With more than 4.6 billion users worldwide, social media has quickly become every business’ marketing channel.
However, some are still misled by common myths surrounding social media marketing.
It’s time to separate fact from fiction and get the real scoop on what works and what doesn’t in the world of social media.
Get ready to take your marketing efforts to the next level as we debunk the top 10 social media marketing misconceptions and set the record straight
Misconception #1. “Social media marketing is totally free”
While creating a social media account and posting on those platforms are free, effective social media marketing requires resources such as time, expertise, and in some cases, an advertising budget.
For a smaller-scale business with a limited budget, social media marketing can be a great go-to channel to establish relationships and boost brand awareness over time.
But, if you want to focus on conversion rates and get a quicker result, paid ads are a very effective way to choose. Paid ads allow you to deliver your content to the right people at the right time.
Misconception #2. “More followers equal more success”
The number of followers you have does not necessarily translate to the success of your social media marketing efforts. Today, you can even buy fake followers. Sure. Those fake followers can give you a quick boost in numbers that can help you seem more credible and popular.
Just be aware that there are risks involved. For example, these fake accounts may not engage with your content, which could hurt your engagement rate
Engagement and conversion rates are much more important metrics. The people that comment, like, and share your post are the lifeblood of your social media presence. They also will give you a better idea of how “useful” your content is to your followers, helping you showcase your authenticity as a brand.
That all said, the number of followers also does matter– only if they are all organic, real people. It’s better to focus on organic growth and building a community of engaged followers.
Misconception #3. “You need to be active on all social media platforms”
There are tons of social media platforms out there. So, why do you have to be so picky? Just use them all and call it a day. More platforms mean more exposure, right?
It doesn’t work that way.
Choosing too many platforms can make it a lot harder for you to track and monitor content performance on each platform. This means that you will have to spend more time and resources on social media marketing, which can quickly eat up your budget. That surely doesn’t guarantee better results.
It’s better to focus on one or two platforms where your target audience is most active rather than spreading yourself too thin across multiple platforms.
Misconception #4. “Automated messages and bots are a good way to save time.”
It might be tempting to automate your social media messaging, but it’s important to personalize your communication and build genuine relationships with your followers. Automated messages can come across as impersonal and inauthentic, which can hurt your brand image.
Plus, automated messages are not a good way to save time. In fact, they can take up more of your time as you’ll need to monitor and track the performance of your automated messages.
The best way is to add an automated message to the social media marketing arsenal without solely relying on it. If you use social media to provide customer support, you can use them to answer the most commonly asked, basic questions or handle the support when our social media team is not currently available.
Misconception #5. “You should post as often as possible”
Frequency doesn’t necessarily mean quality. It’s better to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to posting on social media.
Think about it this way: would you rather have 100 posts that are each poorly written and don’t offer any value or 10 posts that are well-thought-out and offer real value?
The answer is obvious. Quality trumps quantity every time.
The last thing your followers want is to be bombarded by your posts every single hour on their feed.
However, if you want to post ephemeral content like stories on Instagram or Snapchat, then frequency does matter. You’ll need to post regularly for these types of content to keep your followers engaged.
Misconception #6. “Social media marketing is just about posting content”
Wrong. Social media marketing is about much more than just posting content. Sure. You can create more content much more easily using AI-powered content marketing tools.
But, social media marketing is a holistic strategy that involves researching your target audience, creating a content calendar, tracking metrics, and continuously making data-driven improvements.
It takes time, effort, and creative thinking to come up with content that actually captures the attention of your target audience. And it takes even more time and effort to engage with your audience and build relationships with them.
You can’t just set it and forget it when it comes to social media marketing. You need to be proactive to see results.
Misconception #7. “Social media only for brands that are trying to reach a younger audience”
While it’s true that social media is popular among young people, that doesn’t mean that it’s only for brands trying to reach a younger audience.
Social media can be used to reach people of all ages and from all walks of life. It’s a versatile platform that can be used for many different purposes.
For example, LinkedIn is a great platform for B2B companies wanting to connect with professionals and decision-makers. Facebook is perfect for building relationships with your customers. And Instagram is ideal for sharing visuals and building brand awareness.
Misconception #8. “Going viral is the end-game”
Don’t get me wrong, viral content can be a great way to build brand awareness and engage your audience. But it should only be the ultimate goal of your overall social media marketing strategy.
If your priority is to increase conversion rates, all those million views mean nothing if they don’t even convert into paying customers.
So, what really matters is whether or not your content is actually helping you achieve your business goals. Is it generating leads? Driving traffic to your website? Boosting sales?
Misconception #9. “Always be a professional. Talk like a business”
When it comes to social media, you need to remember that you’re talking to real people. This means that you should avoid using jargon and industry lingo.
Even if you create a business profile, be human. Be relatable. Being professional doesn’t mean that you have to use a stiff, way-too-formal tone to interact with your audience.
Use language that your target audience will understand. It’s always better to put a face to your brand and be personable.
Talk like a real person to be relatable and connect with your target audience. Your followers will be more encouraged to interact with you if you appear as an approachable and friendly brand.
Misconception #10. “Sell, sell, sell”
No one wants to be bombarded with sales pitches all the time. If you’re only posting about your product or service, you’re going to get tuned out pretty quickly.
Social media marketing should be about building relationships with your audience and providing value. Self-promotion should be balanced with engaging and informative content.
People are on social media to connect with friends, family, and brands– not to be sold to. So, focus on creating valuable content that provides some sort of value or entertainment for your audience.
You can still promote your product or service from time to time. Just make sure that it’s not the only thing you’re posting about.
Wrapping Up: Start Your Social Media Marketing Today
By separating fact from fiction, businesses can make informed decisions and create effective strategies that align with their goals and drive real results on social media.
With some common misconceptions debunked above, now you understand what you should expect and bring to the table for better social media marketing results.
Done right, social media can ramp up your whole content marketing strategy, perfect your SEO practices, and improve your bottom line.
