8 Social Media Marketing Myths That May Be Hurting Your Business

“Myths are a waste of time, they prevent progression” – Barbra Streisand.

Much of what we’ve come to believe about social media marketing are myths and incorrect, and some of these have the potential of negatively impacting your business.

To help separate facts from fiction, I’ve debunked some of these social media myths below.

Myth: Social Media makes email marketing redundant

Fact: There are 2.9 billion email users worldwide. That’s more than the amount of daily active Facebook and Twitter users combined.

According to a study by Campaign Monitor, email marketing produces $44 for every $1, that’s a massive return on investment!

These email marketing statistics are staggering and they represent concrete reasons to show that email marketing though being older than social media is still relevant in today’s online marketing landscape.

The best business will find a way to leverage email marketing to optimize results.

Email marketing should complement your social media marketing efforts and vice versa.

Myths: The more platform you use, the better positioned you are

Fact: This is not always the case. You should rather devote your time and resources to the platforms that align with your audience and marketing tactics.

When it comes to social media marketing, it’s important to focus on quality over quantity.

Trying to maintain an active presence on every social media platform can wear down your budget. You also risk spreading yourself too thin.

If you’re a small business owner, the following questions should guide you on your choice of social network:

• What platforms are your potential customers using?
• Which platforms can you comfortably use?
• What type of content do you create?
• Who are your target audience?
• Which platform will help you get the most exposure for your business?

Myth: Social media is only for young people

Fact: According to Pew Research, around 79% of 30-49year olds, and nearly 70% of 50-64 year olds are on social media.

Contrary to what many people might think, social media isn’t a youth-centric platform.

However, you should consider tailoring your content and approach on social media to cater for all demographics.

Myth: I can publish the same content on all my social media platforms

Fact: This is a no-no.

Cross-posting may appear as a convenient way of saving time online. However, you need to tailor your content in line with the “language” of each platform.

What’s fun on Instagram and Twitter might be perceived as being out of context on LinkedIn.

Optimize each content, take your time to go through it, and only serve your audience the best.

Again, focus on quality over quantity, that’s how you gain a loyal follower-base.

Myth: Large followers equals to success

Fact: Large following on social media is an indicator that you’re doing something right.

It’s either your content is creative or your marketing approach is flawless.

But does a large follower-base equal to success? Not necessarily.

You need to concentrate on the metrics that truly matter most to the growth of your business.

If you’re not achieving your desired goals, then having a large following is nothing but a smoke screen.

Focus on the result, not the numbers.

Read also: 7 Ways To Optimize Email Marketing That Leads To Conversion

Myth: Customer journey doesn’t matter on social media

Fact:  Yes it does! Customer journey describes a customer’s buying behaviour and social media is one of the touchpoints.

Most social media marketers are trying to adopt the system of concierge onboarding in social media content creation.

This application allows content marketers to create optimised content covering each stage of the buyer’s journey.

The entire customer journey can be wrapped up in one platform

Myths: My customers are not on social media

Fact: I get the sentimentality behind this assertion. In a bid to sound “sophisticated”, marketers often use this statement.

However, this is not always the case. In 2019, over 2.9billion people were active on social media, odds are at least your customer uses one..

Myth: You have to post multiple times in a day

Fact: On social media, consistency is king.

You should focus your attention on posting consistently, regardless of the number of posts per day.

Identify a frequency that works best for you and stick to it.

In conclusion

Social media marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. It involves strategy and patience.

Provide value, optimise your content to your target audience. Create a good mix of creative, educational and entertaining content that your audience will love.

Focus on quality content over quantity.