Social media is a rapidly evolving technology, and to make the most of it, brands need to be constantly learning and adapting in response.
With so much change and misinformation out there, it’s no wonder social media marketing myths spread and become accepted as fact so easily. Without proper research, an eagerness to stay on top of trends can end up hurting your marketing efforts in the long run.
Here are 5 of the most common social media marketing myths we hear every day and how to overcome them!
1.More followers = more sales
We often hear people focus too heavily on followers over engagement as a metric, but more followers doesn’t always equal more sales.
We get it, having a high follower count looks ‘cool’, but connecting with real potential customers is going to be more meaningful to your business than having lots of followers for the sake of vanity.
How do you know if you’re connecting with the right people? The answer is easy, engagement.
When people engage with your posts, meaning they’ve liked, reacted, commented or clicked on a link, it demonstrates that the content you’re putting out has resonated with someone enough to make them stop scrolling and take action.
Creating engaging content that’s aligned with your overarching strategy should be your focus, and when you achieve this, your following will grow organically.
We’re not discounting the importance of gaining followers altogether. Having a follower count is important for establishing credibility for your profile, but making sure you’re attracting the right followers is the real key to making more sales.
2. Hashtags are required for every post
If your social media strategy hinges on cramming as many hashtags into your posts as possible, it’s time to rethink.
Hashtags were once an essential part of social media marketing and were crucial if you wanted your posts to gain more reach. However, social media algorithms have become more intelligent in the way they prioritise content, especially in the past year.
Creating high quality content that engages your audience is much more impactful when it comes to expanding your reach. Choosing topics that are meaningful to your audience, incorporating eye-catching video and imagery and including relevant keywords are all going to improve the chance of catching your audience’s attention, therefore encouraging engagement and improving reach.
Hashtags still have their place on social media, but it’s important to use them strategically. Participating in large social movements or trends can help reach more people while reinforcing your brand’s values. Creating a unique hashtag for brand events can help encourage user generated content, which gets your brand name in more posts, and therefore in front of more people.
Remember less is more when it comes to hashtags. Focus your energy on creating high quality content first and only include hashtags if they’re going to add value.
3. I need expensive equipment for high quality content
People use social media because they want to be entertained and feel a real connection. These days the demand for extremely polished, high production value content is completely overshadowed by authenticity.
More and more brands (including big names like Virgin Australia, Telstra, Commonwealth Bank and Nestle) are approaching social media with a culture first mindset, meaning ‘real’, in-the-moment content is the focus. Brands are recognising that authenticity is what builds a genuine connection and strengthens loyalty with their audience, rather than a perfect, manufactured facade.
The great thing about this shift on social media is that in order to stay on top of fast moving trends, imperfect content is not just acceptable – it has become the expected norm. Anyone can successfully market their business on social media with a good strategy and a smartphone.
4. My customers aren’t on social media
According to Statista, as of July 2024, there were 5.45 billion internet users worldwide, which amounted to 67.1% of the global population. Of this total, 5.17 billion, or 63.7% of the world’s population, were social media users.
With over 60% of the world’s population reportedly using social media, it’s pretty safe to assume your customers are online too.
“But my business is too ‘boring’ for social media, will this post really result in a sale?” The answer is it won’t (usually).
Customers aren’t going to be waiting by their phones for your posts to convince them whether to spend money or not. They may not be ready to engage your services at that exact point in time, but you’ll want to take every opportunity to get your branding in front of your customers, so the next time they are ready to take action, you are top of mind. If your audience remembers you, they are going to feel an existing connection and sense of trust, giving you an edge over your competitors the next time they are in need of your services.
5. I don’t need a social media strategy
Who are your top 10 favourite creators on social media? We can guarantee they will have a social media strategy.
It’s tempting to put social media on the backburner, especially as a small business owner or time-poor marketing manager, because it’s hard to define a ROI on organic social media management.
But what separates the really successful businesses on social media, what makes them memorable and engaging, is a solid and strategic foundation.
The key is in the name, social. Think about how you behave with your friends. You know them really well, you know what interests them, and you generally try to do things together that you both enjoy. Then they let you know (one way or another) whether they liked it or not!
Fundamentally, this is what a social media strategy aims to achieve. Identifying who your audience is and how you can provide them value helps you generate the topics for content. Then working out how you’ll measure success, to understand whether it’s working or not, and making the necessary adjustments.
Have another social media marketing myth that’s haunting you? Ready to make an impact with a professional social media marketing strategy? Get in touch with us today. All it takes to get started is a quick chat about your business goals!
