Social media can seem intimidating to those who haven't ventured into marketing their business on Instagram or have tried to create ads on Facebook. Your own misconceptions may even be holding you back from taking advantage of the many opportunities that platforms like Twitter and Pinterest provide for your business.
Myth #1 Newspaper ads and TV ads are more effective: What if we told you that you could run your own targeted ads to let everyone with 10 miles of your Thai restaurant in Provo, Utah? Facebook ads allow business owners to bypass the politics that come with newspaper advertising and enable businesses to land on the screens of their perfect customer. With more than two billion active users each month, Facebook has massive pools of data to pull from so you can place ads where they make the most difference. Facebook makes it possible to customize your ads to your target audience. You can focus on specific demographics and even choose the time and day your ads are running. Gone are the days of wondering whether or not your print ads actually made it in the hands of your ideal customers.
Myth #2 My 18-year-old niece can do it for my business: Just because your 18-year-old niece has 2,000 followers doesn't mean she understands how to increase sales through Facebook. You'll receive a better return on investment by enlisting the social media skills of someone with a proven track record. Your sales will go up and your customers will thank you. Social media marketing is more than just sharing a link to your Facebook page or posting a photo you took last week on your Instagram account. An effective social media marketer understands how your business makes money and know how to strategize accordingly.
Myth #3 Content marketing is a waste of time: If this was true then REI wouldn't share backpacking recipes you can pull off in the wilderness. If content marketing wasn't effective then you wouldn't have dinner party ideas from Martha Stewart. When you invest time and resources into content creation, you continue to create value for both your current customers and future customers. Quality content helps your ideal customer understand how your product or service helps them achieve their goals.
Myth #4 You need to post all day and you need to post everyday: This is one of those myths that's easily debunked by the simple fact that quality always trumps quality. Quality content adds value to the lives of your target audience. How often you post has to do with the platform you're using as well as what your business is. If you're a news company, it's completely appropriate to tweet a new article every 45 minutes on Twitter. If you're a software business using Facebook to help current customers, it's overkill if you're posting user tips every 45 minutes.
Myth #5 Use hashtags for anything and everything: #Readingthissentencewithahashtagisoverkill. It's important to know when hashtags are actually useful. Hashtags helps social media users find relevant posts and topics. For example, users can find pictures and short videos of cats by searching #cat on Instagram. Twitter users can use #NBA to find relevant links and images of what's happening in the NBA from sweet dunks to which players are in the running for MVP. Do some research before picking out hashtags and it'll help you increase overall reach and engagement.
Do you believe any of these myths about social media? Share with us in the comments below why you believe what you believe!