Despite what some may have thought a few years ago, social media marketing has undeniably become a major factor in digital marketing. Regardless of your business type, it’s one of the easiest ways to find, contact and convert potential customers. Any company can effectively use social media for their marketing activities, whether it’s maintaining a brand presence, creating brand awareness or to simply show off your product.

It’s often worth ensuring that your employees understand how social media works with all their nuances before deciding on a marketing strategy. Even with all the benefits of social media marketing, there are a few myths we’d like to clear up.

  1. I Don’t Need To Pay For Social Media Marketing

Besides bandwidth, using social media is free but social media marketing is not. A good example is Facebook as they limit the number of followers who see your posts even if it’s brilliant. The only way you can reach a larger percentage of your audience is through Facebook ads. Same applies to most social media platforms as they all encourage marketers to spend money to extend their reach.

Simply having a social media account with random posts is no longer enough. Businesses need to constantly create interesting and relevant content, continuously engage with their audience and manage interactions from a personal level. These are all elements of social media marketing that require time and money to get just right. It’s all about finding the right balance, strategy and content plan. Take a look at these social media content ideas for creating engagement.

  1. I Need To Market On All Social Platforms

This is probably one of the biggest mistakes so many companies make. Every social media channel is different and should be used accordingly as they’re not all suited for the same business. Find out which sites your customers and potential customers use and you can direct your content and efforts effectively. Using Instagram as a B2B SaaS marketer will waste time and money as your target audience is more likely on Twitter and LinkedIn. It’s absolutely vital to identify your audience and understand their online behaviour to find the most suitable social media platform.

  1. I Don’t Need Facebook Ads

Facebook is perhaps the most widely used and recommended social media platform for business. Modern day marketers simply cannot, and should not, ignore Facebook and here is why. According to GEO Marketing, the number of business Facebook users was estimated at over 65 million in January 2017. Social media ad spend is only going to grow and it’s time you get on the bandwagon.

With thorough analysis and planning, Facebook ads can produce incredible results for all types of businesses. You may even want to consider hiring a Facebook ad specialist to create campaigns for you to achieve optimal results. The average cost per click and cost per lead are less on Facebook compared to other online marketing solutions. On the face of it, Facebook is one of the most cost-effective social media marketing tools on the market.

https://wsi-emarketing.wistia.com/medias/qzyg463u7f

  1. Social Media Results Are Instant

When used effectively, social media marketing can certainly yield great returns but not overnight. Building a community takes time and effort, not to mention the trust factor. You should ideally have a content strategy in place where your social media targets and goals fit your overall marketing and business objectives. Knowing what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it will give you direction.

Consistency is key in terms of posts, comments and engaging with the audience by answering questions and generally provide value. Get your social media strategy right and you’ll end up with a loyal following who trusts your brand. As a result, brand ambassadors or influencers are born and this is a game changer.

  1. More Followers Mean More Success

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Although it’s great to have a large following, it doesn’t automatically mean instant or easy success. With all the automation tools almost freely available, almost anyone can have a ton of followers. Honestly, what’s the point if you have 10000 followers without any engagement? At this stage, it’s all about credibility and building a social media empire takes time, effort and some serious know-how.

  1. Use Hashtags Everywhere

While hashtags play a vital role on Twitter and Instagram, their purpose does not really extend much to other platforms. Although you can use them in LinkedIn and Facebook, it’s recommended to only use one or two. Social posts stuffed with hashtags look tacky and can be difficult to read.

  1. I Don’t Need To Respond To Negative Feedback

Probably one of the biggest misconceptions is ignoring social media comments, negative ones in particular. We’ve all read those horror stories about complaints going viral, and in some cases being the downfall of a business. Negative comments or complaints spread like wildfire and as they say, “10 Years of good business practice can be ruined and forgotten with a poor choice of 280 characters on social media!”

Think before you post and make sure any comments are dealt with professionally and efficiently. Treat each comment individually and don’t respond in bulk with an automated response. Customers generally feel good when a brand interacts with them and addresses their concerns personally.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a sales person, a Marketing Manager, a MD or CEO; there’s a reason to use social media. It allows you to consistently prove social value, provide reference for your reputation and to become a recognised. Hopefully, these debunked social media myths will help take your social media marketing to the next level.

Are you using social media marketing successfully in your business? What social media channel has worked best for your company or brand? Let us know in the comments section below and get in touch if you need help with your social media marketing strategy.

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