Social Media Marketing Is Not Important in This Era-12 Misconceptions You Must Stop Now Or Give In To The Competition.

Does your business need social media marketing?

My friend runs a cloth line store for young professional ladies. She was doing great. But, with COVID -19, the business is making losses. No one comes to the store anymore.

Her competitor is doing great with sales. These two similar businesses in the same location with different results. What is the competitor doing differently? The competitor is online, my friend is not.

What changed?

COVID-19 is shaping the business landscape. What was working before is not working anymore, and what was not working now is.

Social Media is an integral part of the business world today. There is a mass consumption of online products than ever before. Businesses are moving online because that is where the consumer is. But success is not a guarantee. To succeed in social media marketing, you have to overcome the below misconceptions.

Does any of this sound familiar?

1. Social Media Is Not For Me, It Is Not For My Business

Gone are the days of physical store dominance. A larger population is migrating to online shopping. If your business is not online, your competition has an added advantage. Your company is losing visibility in the eyes of your customers, and the money is going to your competitor.

Embrace social media Marketing. With the right marketing strategy, you can build a strong and regular clientele.

2. Social Media Marketing Is Hard

Anything is hard when you do not know-how. Invest in social media marketing training.

There are free tools and courses online on social media marketing. Hard is when your business is going downhill, and you have no idea how to restore it.

3. Time Consuming

Social Media Marketing is time-consuming if you do not have the right tools and a marketing strategy. Use scheduling tools to cut down on time spent posting your content. Scheduling tools like buffer and Hootsuite can save you time. There are several social media management tools online. Do your research and choose one that suits your business and budget.

A marketing strategy will give you a foundation on when to post, when to engage, and when to close in on sales. A marketing strategy lets you know when you are on target and when you need to improve on what you are doing.

4. Social Media Is For Promotions Only

Direct promotions can be annoying. They are more annoying on social media.

Social Media is social. People go to social media to get entertained and connect with friends. If they find something educative, they appreciate it. Useful and entertaining content will capture your audience and turn them to clients. Be creative and entice your prospects without being downright promotional.

5. Any Platform Will Do, The More The Better

Your target audience is not across all social media channels. Age and demographics affect social media consumption.

Do your research and find out platforms that your prospects dominate. Focus your marketing around these channels. Identify at least three social media channels that resonate with your audience. Do not overstretch your resources.

6. Any One Can Manage Social Media

Anyone can use social media, but not everyone can manage social media marketing. Your goal is not to exist online. Your goal is to create a presence that converts prospects into paying customers. And convert paying customers into brand ambassadors.

Do not hand over your social media management to anyone in your company. Social media marketing needs a person who understands how it works. Choose a dedicated team and give them training. Let the team handle your social media platforms. Then sit back and watch the magic happen.

7. You Do Not Need a Marketing Strategy Or Content Calendar

Embarking on social media marketing without a social media marketing strategy is catastrophic. A social media presence with no marketing strategy is like a ship in deep waters with no compass. You can go anywhere and nowhere, but you will never reach your destination.

Your social media marketing strategy is your compass.

8. Social Media is for the younger generation

Wow, this is an old one. More and more of the older generation is on social media. 40% of adults aged 65 and above use social media in the US. 69% of adults aged between 50–64 are consumers of social media.

There is an increase in the older generation embracing social media. Do not shy to take your business online because it targets the elderly. The more channels of distribution you have, the better.

9. Social Media Marketing is Free

Social media marketing is not free, it has never been, and it will never be. Take into consideration the time and human resources you use to post and engage on social media.

In some cases, you may have to boost your posts and run campaign adverts. Have a budget for your social media marketing direct and indirect costs.

10. Negative comments Are Damaging To Your Brand.

Negative comments are damaging if they come from your brand. When they come from your consumers, it is an opportunity to improve. Shying away from social media because of negative comments is not helping your business.

Social media helps you to pick negative sentiments you would have never known existed. The more feedback you have, the better picture you have on your business. Remember, the success of your business is not how you see it, but how your consumers see it.

Take advantage of negative comments to improve your product and services.

11. The more Hashtags The Better

Hashtags guide people to discover your posts and campaigns. When used effectively, they attract traffic to your content. But, you get penalized if you misuse them.

Instagram can accommodate many hashtags. It is not the same as other platforms. Twitter and Facebook do well of 2 to 3 hashtags. Do your research well before using hashtags. Make your hashtags audience targeted.

12. Tracking Social Media Performance Is Impossible

Social media campaigns can be tracked effectively as any other marketing platform. Social media platforms have built-in tracking tools that can monitor your post and campaign performance.

Final word

Social media marketing has evolved over the ages. COVID-19 has accelerated social marketing evolution. More people opt to shop online. Many businesses have lost their clientele during this period.

Master the art of social media marketing to remain competitive. Build an online presence and be visible to prospects. Invest in social media marketing and social media learning courses to grow your business. Happy social media marketing day.