You might think that social media marketing’s humble origins started in the biggest social media platform—Facebook. But you couldn’t be more wrong. Even if the platform boasts 2.23 billion monthly average users, it wasn’t always that way for the social media giant.
In fact, social media marketing’s roots can be traced back to email marketing. With the first email sent in 1971, we can count on social media marketing being just a few years younger. Marketing in social media is estimated to be around for 40 years. Meaning it has more than enough attention from the public for myths to build surrounding it.
While some myths can be fun to ponder, some are just plain wrong and far-fetched. If you’re in the social media marketing industry or you’re a business that uses social media tools, you should be able to discern facts from myths.
To help you filter what steps to follow, here’s a list of the most popular myths about social media marketing:
1. Your consumers aren’t on social media
The beginning of 2020 saw 3.8 billion users on social media. That’s 48.7% of the world’s total population. Your business might be serving an audience known for its lack of social media activity, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be there or won’t have access to social media platforms.
Social media has become so accessible and convenient that even the people you wouldn’t expect to be there are actually there. The key is to find the right platforms where you can communicate with them.
2. You should use every single social media platform
Having many social media platforms to put your brand out with may sound like a plus for your marketing plans, but that isn’t the case. Putting up your marketing content on every social media platform out there will make consumers feel your desperation, and they’ll get tired of seeing your business’ brand.
A good way to utilize platforms is to pick the ones that are most valuable to your marketing model. Work around platforms you get good results from and continue improving your strategy on those platforms. You don’t need to put your brand marketing everywhere.
3. You should only aim for followers that are potential customers
Social media is a powerful tool. It’s filled with individuals bearing big amounts of influence on certain demographics. Of course, regular social media users are valuable followers, but you should also consider the power of influencers taking notice of your brand.
You can also reach out to them to work on marketing with your brand. The most popular influencers have millions of followers that track their social media movement each day, so the visibility you’ll get is worth what you’ll pay the influencer.
4. You should only post during normal operating hours
This may sound like a good idea because your marketing team works the same shifts as your other staff, but it isn’t exactly the best way to make use of the potential of social media marketing.
Posting during normal business hours, especially if your business operates on a 9-5 basis, means that your posts won’t reach much compared to posting outside business hours. Why? Your audience is also preoccupied with their own lives during those hours.
Make sure to schedule your posts during peak user times. This will make sure that you reach people during their free time, increasing chances of engagement.
5. It’s tacky to relate to consumers in social media
It takes a lot to be a brand considered by social media users as a relatable one. This may not work for everyone, but being able to connect with consumers on social media platforms increases your visibility.
But if your branding is dependent on maintaining a certain image that isn’t being relatable to most users in social media, then be it. But if your brand targets different groups, you should consider keeping consumers entertained while not forgetting your primary goal—getting them to engage with your business.
6. You should include as many hashtags as you can
While hashtags can help you lump your content and other discussion or points of interest in social media, it can negatively impact your social media marketing strategy, especially if you don’t use them properly.
Using hashtags in your posts should be kept minimal and relevant to the content you’re putting out. You don’t have to create a whole paragraph full of them. Keep in mind that hashtags are used to put your content along with related ones. Make sure to use the right tags.
Navigating social media as a business looking for visibility can be scary. One move can make or break your brand. The best way to get around is to use platforms with caution while also sharing content with your consumers that you know will be useful to them.
