In 2020, global digital ad spend was over 370 billion. and it looks like that number is not going to slow down anytime soon. It can be difficult to navigate social media marketing.
Here are the top social media marketing myths to look out for to save your wallet.
Myth #1: “I need to be on all platforms.”
This is not true. There is no need to spend an enormous amount of time optimizing different platforms.
The best strategy is to pick a platform that aligns with your audience and attack it.
Myth 2: “The more hashtags, the better”
This is another common misconception that you should avoid like the plague. Hashtags are great if you are trying to get more visibility but there is such a thing as overkill.
A good rule of thumb is to use 20-30 hashtags as you are trying to grow your following. Then, reduce that number to 8-15 as you reach an audience that you are comfortable with.
Myth 3: “Social media is only used by young people.”
This is not true. LinkedIn, for example, has a very large audience of middle-aged professionals.
People are often fooled by platforms, that have audiences that are 16-25. Social media has now become the preferred method of communication for all age groups.
The sooner you figure that out, the better your marketing strategy will be.
Myth 4: “Social media marketing is free.”
Developing a social strategy takes time, which is our most valuable asset.
If you want to create valuable content for your social following you will have to invest money. Adobe Creative Suite, a good camera, and hiring social media management are not cheap. The accounts with millions of followers invested thousands of dollars on their content.
After this investment, they were able to create a sustainable business model. You will have to follow the same path to reach a big audience.
An example of this would Instagram, with now over a billion users. It is competitive to get optimal marketing on Instagram as highlighted by this blog. You will have to spend thousands on ads to get the visibility that you would have been able to get organically a few years ago.
Myth 5: “Great marketing will make up for a lackluster product.”
It does not matter how great your social content is, the product has to be as great if not better for you to sustain. The product will fuel good marketing and good marketing is fuel by a good product.
Word of mouth still has cache. If you have a bad product, then people will find out.
What You Should Know
Social media is a new landscape for entrepreneurs, businesses, and content creators. The mechanisms of social media change in a day. It is important to be able to adapt to these changes. If you do, then your social media marketing will be optimized.
Follow our Market section to stay up to date on all trends in marketing.
