3 COMMON SOCIAL MEDIA MYTHS

By: Kat Best, Spring 2018 Intern

Social media can be a powerful tool for reaching consumers; however, there are still a lot of misinformation about how businesses should use social media. There are 3 common misconceptions surrounding social media that you need to understand for a successful social media campaign:

Social media is strictly a one directional communication channel.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth. People tend to think of social media in a news conference sort of format, where you tell people about your company and that’s it. However, not only is social media a way for you to disseminate information to the public, but it’s also a way for them to talk back to you. Social media is about creating relationships with people and giving them a chance to connect with your brand. Good business social media pages keep their followers immersed and involved. It’s important that you understand who you’re trying to reach so that you can create content that would be engaging to your target audience. 

Social media will eliminate face-to-face networking.

Social media may be able to help you connect with people, however, face-to-face networking is still extremely valuable. People, whether they’re customers, vendors, etc., still need and want in-person interaction. Personability is key when forming business relationships. Social media is meant to complement your brand’s existing public relations and marketing strategies. 

Social media is only for young people.

People tend to underestimate the value and importance of social media for a brand and laugh it off as a something that only the younger generation does. While it is true that the younger generation tends to be more heavily involved with social media, you’d be surprised at the age range of social media users. It also pays off if you know where to look for your target demographic. For example, if you were trying to reach older clientele, you would have more success with Facebook than you would Instagram. The effectiveness of your digital campaigns will rely on you knowing who your target audience is and where to find them.