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6 Social Media Myths You Should Stop Believing

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Ah, social media. The great enigma of eCommerce marketing.

 

Social media might come naturally to you. To many others, it’s a mystery they desperately seek to understand.

 

It doesn’t help there are dozens of social media myths circulating our business circles. Everyone seems to have some special trick to succeed on Facebook or Twitter.

 

We don’t know every rumor you’ve heard about social media. But we do know the more common myths people like to spread.

 

Want to know what you should believe? We’re debunking the biggest social media myths to help you better your marketing strategy.

 

Myth #1: Social Media Was Free

Organic reach isn’t what it once was. That’s no myth.

 

But organic reach was never as good as some people make you believe.

 

When organic reach was at its peak, the real winners were still using paid advertisements to garner attention. Why?

 

Because they’ve always been more effective at attracting customers.

 

Even still, organic reach isn’t free. Organic reach relies on great content.. It relies on a dedicated social media marketing team. You need experts to maximize organic reach.

 

Simply put, unless you can develop shareable content on your own and maintain a complex social media marketing strategy by yourself, you’ll need to invest in the help of others.

 

Myth #2: Social Metrics Are Irrelevant

 

Ever been told social metrics don’t matter? Well you heard wrong, because they most certainly do.

 

Reach, impressions, demographics, and engagement are all substantially important.

 

Don’t create generic content because you don’t think demographics matter. According to SproutSocial, 74% of shoppers are annoyed by brands who provide content that doesn’t interest them.

 

Why does this happen?

 

Because brands don’t care about demographics or other social metrics.

 

Look at your metrics for previous posts on Facebook or Twitter. Which posts performed well? Which didn’t?

 

The ones which perform well probably appeal better to your audience. Look at the age range of people interacting with your articles. Look at which part of the world they’re from.

 

Your social media metrics can tell you a lot about your audience. Use them to your advantage when you create content and develop a social media marketing strategy.

 

#3: Social Media Doesn’t Create Sales

 

Earlier this week, I was scrolling through my Facebook. I saw a sponsored post about the SuperBook, a new product which turns your smartphone into a laptop.

 

I thought, wow. What a concept.

 

And I pre-ordered the product.

 

I had no idea the SuperBook existed until I saw their post on Facebook. Their post lead to a sale. Not just one sale, but thousands – in fact, they met their Kickstarter goal in just 30 days.

 

Much of their campaign was largely driven by social media.

 

According to SproutSocial, 75% of consumers have purchased a product because they saw it on social media. That’s a lot of consumers.

 

Don’t be fooled by this myth. Get out there and advertise your product on social media. Thousands of sales are driven each day by posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use these platforms as an extension of your sales campaign.

 

 

Myth #4: Your Customers Don’t Use Social Media

 

Okay, this myth can be true. Social media is still relatively new, and not everyone uses it.

 

Whether or not your customers are on social media largely depends on what you're selling.

 

Is your product targeted at Millennials or youth consumers? Or are you selling something that appeals to an older crowd?

 

The older your target audience, the less likely they are to be on social media. However, more people use social media today from all age groups than ever before.

 

Truth is, it doesn’t matter what you’re selling. There are users on social media who will care about. There may not be as many as you’d like, but they’re out there. A little research may show there are more people online interacting which your product than you previously thought.

 

Myth #5: You Should Use Every Social Media Platform

 

There are dozens of social media platforms. You can’t possibly maintain a presence on all of them. Well, not without a team of professionals to help.

 

Look at your target audience. Which social media platforms are they most active on? There’s no use having a presence on platforms your audience doesn’t use.

 

Are your customers on Facebook? Use Facebook. Are they on Twitter? Use Twitter.

 

Choose a few platforms your audience is present on to begin with, and go from there. As you grow, you can expand onto other social media sites.

 

Myth #6: Content and Social Media Are Separate Entities

 

Should you focus on your content marketing strategy first, then craft your social media marketing strategy around it?

 

Or maybe you should craft your social media marketing strategy, then create content to fit around it.

 

In reality, the two should be treated as one. When you plan content, plan how it will work with your social media marketing plan. The two should go hand in hand if you wish to make the most of both.

 

What social media myths have you heard? Let us know in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

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