Time to debunk a few marketing misconceptions and leave them far behind as we kick off 2022.
When it comes to social media marketing, it is important to identify myth from reality in order to create an effective strategy. Let's get into the 10 most common social media marketing myths that you've likely heard from colleagues, fellow business owners or others on social media. We're here to explain why you need to leave these ideas in 2021!
1) Social media is not necessary for my business.
Social media is here to stay! No matter the size of your business, it is the number one way to get eyes on your brand and so it is essential to have a social media strategy. If you take the time to build your social media presence authentically, you'll start to meet numerous goals including increasing sales, better content engagement, and more traffic to your website.
2) Social media makes email marketing redundant.
It is natural to think that social media has pushed out the need for email marketing because of the many advanced features it offers. In fact, email marketing is one of the best ways you can complement your social media strategy! If you intend to launch an effective digital marketing campaign, use both. Social media will help you connect directly with your audience, and email marketing will help boost your customer acquisition and retention.
3) I need to have a profile on every social media platform.
Your first instinct when developing your social media strategy is to create a profile on every platform, but not every platform is going to benefit your brand. You don't want to waste time and resources marketing on a platform that will not make the biggest impact on your business. Be selective and choose 2-3 platforms to focus on, especially while you are learning to manage your social media presence.
4) The more followers I have, the better.
The truth is, the number of followers you have doesn’t necessarily equate to the number of people interested in interacting with your business. It is better to post relevant content and focus on your audience engagement, than focus on your follower count. This will increase your following and your audience will grow organically.
5) Buying followers will make my business appear more successful.
Nope! This practice is not good for your brand at all. Follows that are bought are usually bots that not only reduce the credibility of your brand in your audience's eyes, but they don't reflect accurate analytics. They won't interact with your content, and reaching real people who will engage with your content should be the goal. If you would like more followers when you first get started, start with your own friend base. Ask them to follow your brand and share your page and/or posts. Remember that age old saying, quality over quantity, and this will attract quantity over time.
6) It is essential that I use #hashtags social media.
Almost every platform uses hashtags, and when used correctly they can be a great tool for discoverability. However, they are not the be-all and end-all, and can have a negative impact on your brand image if they are overused, or used when they are not necessary. Stick to the rule of less is more, and make sure that your hashtags are accurate and relevant to the content you are posting. That said, hashtags are not essential. You can often skip using them altogether and still get great results from your posts.
7) Every post should promote my business, services or products.
A quick way to lose your audience is to post every single product that you sell over and over again. Social media's purpose is to connect you and your followers through engagement. Post carefully and purposefully by considering your audience's personas. When you post promotional content, try to ensure it is content that will encourage interactions with your brand. You can also post content that shows off your brand's personality, not just your products!
8) It looks unprofessional to seem relatable as a brand on social media.
It is key to always keep your target audience in mind, but that doesn't mean you can't also publish content with personality! There are people behind your company, after all. Don't be afraid to be relatable, it helps your followers feel connected to the brand. Sprinkle in your own sense of humour, photos of people that work at your company, behind the scenes content, or things that you find entertaining or informative.
9) Content marketing and social media marketing are separate initiatives.
No, in fact they go hand in hand. Use social media to push awareness of your content more so than awareness of your business. Like social media marketing and email marketing, social media marketing and content marketing should be working very closely together.
10) Too much content will give away my secrets!
We love the saying, "a list of ingredients doesn’t make someone a chef". Only you can do it like you can! Lean in to what makes you special as a brand and you won't have to worry.
Get in touch to find out how Pink Ship can help you with your social media marketing strategy!