Social media has had plenty of time to accumulate some myths as has any major marketing strategy of the past decade.
Some marketers still hold onto a few myths despite data disproving many, primarily because it's difficult to keep up with what is happening in the social world.
Yes, the landscape of social media changes constantly.
To create a social media strategy that actually works, marketers need to separate myth from reality.
Here are some common social media myths I uncovered with my MythBusters hat on.
Probably all of us have heard a few social media myths from others.
Afterward, I will explain why leaving behind old-fashioned thinking is necessary.
What we should leave behind in 2021 when it comes to social media
1. Social media doesn't interest my customers
The total number of social media users is expected to reach 3.7 billion in 2021.
The number of social media platforms today seems to be growing exponentially.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are used primarily by family and friends, but professionals use LinkedIn to network.
You're likely to reach your target audience on a social media platform.
Having trouble choosing?
Please let us know if you need assistance!
Determine which social media platform(s) will be beneficial to your brand - and which won't.
2. Every social networking site should be joined right away.
I don't have to create a profile on every social network just because I can name a lot of them.
Don't be afraid to explore other networks.
Give it a try by creating a small profile or page for your company.
Some, however, aren't really worthwhile.
You should remove your profile and move on if that's the case.
The platforms and platforms that are most aligned with your audience and marketing methods should receive the most attention and resources from you.
You should cut off a social network if it's not helping you.
The smartest marketers use data to determine what marketing activities yield the best results.
3. A B2C organization cannot use Pinterest.
B2C marketers will love Pinterest, for sure.
Sometimes I take it as a challenge to prove that a channel isn't only for B2C when someone says it is.
One of my colleagues, who has written a business guide on Pinterest, feels the same way.
Additionally, you can explore the Pinterest accounts of companies like GE, Microsoft, Econsultancy, as well as mine!
4. Followers and fans who will become customers should be your only focus.
Having a large social reach is important, yes, but the quality is crucial as well.
Consider some of these factors next time you want to discourage someone from following you because they lack your reach or demographic:
- Gaining more fans and followers means getting access to those people's fans and followers.
- Through association, you get their clout if they're an influencer.
- As a result of their sharing, your SEO will improve.
- You may still receive referrals from them.
You don't have to limit your social media targeting to those who convert high on social networks - to figure out your ideal target audience, you need to know who you are marketing to on social networks.
5. Scheduling posts during the week is the best strategy
Despite this, you can schedule or launch social media posts and ads for the weekend ahead of time, even if the social media manager isn't required to work weekends.
You may want to consider this option based on your audience.
Identify when certain social media platforms are most used by your audience, of course.
Social media engagement peaks during the week, generally around the middle of the week.
The weekend and evening hours, however, continue to be busy times for most platforms.
6. Engage your friends and family on social media by asking them to "Like" each post.
The posts you make on Facebook cannot just be liked by your mom or uncle.
Facebook and other social media are a bit more sophisticated than sharing just stories that your friends like. You may feel like you see lots of posts that your friends or family members like, but in fact, they determine which posts get shared based on algorithmic criteria.
Increasing your reach and showing up in users' newsfeeds depends on having a variety of people interact with your content.
You can encourage your followers to Like, comment, or share your posts along with your friends instead of just asking your friends.
7. In order to be social, you have to react quickly.
While it's certainly appreciated when a speedy response is given, it's not always required.
Your business is well understood by others.
Other things are happening as well. You're fine as long as you get back within minutes.
Certain exceptions apply, of course.
In addition to Twitter accounts, Verizon also has a Facebook page. @VerizonSupport is one of them. Additionally, Verizon uses Twitter for responding to prospects' and customers' questions and concerns.
Customer service representatives who manage Verizon's support account should respond immediately to inquiries because this channel is primarily for customer service, not marketing.
If you were to run a social media account and received a complaint that was visible to everyone, that could reflect negatively on your reputation.
Your service team will be happy to assist you in that scenario, and you will be able to write a thoughtful reply that shows how seriously you are taking the feedback.
8. It's not a place for brands to share branded content - it's all about an engaging conversation
Conversations are important, but they aren't all the same.
Ignoring your fans is not an option.
The purpose of social media marketing is not only to get your audience talking and to participate in discussions with you.
It is possible you won't always stimulate conversation when you publish valuable posts, but they might bring people to your website and products.
9. To appear relatable on social media is not a good thing
Although you should always publish social media content that caters to your target audience, you are also encouraged to share content that is representative of your brand's personality.
Perhaps even the personality of your community manager.
Make sure to show off the people behind your business with your own unique style of humor, images of people who work for your business, or links to current news articles that appeal to you... Your industry doesn't have to be directly related.
10. Each post should include a hashtag.
Is this what your twitter looks like?
Here's an interesting article on #socialmedia #marketing that talks about #pinterest and shows a picture of a #puppy #lol
Hashtags bring together conversations by joining threads of common interest.
Don't lose your mind, however, if you don't see the hashtag you used trending in social media.
There's no need to worry about blowing your lead's goal to bits if it happens ... Use hashtags as a way to make your followers' lives easier, rather than as a means to fulfill all your marketing dreams.
11. It takes forever to monitor social media.
Imagine yourself thoroughly monitoring your social media accounts: Affix your eyes to the screen, open five tabs for each social network, drink three espressos, click between tabs, and hit refresh.
Using social media monitoring software that will alert you when keywords are mentioned; checking accounts every hour or two to see if anything needs to be responded to, followed back, etc.
You can use social media apps instead of software to get alerted when critical terms appear on social media.
You might take 30 minutes a day to do the second one. Nothing to worry about. Everyone breathes. There's no need to worry.
12. Graduates or people with years of experience are the best social media managers.
There is no myth here. Surely, it is time to correct this ageist theory - if it hasn't already been.
The age of a person has absolutely nothing to do with how good they are at social media marketing, or indeed at any career for that matter.
The tools and techniques can be learned at any age, and errors can be made at any age.
An analyst should be able to manage your presence creatively and analytically, rather than considering the manager's age range.
Check out this guide on how to find and hire the right social media manager for your brand.
13. Social media is only used by young people.
Think only Gen Z and millennials are on social media? Take a second look.
The number of US internet users age 45-64 who watch YouTube videos in 2019 is over 80%. In 2020, 40% of internet users age 46-55 will be on LinkedIn, roughly 55% of Facebook users will be over 35, and over 60% of YouTube users will watch videos in 2019.
Social media is likely to be used by your audience (at any age!) - the key is to figure out which platform they prefer.
14. Snapchat and TikTok, among others, should not be considered serious platforms.
Millennials and Gen Z have been attracted to Snapchat and TikTok by their unique platforms because of their mobile nature.
TikTok, like Vines, is devoted to short, humorous, or musical videos that last for 10 to 60 seconds. Snap offers ephemeral content, AR filters, and Bitmojis.
Even though users may create odd content on these platforms, these platforms can still help brands gain credibility and reputation.
As of today, a wide range of brands has created profiles or ads with TikTok - from publishers to B2C companies.
In spite of its age and ubiquity, The Washington Post has formed a TikTok strategy.
They use TikTok to highlight the human, but the humorous side of working in a newsroom, even though they have a very formal social media presence elsewhere.
Some larger companies have also applied for paid promotions on Snapchat Discover or created long-form Stories.
The content launched by these companies in this blog post can be found here.
Any social media platform you choose to use can certainly be taken seriously at this point.
To debunk previous myths, however, we stated that first, you should identify which platform is best suited to your audience and your goals before spending time and money to create a strategy.
15. Social media channels aren't necessary unless you have enough content.
Social media moves very quickly, which makes it hard to keep up.
You might forget about what you post today tomorrow.
The problem can seem to be, "I don't have enough content to post." But the alternative would be simply repurposing great content, or re-sharing it regularly.
You can repurpose or republish your post if the topic you discuss is evergreen almost always.
If a few weeks have gone by and you wish to promote something again, share it. This doesn't mean you should share the same exact link and update commentary every day.
Find an interesting nugget of information that will interest your fans and share it.
16. There are too many "fluffy" factors associated with social media for solid metrics to be measured.
Like "brand equity" and "engaging conversation," it isn't as soft as we thought.
Although these things happen, you can still measure your social media efforts to determine how effective they are.
With HubSpot marketing tools, you can track how much traffic, leads, and customers are generated on social media.
From there, you can even calculate things like the average cost-per-lead and customer — across individual social media networks, and in aggregate — just like you do with every other marketing channel (right?).
17. It is 100% free to use social media for marketing.
Even though membership is free, you still have to invest resources.
Your channels must be managed by an employee even if they're free.
You may decide to up your time and money investments as your social media strategy gets more successful.
Thanks to social media, audience numbers, brand awareness, and ultimately leads are still among the cheapest marketing methods. You'll be glad you made the investment.