Jess Carson
As the world continues going digital, social media is becoming a common marketing tool for small and large-scale businesses. After all, the digital storefront is just as important as the physical storefront. But the science of social media is still developing and the best practices for the medium is an ever-evolving door. As a result, there’s a plethora of myths surrounding what makes a social media marketing campaign successful.
Myth #1: Facebook Is The Only Useful Social Tool
It’s surprising that this is still circulating around the digital space. Sure, Facebook is the largest social media network in the world, but sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest should not be discounted. LinkedIn, for example, is swiftly evolving into the leading social network for professionals. It can be used to market your personal goals or your company. It is also a way to foster relationships with businesses and potential (and current) clients.
Myth #2: If It’s Not Viral, It Has No Value
This one is definitely a cause for discouragement of social media marketing efforts for businesses. Marketers tend to measure campaign success by the number of views. What they don’t take into account is that a large number of viral videos, messages or articles are one-hit wonders. How many of those viral campaigns followed up with an equally viral sequel? You should focus on building value via fresh and relevant content that your consumers want to interact with. Over time, you’ll see the number of consistent interactions with your content organically rise.
Myth #3: Repetition Is A Good Idea
Every now and then, you know you’ve posted pure gold on your page. Therefore, you’re equally surprised if you don’t get much interaction with said post. How do most consumers “remedy” this issue? By posting the same thing multiple times. This isn’t a good idea. Reposting the same content over and over (seemingly to maximize views) will do nothing but annoy your current followers. This could lead to future posts being ignored or your page being “unfollowed” altogether. Keep your content fresh and varied.
Myth #4: Social Media Is Too Informal
On the contrary, social media is perfect for showing consumers that you’re human. When someone walks into your physical storefront, you don’t sit behind your desk without interacting with him or her. You want to engage and build a solid rapport with potential consumers. Your digital presence should be treated the same way. Let your followers hear your personality via printed words. The CIA’s first tweet is a great example. If the strictest institution in the nation can add in a little personality with their brand, so can you. Humanizing your brand digitally will build trust in your brand, which can lead to engagement and conversions.
Myth #5: Social Media Generates “Likes,” Not Conversions
The truth is, social media generates both. After you’ve built your following and created a voice for your brand on social media, the real work begins. You must engage with your followers. Listen to what they want, respond to inquiries and complaints. Inquiries can become leads. Leads can become conversions. You have to look at your digital presence in the same light as a physical storefront. When people arrive, you have to put in a little extra work to convert. Every “like,” “follow,” or “re-tweet” you receive is a potential lead. Follow up on the lead and convert.
Final Thoughts
Create fresh content. Images and videos accompanying your outbound links drive more engagement than plain text links. Resolving complaints on your page for the public to see drives trust in your brand name and respect for your level of customer service.
Social media marketing is powerful. You can reach millions of consumers with the push of a button. Social media networks are evolving to cater to businesses with the addition of intuitive tools like Facebook Ad Manager or Twitter Ads. Take advantage of everything at your disposal to grow your business on social media. Do not shy away from creating your own unique voice and interacting with your followers.
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