There is an awful lot written about social media.
In one article, it is the savior of the planet, in another, it is the start of the demise of mankind. Regardless of your point of view (probably somewhere in between these two I guess), there is a lot of nonsense written about social media. I am hoping not to add to that today!
I have chosen five widely believed social media ‘facts’ and in the best traditions of social media, I will tear them part!
My audience isn’t on social media: This is often heard but not often true. With more than one billion daily active users (yes, daily), chances are that your audience have a Facebook account – it is just a case of trying to find them and engage them. But this is somewhat oversimplifying matters. Perhaps a better question would be ‘will my audience be responsive on social media’? If you are selling fashion online, the answer is probably yes – if you are selling bespoke drilling machinery to companies, the answer is possibly not (but do see next myth).
Our product is too boring for social media: There is no such thing as a boring industry – every industry and company is interesting as long as you are talking to the right audience and using the right angle in your content. I am sure that before some great work on YouTube, trying to sell a blender or raise the profile of hydraulic presses was deemed pretty boring – Blendtec and Hydraulic Press Channel have over 2m YouTube subscribers between them today.
Social media is complicated: It’s not as complicated as you think. All social networks are based on the principles of informing or entertaining audiences with interesting content, whether that is text-based, and image, sound file or video. The way that the content is viewed and shared may differ, but the principles of good content and the right audience are simple (not easy!) and pretty much universal.
I’m too old for social media: This is often used as a justification for when a social media account for a company is being run by the owner’s 14 year old (I have seen this happen before!). Not to say that the 14 year old is not a marketing genius, it’s just that youth doesn’t guarantee knowledge of how to manage social media any more than any other demographic does. You’re not too old: 40 is the new 14.
Measurement of social media is too fluffy: It really isn’t. In fact, there are not too many marketing channels which you can measure as closely as social media. From one post you can track impressions (how many times it has been seen), how many people engaged in it, how many people clicked on it, what they did when they got to your website and whether that achieved your original objective. Often if there is an issue with measurement, the objective has not been clearly and SMART-ly defined. If your objective is clear, the important metrics will become very clear.
Do you have a favourite social media myth that you’d like to put an end to? Leave a comment and share your experience.
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