Recently, we shared a blog breaking down some of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to website design. The myth busting continues, and this time we’re taking on the world of social media marketing. What are some social media marketing myths?
Social media marketing has made huge strides in 2016. It’s safe to say that almost every brand in America is trying their hand at the social media game in one way or another. And that’s a good thing. The fact is, social media can be an incredibly powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. Like everything else worthwhile, it takes a good amount of research, know-how and old-fashioned hard work to get it right.
There’s plenty of misinformation floating around the digital world when it comes to the how to’s of successfully marketing your brand through social media.
Here Are The Top 5 Social Media Marketing Myths, Busted Wide Open.
1. You Have To Be Everywhere On Social Media.
Many marketers subscribe to the idea that if some is good, more must be better. They aimlessly create profiles for their brands on every social platform they can set a password for. While the logic behind this idea is good, the reality is that not every platform will be valuable for your brand. And that’s okay. Why pour time, resources and manpower into a platform that is never going to give you the ROI that you need?
The key to figuring out which social media platforms will serve your brand best lies in the answer to that million-dollar marketing question: who is your target audience? Who are you actually marketing to? Once you zero in on who you need to reach, you can figure out where they hang out on social and how they like to have their information served up. It’s not a perfect science and it will take some trial and error, but if you keep an eye on analytics, you’ll be able to figure out which platforms are giving you the best results, and which ones should go on without you.
2. Too Much Is Never Enough.
In keeping with the idea of the more equals better, many brands, especially those relatively new to the social media scene, mistakenly believe their success with social media marketing is directly related to their ability to churn out as many posts as humanly possible. This one couldn’t be further than the truth. Not only will some social platforms penalize your brand for posting too often (we’re looking at you, Facebook algorithm), but your audience will eventually turn their back on you as well.
How often should you post? As often as you have something relevant to say or something important to share. The key here is quality over quantity. Zero in on what your audience is interested in, and serve it up to them. Posting for the sake of posting won’t work—better to wait a day until you have something killer to share than to be a slave to your content calendar.
That said, don’t be stingy. If your audience is finding value in your social posts, they are going to want to see more of them. Give them what they want with some regularity or they’ll find it elsewhere.
3. Social Media Marketing Is An Island.
Too many brands view social media as an independent marketing strategy, operating in some sort of digital vacuum. The truth is, social media marketing should be seen as one (important) part of a well-oiled marketing machine. No single part will run the machine on its own. Each of the parts working in combination with one another will keep the machine humming.
Social media marketing works best when done in conjunction with other related digital strategies. Your website, SEO, email marketing, branding, content marketing and social media marketing each draw power from one another. You can multiply your overall marketing ROI by coming up with a strategy that calls upon each marketing asset to pull its weight.
4. Anyone Can Do It.
Despite its growing ubiquity, social media still hasn’t earned its seat at the adult table in many organizations. Failing to see the true potential of social media marketing, and the complexities of getting it right, too many brands are still treating their social marketing as an afterthought, passing it off to the youngest person in the office or setting it and forgetting it with automation.
Social media isn’t a diversion—it’s a sophisticated marketing avenue. It allows you to reach your audience in a way that traditional marketing never could. Like any other marketing effort, you get out of it what you put into it. Social media marketing requires a clear strategy if you want to achieve anything worth your efforts.
5. Social Media Love Won’t Cost A Thing.
It’s true that it doesn’t cost anything to set up a business profile on any of the major social platforms, and it’s true that you can post organically on any of them for free. But that doesn’t mean social media marketing won’t cost you. For starters, if you agree that time equals money, you should be making a considerable investment in your social media marketing. What’s more, in today’s increasingly crowded social landscape, getting your brand’s message noticed is getting tougher by the day. Advertising spending on social media is expected to reach almost $33 billion by the end of 2016. It’s clear that many marketers are willing to allocate their budget to rise above the social noise.
Separate Social Media Fact From Fiction With CMDS.
Need help sorting through all the social media marketing myths? Contact CMDS–our social media professionals can devise a strategy to help your brand navigate the social media marketplace with ease.