Like any recent marketing approach, social networking has had plenty of time to accumulate a lot of myths.
Despite the fact that data has debunked a number of marketing myths today, some marketers will cling to old ideas due to the difficulty of keeping up with what’s going on in social media.
Let’s look at some popular social media myths that we’ve all heard before, as well as why you should abandon them.
13 Social Media Myths to Leave Behind in 2021
1. Your customers aren’t on social media
In 2021, there were be over 3.7 billion social media users on the planet. Today, it appears as if there is a social network for every and all things. While family and friends interact on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, professionals communicate on LinkedIn.
Odds are that at least one social media platform has a following who will be interested in your brand. Not sure which one is best for you? Do some research and find out where your customers are spending their time online.
2. You should join every single social media platform
It’s not only the time. As previously said, it takes willpower to resist the urge to establish a profile on every social network I can think of.
Consider looking into other social media platforms. Create a profile or page for your company and give it the old college try. However, you may come to the conclusion that certain sites aren’t worth your time. If that’s the case, consider quitting while you’re ahead. You should only devote time and resources to those platforms that are most compatible with your target audience and marketing methods.
The greatest marketers employ data to figure out which marketing activities deliver the best results, and they cut ties with social networks that aren’t.
3. Pinterest is only for B2C organizations
Pinterest isn’t just for scrapbooking and recipe pinning. The platform has over 250 million active users and can be a powerful tool for B2B companies, and B2C marketers too.
In fact, nearly 60% of Pinterest users are engaged in the purchasing process when they visit the site. This makes Pinterest a great place to promote your products and services. Just make sure you tailor your pins and boards to appeal to business users.
4. You should only try to get followers that will become customers
Yes, quality is critical, but don’t underestimate the strength of a wide social presence. Remember these things the next time you complain about gaining a fan or follower who lives outside your sales area or target demographic:
- More fans and followers will allow you to connect with their supporters and followers.
- Even if they’re not a celebrity, their popularity may help you.
- Your SEO improves when they share your material.
- They may still refer business your way.
Of course, that does not imply you should not aim for a certain, high-converting audience on your social media platforms to identify your ideal target demographic — see this post for tips.
5. You should only schedule posts during the workweek
While you should not force your social media manager to work on the weekends, you can plan posts or start social media advertising ahead of time and, depending on your target audience, it may be a good idea.
Of course, you’ll need to figure out which social media platforms your audience uses the most. While pique engagement times occur on Tuesdays, most platforms also have high engagement periods throughout the week and late night hours.
6. You have to respond to social activity immediately
A quick response is appreciated, but it isn’t always required. People know you’re in business. There are other things going on. It’s all right if you respond quickly but not in mere seconds.
However, that’s not always the case. Verizon, for example, maintains a few Twitter accounts. The account name is @VerizonSupport. While Verizon will share blog postings and instructional marketing materials on this Twitter feed, it also uses it to interact with prospects or clients who have submitted inquiries or concerns.
Because Verizon’s support account is for customer service rather than marketing, reps who work with this channel should get back to people quickly.
An example of this might be if you have a social media account that is visible to all users and may harm your reputation. In that situation, you should contact your service team as soon as possible and compose a considered response that demonstrates that you are seriously considering the comments.
7. Social media is only about engaging conversation — and not a place to share branded content
It’s not that social media isn’t valuable. You can’t just push your fans to the side. However, while encouraging discussions and debates with your audience is advantageous, it isn’t the only element of social media marketing.
Aside from allowing you to interact with people virtually, social media is a lead generator, a non-organic traffic method, and an excellent platform for showcasing your best work.
If you produce interesting content, people may not always react to it, but they may be enticed to visit your website and buy your goods as a result of it.
8. Social media marketing tactics don’t drive bottom-line results
The sixth misconception is that you can generate value from social media beyond “engagement” and “brand equity.” Social media generates leads and consumers every day.
Finally, social media may be a viable means of increasing sales through advertising and influencer marketing tactics. (Just look at my checking account every time I scroll Instagram and “Swipe Up to Purchase.”)
9. It looks tacky to seem relatable as a brand on social media
Keep your focus on your target audience while you’re posting material on social media, but don’t be afraid to include stuff that reflects the personality of your brand or even your community manager’s personality.
People are behind your firm; don’t be scared to showcase this with your own style of humor, photographs of people who work there, and links to stories that you find amusing even if it has nothing to do with your business.
10. Hashtags are essential for every post
The goal of hashtags is to bring together common discussion threads. So, while having a hashtag for an event, such as a webinar or a trade show, is nice, don’t lose your mind if it doesn’t trend. If the hashtag doesn’t become a trending topic, consider hashtags as a means to make your marketing efforts more user-friendly for people who use the hashtag rather than aiming for all of your marketing goals to come true.
11. Social media monitoring takes forever
A typical social media monitoring approach: spend the majority of your day glued to your computer screen, opening five tabs for each of your social networks and chugging three espressos. As a result,
Another alternative scenario is to utilize social media monitoring software that notifies you when important terms are used; check back to your accounts periodically to see if you need to respond to anybody, follow someone back, or anything else.
To be more accurate, the first one takes you about 30 minutes each day. Everything will be fine. Now take a deep breath together and relax! That’s all there is to it.
12. You don’t have enough content to have a social media channel
There’s a lot of competition on social media, and it moves quickly. What is written today may be forgotten about tomorrow. It’s easy to perceive this as a problem by saying, “I don’t have enough material to share.” You could just repurpose content or re-share excellent material on the other hand.
According to HubSpot blog research, 91 percent of marketers say their firm re-purposes content across various social media platforms.
If the subject of your article is evergreen, it will almost always be relevant, even if you repurpose or re-post it later. This doesn’t imply you should offer the identical URL and updated commentary day after day; however, if a few weeks have passed since your last re-promotion, go for it. Just do your loyal supporters a favor and come up with something new to point out in your update for them.
13. Social media gives people a venue to publicly criticize your company
The fact is, angry consumers already have a lot of places to voice their opinions: personal recommendations, Google reviews, and Yelp reviews just to name a few. It’s not prudent to create a Facebook page just for the sake of avoiding negative criticism.
Instead, get ahead of the conversation by recognizing when negative reviews occur, reading them, interacting with the consumer, and coming up with solutions for their issues. Also, encourage customers to share their good experiences when they are happy.
Conclusion
Social media marketing is one of the most efficient and effective means of reaching out to customers and building relationships with them. However, it is important to remember that social media should be used to supplement other marketing efforts rather than being the only focus. By following these tips, you can ensure that your social media campaigns are successful.
