Here are some of the top myths that continue to perpetuate when it comes to businesses getting involved with social media:
- If you build it, they will come. It worked for Kevin Costner in the movie Field of Dreams but it doesn’t happen that way in the real world. Building your brand in social media requires consistent promotion and engaging content that brings value to your target audience. Just putting up a Facebook page or creating a Twitter handle isn’t going to bring fans or followers. The key is to provide quality content frequently to your followers, then more will come.
- My company must be on every social network. There are thousands of social sites out there but not every one of them is right for your business and matches your target audience. A better approach is to focus your energies on sites you deem most important because of the type of content, activities or audience it attracts and as you have the time and resources to add more do so. Social media is about quality interactions not quantity of posts so choose where you direct your efforts carefully.
- Social Media is so easy I can have an intern do it. While interns can be a huge help in the office, think carefully about who you want to manage the “face of your company” to the rest of the world. Well done social campaigns and interactions can benefit your company and bottom line significantly, but one blunder, poorly handled response or seemingly innocent request like Nestle did (read here) can be costly.
- Social Media is free. While Facebook and Twitter don’t charge you to create a profile or page, setting up and maintaining an effective one requires planning, resources and time. As with most things, the more you put in the more you’ll get out and social media is no different. Does this mean you need to allocate a million dollar budget or not bother? Absolutely not. But it does mean starting with a social strategy, establishing measureable goals and metrics to hold everyone accountable so that over time you can show results and a return on your investment.
- Social Media is only useful for selling products. While many consumers turn to social media and social review sites to influence their purchase decisions, social media is not used solely for selling products. In fact, few are actually sold on social sites. Rather social media has become a way to inform and educate consumers and direct them to learn more about what you have to offer. It has also become one of the most powerful sources of acquiring genuine feedback from consumers and can provide the opportunity to resolve problems you never would have heard about otherwise.
What myths do you still see alive and kicking?
~Jackie Kmetz
Social Intelligence Crusader
