15 Social Media Myths Debunked

For many business owners, marketing their business on social media can be a daunting task.  Many approach social media with the idea that they can do it themselves and then get frustrated when it does not work for them.  But does it really not work?  For these folks, it does not work, but it does not need to be that way. The truth is, social media marketing does work if you know what you are doing, but it can take time and a lot of effort.

Here are some of the most common social media myths, and reasons they are not true.

1. It’s Easy – Many entrepreneurs and business owners think social media marketing is easy and that they can do it themselves. There is a lot more involved to achieving desirable results than first meets the eye. While you may be able to do it yourself, you may not get the results you want or should get, unless you have a true understanding of how to achieve those results.  To learn more about how to achieve these results, download my Social Media Success Tips.
 

2. It’s just posting on Facebook – Well, technically you can JUST post on Facebook. However, if you do this without any thought, planning or strategy, you may be just posting for the sake of posting.  Posting without putting a strategy in place for some sort of result for your business is mostly a waste of time.

3. Anyone can do it – Technically, anyone can do it, but some cannot do it EFFECTIVELY. And this is the point.  You don’t want to waste your time on things that will not move you toward some sort of positive result for your business.  If you don’t have a complete understanding of digital marketing or just don’t like marketing, you are better off hiring someone else to do it for you so you can achieve positive results.

4. It’s a waste of time – Believe it or not, some business owners still think social media is a waste of time. If you are one of them, know that social media is NOT a waste of time. If your competitors are on social media engaging with fans and you are not, who do you think they will remember when it comes to buying?  I hope you guessed the right answer.  Them!

5. It doesn’t work – If you approach social media and think you will get loads of sales from posting your products and services on it, you are sorely wrong! Social media is about being social, not selling.  In order to “sell,” you need to take the time to get to know your fans and followers, engage with them and allow them to know, like and trust you!

6. Facebook Business Pages don’t work – While engagement on Facebook Business Pages has decreased, there are plenty of things that DO work for pages. If you want your page to be noticed, you could and should integrate a live-streaming strategy to your marketing plan.  Another Facebook Page strategy that DOES work, and very well if you know what you are doing, are Facebook ads. I know, I know.  You want free.  However, a good ad strategy that has spot-on targeting will more than pay for itself.

7. It’s hard to find great content – One thing many business owners are afraid to do is to post other people’s content. You should not ever be afraid to share great content. Look to the influencers in your field for great content to curate and share with your fans. Doing this will keep your fans abreast of important matters in your industry and take some of the content creation burdens off of you. Consistent content is better than no content if you don’t have time to create enough of your own. Influencers and curation sites like Feedly and blog sites like Medium can be great sources for curated content to share.

8. It’s hard to create great images – While some people may not have the aptitude to create awesome images, Canva and PicMonkey can help you create images that are share-worthy. Neither one is hard to learn, so it is worth investing a little time to master one of them. Images are super important for social media sharing and blogging. You want to be sure to create them and share them regularly!

9. No one cares – This is how many new business owners feel. No one is engaging with your posts, so you think no one cares what you post. The truth is, social media takes time and effort. Your fans become your fans and your tribe and they absolutely care what you have to say! If people are not engaging, then you need to spend more time cultivating the RIGHT fans OR find out what they want to hear from you!

10. Snapchat is for kids (or at least younger people) – Well, if you thought this last year, you may have been right. However, Snapchat is fast becoming a place that marketers thrive and get results. While it may or may not work well for your business, t may be worth the time investment to learn it and try it out for a while. Like all live-streaming forms of marketing, Snapchat lets fans into your world and allows them to know you and like you much faster than other forms of marketing.

11. Instagram is just a bunch of pretty pictures – So, you thought Instagram was just a bunch of pretty pictures? Wrong! There are many people making some serious money by marketing their businesses on Instagram. They key is getting them to click through to your website and asking them to connect on other social media platforms.

12. Instagram will not work for my business – Truth be told, I used to think this way. However, Instagram has proven to be a viable platform for both product-based and service-based businesses. If you are not sure how to accomplish this, find an influencer you admire in your field and study what they do on Instagram. Chances are, you can get results if they are. I have yet to find a business that cannot achieve some degree of success on Instagram.

13. Pinterest will not work for my service business – While Pinterest is quite different than Instagram, it has the same type f visual components that scare away some business owners. However, the same principles apply. Create great visuals (see #8), and you will be able to produce attention-grabbing boards for your business. They don’t need to be elaborate, but they DO need to be visually appealing so others will want to share them.

14. I can just schedule everything in (Hootsuite, Buffer, etc.) – Okay, so most marketers use some sort of scheduler. However, a scheduler should not be your main source of posting. Facebook actually penalizes for third-party schedulers for prominence in the news feed. I personally use them for filler content and not my branded content. They have a use but don’t rely too heavily on them. Plus, you need to have a social media presence for your fans so they feel like you care about them. You cannot do that if the only touch to your page is through a scheduler.

15. If I share my products and services people will want them – Wrong, wrong, wrong! The truth is NO ONE CARES ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SELLING BUT YOU! It’s the truth. Social media is a way to build relationships and trust so they do care. First, you need to prove yourself through great content and engagement, then your fans will start to care. All of this takes time – something most business owners don’t have the patience for! It takes time to build a community!

Social media does not need to be complicated, but if you don’t have the time necessary to do it well, you are better off hiring someone who can do it well for you.  Inconsistent content posting and lackluster effort are a waste of time, so if you are not able to get results it may be time to hire someone, even if it is just to consult on your own efforts.

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