10 social media myths
Mon 31 October 2011
, Vered Nata, LEAP
It seems that the hottest thing today in the market is Social Media. Anyone that has ever attended a 4 hour course on social media declares him or herself as social media expert. Judging by the amount of social media expert you would think that the social media is in demand as air. In her blog on Balanced Business Women Vered Nata explains the social media myths you must ignore. For some of us these will come as a relief.
From a short survey on Google I came up with the following information:
- 86,000 declared themselves as Social Media experts
- 16,000 wrote they are Blogging guru’s
- 20,000 declared themselves as Linkedin experts
- 24,000 said they are Twitter trainers
- 32,000 announced they are Facebook coaches, after reading the top 25 books and hundreds of articles about social media – when I look at my own experience with social media in the last years … I should warn you…
There’s so much contradicting, useless information out there…
Here are a few of my favorite myths and misconceptions about Social Media you better ignore, or you will get hurt:
1. Social media is cheap or free.
Yes, many social media tools are free to use, including Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, the social network building tool Ning, and content aggregators like StumbleUpon and Digg. There are many free blogging tools, too, like WordPress, Blogger, FriendFeed, and Twitter. But between that and making a lot of money from social media there is a huge gap. In order to do that you need to incorporating them into a corporate marketing program which requires time, skill, and money.
2. You need to be on all the big sites.
Most brands that have succeeded with social media sites generally focus on just a few of them. Just because the media says it’s cool to tweet doesn’t mean it has anything to do with your business. If you plan to frequent social networks, don’t spread yourself too thin. The companies that choose their weapons wisely and give it their all are the ones that succeed in the social space.
3. Blogging is dead, long live Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+…
Everyday a new social media is launched, and every couple of months the new platform becomes the talk of the day. Yet, till this day – blogging is the best platform to create VALUABLE conversations between you and your community and among the member of your community themselves.
And… it’s on your own territory.
If you only have time to do one social media platform right – it MUST be a blog.
4. You need to be a great writer to create a great blog
No you don’t. Your clients and prospects are not looking to read ‘war and peace’.
They’re looking for practical information and advice they can implement easily and quickly.
5. You need to blog as often as 3-5 times a week
Give me a break. Who’s going to read your ramblings every day?
Post a well-though article once a week or once in two weeks and make sure it delivers tons of value to your prospects and clients.
6. You can’t build quality relationships online.
The thinking on this goes that it’s a waste of time connect with people online that you don’t know in real life — that it’s a pointless exercise that doesn’t lead to lasting relationships with your brand. It’s actually quite the opposite: Social media enables you to be face to face with your target audience.
Even if they don’t turn into paying customers, you still gain valuable insight into what they think and what they react to.
7. You need to be live tweeting 24/7
Come-on … get a life!
It’s about the value you deliver. Tweet a couple of times a day a well-thought, pre-prepared, valuable tweets and you’re done!
It doesn’t take more than a few minutes a day.
8. Social media gives away content and ideas you should be charging for.
Simply put: The more you give, the more you receive in social media.
You need to let go of the idea that all the content you produce is your own property, engage with your audience, and encourage them to share what you’ve created. This is how you use wisely social media in order to get later return on that investment. It’s a long-term relationship that you are building.
9. Your LinkedIn profile is your online CV
OK, this one makes me nuts. You’ve got this powerful free networking tool that allows you to tell the world who you are as a professional – what you stand for and how you’re different from all the rest – and you don’t take a couple of hours to get it right? Shame on you!
And last but not least… a general Social Media myth:
10. Social Media is a waste of time
The truth is, social media CAN be a waste of time if you don’t plan your social media strategy. You can spend a lot of time absorbed in Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the rest. Stop wasting your time sending Angel Cards, or sharing about the sandwich you just had, or posting photos of your latest vacation.
Most people are not thinking about a strategic business use of social media – but you should.
Read more : http://www.balancedbusinesswomen.com/blog/10-social-media-myths-you-must-ignore#more-1689
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