Social media is a powerful technology but it’s also misunderstood. In its simplest form, social media is a way to connect with old friends from childhood or college and a way to share snippets of your daily life. In its more complex form, social media is a unique way to market your business and products to the entire world in a short amount of time. While you can take months or years to study the intricacies of social media and craft business strategies, there are three common myths about social media that business owners can dispel today.
Myth #1: You must use every single social media platform.
Expanding your reach is certainly a goal for business owners as that yields more sales and clients, which equals increased income. However, the real question to ask before signing up for every platform is: where is my ideal client? Using Facebook just because it has over 1 billion users doesn’t mean those 1 billion users will find you and start purchasing. Identify your ideal client and find out where they hang out. Those are the platforms you should use.
Trying to use every platform can spread a business too thin, resulting in subpar performance across all platforms. It’s better to focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active and engaged. This will allow a business to create a stronger presence and build meaningful connections with potential customers.
Additionally, it’s important to consider the type of content a business creates and how it can be adapted to different platforms. Some types of content may be better suited for certain platforms than others, so it’s important to consider which platforms align best with a business’s content strategy and goals.
Myth #2: Aim for every post to go viral.
It’s always fun to see a post go viral as they are usually entertaining or thought-provoking but of the viral campaigns you’ve noticed recently, could you say what company sponsored them? I can’t either. Aim to provide value in your posts mixed in with some of your personality as opposed to aiming for shock or entertainment value. Your ideal client wants to learn from you so your valuable lesson will be heard and remembered long after the latest viral video fades away.
While going viral on social media can be a powerful way to raise brand awareness and generate buzz, several other important aspects of business are arguably more important than a single viral post:
- Building a strong and engaged community: Rather than focusing solely on going viral, businesses need to prioritize building a strong and engaged community of followers on social media. This involves consistently posting high-quality content that resonates with followers, engaging with followers through comments and direct messages, and providing value to followers through promotions, discounts, and educational content.
- Establishing a strong brand identity: A strong brand identity is essential for businesses looking to establish themselves on social media. This involves developing a clear and consistent visual aesthetic, tone of voice, and messaging that aligns with the business’s values and resonates with its target audience.
- Providing excellent customer service: Social media has become a popular channel for customer service, and businesses that prioritize providing timely and effective customer support on social media are more likely to earn the loyalty of their customers.
- Measuring and analyzing performance: It’s important for businesses to regularly measure and analyze their social media performance in order to identify areas for improvement and optimize their strategies over time. This involves tracking metrics such as engagement rates, follower growth, and conversion rates, and using this data to inform future content and strategy decisions.
Myth #3: Having a large number of followers equals increased profits.
It sure is an ego boost to see a large number of social media followers but are these followers interacting with you? Are they liking or sharing your posts? Are they leaving comments? If not, then chances are they are not your ideal client and chances are they will never purchase one of your packages. Evaluate your posts; it’s quite possible they’re boring and that’s the reason for no response. Be more creative with your posts and watch for audience interaction. This directs back to the need for niching down to your ideal customer. You’re not appealing to everyone; you’re appealing to a small fraction of the world’s population. Pay attention to finding that demographic and the number of engaged audience members who will follow, as will the profits.
While having a large number of followers on social media can be beneficial for a business, it does not necessarily equate to increased profits. Having a large number of followers who are not engaged with a business’s content or products can be counterproductive. Businesses need to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to their social media following.
Instead of focusing solely on growing their follower count, businesses should aim to build a targeted and engaged audience that is genuinely interested in their products or services. This involves creating high-quality content that resonates with followers, engaging with followers through comments and direct messages, and providing value to followers through promotions, discounts, and educational content.
Ultimately, the goal of social media for businesses is to build meaningful connections with potential customers and drive sales, and a large follower count alone does not necessarily achieve that goal. Instead, businesses should focus on building a loyal and engaged audience that is more likely to convert into paying customers.
