Social media is a way of life. In fact, two-thirds of American adults get their daily news from social media. Marketers, in particular, have been quick to tap into this trend since the dawn of social networking and sharing sites. However, even though social media has been around since 1997, there still are many misunderstandings about best practices in social media marketing. Here is a look at 11 myths still grappling social media strategists today.

 Social Media Myths

1. Don’t post too much. Many B2B marketers are concerned with oversaturating their social media with too much fluff. In reality, when 6,000 tweets are posted on Twitter every second, oversaturation is the least of your worries. With the vast amount of content that is posted daily across all channels, it’s best to embrace the wave and post according to each platform’s engagement statistics. Because the shelf life of a tweet is so short, it is appropriate to post more frequently. On the other hand, it’s only necessary to post on LinkedIn or Facebook once a day. To minimize boredom, mix up the type of content you post. Distribute articles, blogs and other formats as well as shorter, consumable excerpts.
2. Only post original content. It’s easy to think that reposting the same content multiple times is a bad practice or even spamming. Yet, your contributions may only reach a small fraction of your followers, let alone any new audiences. Reposting is an essential part of an effective social media strategy because it increases the likelihood audiences will see your content. Whether you simply re-share across multiple platforms or pull some of the best quotes and statistics from previous content, reuse often to ensure great content doesn’t go unnoticed in your followers’ ever growing feeds.
3. Companies shouldn’t talk about themselves. In marketing, we always talk about the importance of avoiding self-promotional content and instead creating customer-centric messaging. With social media, this isn’t always the case. Brand and messaging mean more coming from a company that audiences believe they know and understand. Speaking candidly about your business, the employees who operate it and the culture that exists are great ways to let your prospects and customers know about the faces behind the organization.
4. If you post it, they will come. Many marketers fall into the trap of believing simply posting great content is enough to build audiences. They put together a great piece, publish it on their website and on social media platforms, and wait for audiences to find it. That simply isn’t enough. Multichannel content distribution is vital. So too is reaching out to influencers, sharing in groups and forums, and engaging often to ensure your content is discovered.
5. It worked yesterday, so it should work today. This is a myth not only about social media, but in most facets of marketing. Just because something was effective once, doesn’t mean it will work again the next day. Many factors go into the success of a specific post. Use analytics tools, research and intuition to uncover why one piece succeeded over another, and do your best to duplicate it. At the same time, it’s important to understand that outlying factors can make all the difference in the content’s reach. Perhaps an influencer shared your work or a certain group featured your article. Sometimes “going viral” is simply the luck of the draw, so keep content flowing and test new distribution often.
6. It worked for them, so it should work for me. Another company or individual succeeded with a blog or video, so you want and expect to do the same. However, marketers can’t simply hope to copy a method or create similar content and expect the same results. Every company has different services, histories, circumstances, target markets and followers. All of these factors play a role in your success. It’s great to be inspired by others, but embrace your own unique qualities and make them your own.
7. As a business, you can’t show personality. B2B marketing is known for focusing on clean, professional, data-driven content. Many purchase decisions involve multiple stakeholders and long sales cycles. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are real people behind the companies. B2B brand messaging still can have personality, especially via social media, where variety is expected. Don’t be afraid to highlight your organization’s personality through employee features, seasonal fun and more.
8. Social media results aren’t measurable. ROI can be hard to measure in content marketing. In fact, 39% of marketers say proving the ROI of their marketing activities is their top marketing challenge. However, many social media platforms come equipped with rich analytics tools. A variety of third-party tools also are available to take analytics to the next level. Take advantage of these tools to measure engagement, distribution and shares. More importantly, use that data to direct future campaigns based on results.
9. You need to be on every social media platform. With the number of social media channels available, it can be overwhelming to include them all. In fact, sometimes it’s better to only focus on one or two platforms. Depending on the size of your company (and your marketing team), a highly effective social media strategy that only covers Twitter and Facebook can be more successful than inconsistent distribution across every channel possible. Find out which platforms your audiences use, focus engagement on one platform at a time and build from there.
10. The number of followers is what counts. Followers are the life force of your social media game. However, a large number of followers means nothing if they’re not active and engaged. You can have 5,000 followers, but if only five people like and share your article, your audience isn’t as big as you may think. Ensure your followers care about the expertise and content you have to share. Use groups, referrals and research to discover where your target markets lie. Reciprocity is key to a social media strategy, so reach out to followers and engage often.
11. Forums are dead. While the word “forum” may not be quite as prevalent, niche outlets still exist. LinkedIn and Facebook groups help marketers reach target audiences who can benefit from your content and insights. Take advantage of tools that narrow audiences by relevancy so you know the people you’re reaching are ones who matter.

Surviving the Social Media Game

Social media can be a powerful tool for marketers. When done correctly, it can build brand awareness, increase visibility, generate leads and engage clients and prospects. There are many misunderstandings about social media today, and more will continue to crop up as time goes on. Stay focused on what works in your social media strategy and don’t let passing trends or misconceptions throw off your balance. When it comes down to it, the strategy that works for your company will be unique. Try and test known practices, but establish realistic expectations and always prioritize successes for a social media strategy that flourishes.