Top 5 Social Media Marketing Myths
Posted by Beth Hrusch on Fri, Jun 04, 2010
As companies delve into social media, it starts becoming clear for many of them that there may be more to the whole thing than they originally thought. Even though people are getting better at social media for personal use, learning how to use it for marketing purposes is a different animal. So, regardless of what you may have heard from your friends, colleagues or teenage daughter, the fact is that none of the following things are true:
1. Social media marketing is easy.
Social media takes time, energy and resources. Which means that if you think you can activate an account, tweet a few times a day and friend whoever comes along hoping they'll be interested in your business, you're mistaken. Social media is a fast-paced environment that demands your attention. You must spend time reading posts, learning about what interests potential customers and posting thoughtful commentary. This is why many companies are outsourcing their social media marketing to people who have the time.
2. Social media marketing brings instant results.
Sorry, no. You'll probably have to stick with it for at least 6 months or so before you gain enough targeted followers to start seeing results. You need to have patience and persistence with this medium, because it's actually more suited to building relationships than making sales. Sales come later, as a natural result of the relationships.
3. Social media doesn't cost anything.
Depending on how ambitious you are with social media and what your goals are, it can cost you either a little or a lot of money to use. But it isn't free. If you don't have time to post on a regular basis and really keep up with it, you'll have to hire someone to do it for you. You may also need the services of a consultant to help you formulate a strategy. Remember, chatting, posting, updating, etc. takes time-- a precious commodity for many executives and small business owners.
4. Social media marketing is for everyone.
Social media doesn't work well for every person, so it stands to reason that it won't be compatible for every business, either. You shouldn't be discouraged from trying it, but keep in mind that it is best suited for products and services that are of interest to people who use social media as a main source of information. The latest mobile app, for instance, or 4G technology-- now that's a couple of sexy topics. Life insurance, not so much so. Unless you can come up with a clever, attention-grabbing way to sell life insurance, your social media ROI may be disappointing.
5. All you need is great content.
Well, we content marketers may be partially to blame for your belief that great content sells itself. Great content is, well great-but unfortunately it doesn't know how to sell itself. Much of it, in fact, remains unseen and unappreciated because its creators don't get the word out. Effective social media relies on you linking to your content, creating insightful comments and providing people with a way to find your content through RSS feeds. If you maintain your relationships, do a little give and take, then they'll be willing to check out your content and even spread it around for you.
Social media is an indirect form of marketing. It hurts to say it, but-- most people who visit your social media profiles will never buy your products or click on your ads. The good news is that, if your expectations are realistic, and you tailor your time and budget accordingly, your efforts will garner a group of followers who are targeted and interested in your company. This group, though perhaps small, have a relationship with you that will gain you not only sales from them, but their recommendations to other potential customers.