Myths about Social Media Marketing
We Are Social and Hootsuite revealed a couple months ago that we have around 3 billion social media users globally (https://thenextweb.com/contributors/2017/08/07/number-social-media-users-passes-3-billion-no-signs-slowing/)
Today you would be thought of as “bizarre” if you are not on at least one social media platform. Social media is evolving, and it is not slowing down, it’s the opposite! People have their own reasons for social media use; it can be to stay in touch with their friends and family, to get inspired, to stay in touch with the world in general, or to market themselves and businesses. It is clear that business owners are picking up on how much social media marketing can help their business growth. I would not say social media is the only way to go to make you rich, but it is a great support to promote your business, your organization, or simply yourself. It’s easy to get so immersed in social media to the point of losing the focus of what’s real and what’s not and how to use social media the smart way.
Here are the 3 biggest myths you should NOT listen to:
1-The Followers Count
Of course, we all get excited when we see our followers count going higher and higher but do you pay attention to who is actually following you? There are so many fake accounts and those accounts do not bring any value to your brand. It’s not because you have 200K followers that you are famous, remember that! You could have as many followers, and I will probably never recognize you in the streets if you were “Insta famous”. Bottom line-to track the engagement records, comments, shares, etc. It matters much more than having an indefinite number of followers who are not part of your niche. Also, it is possible to buy followers; please do not do that! Pointless and a waste of money.
2- Only for Younger Generation
How many times have you heard that one around you? “This is not for me; only the younger generation can master it, it’s too complicated” Well, it’s not true. Social media is for everyone, and everyone can learn if they want to as there is wonderful online support to teach you the basics to get you started. You don’t have to become a master in this field, but do understand the most basic tools so when you decide to hire a pro you can be more aware of the basic language of social media managers. Seek out friends and family members who may be part of the younger generation who possibly know a bit more than you do - it's okay to ask for help!
3- Sign-up On Many Different Social Media Platforms
It sounds tempting to be on every social media platform, but it is not the best way to go about things. Do you really think you can actively handle all platforms at once? Maybe if you hire someone to take half of your workload. Keep in mind, quality over quantity at all times. Research where your target market is, for example, if you are a business owner for home decoration, promoting yourself through Pinterest should be a high priority, but it does not mean that you automatically have to sign up with Twitter. If you are on multiple social media networks but you cannot keep up with consistent posting, it will eventually hurt you because your audience will stop engaging with you. Choose wisely, and you will be just fine!
Stay aware of what is being said online and around you, make sure to check the sources of who is telling you what. It's great to be surrounded by tons of information, just remember to do some investigation on what is true and what isn't.
