, my friends, so spend it wisely.
- “Every platform is valuable.” This is definitely something people tend to get wrong. Not every platform will magically transform your company. Do you know how many social sites there are out there these days? Quite a lot! Maybe a few of those will work for your individual situation, but not all of them. It would take way too much time to invest in all of the available platforms. It’s better to focus in on just the two or three main ones that would best suited for your demographic and targeted audience.
- “The benefits are immeasurable.” We’ve told you before that success from social media does not happen overnight. The effects from these sites are not, in fact, immeasurable, especially in regards to visibility and reputation. Success comes from measuring literally everything and evaluating the results. You have to analyze your metrics and tailor it to your needs based on what works and what doesn’t in order to see real success. Likes and follows are one thing, but it’s about actual conversions. That’s the game changer.
- “The audience will come naturally.” It’s easy to say “yeah, create great content and the audience will follow.” That’s not entirely accurate. You have to work towards a valued audience. You need an initial push in order to get your stuff out there for the public. Promote the hell out of your content to give it a go.
- “More followers equals success.” This one seems like a true statement, but be wary because believing this can lead you to get lazy with your social marketing strategies. More followers does not equal more success. Yeah, it means more people have the possibility of seeing your content, but it doesn’t mean they actually click on your links and convert. That’s the ultimate goal, right? CONVERSION. You would be well advised to focus in on the more genuine forms of engagement.
- “Social media is a separate strategy.” Yes, social media does have a lot of its own ‘best practices’ and may seem like a separate strategy, but it works in relation to other forms of marketing as well. Often times you have to base one off the other or play them the same way. Think about SEO marketing, content marketing, brand awareness, and influencer marketing; all of these things could be considered separate strategies, but they are actually all part of one larger umbrella.
So there you have it. Six myths about social media marketing broken down and explained away. We’re still firm believers in this strategy of marketing, but like we said, it’s better to have all the relevant information.
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