6 Misconceptions of Social Media

When first starting off with social media, it's important to know the medium.  In order to understand what social media is, you first need to understand what it isn't.

If you missed it, here's a quick radio segment with JoyFM on the last three misconceptions of social media.



Below are the six misconceptions about social media:


It's not a megaphone




















Misconception #1: People think they can use social media as a megaphone.
Social media is NOT a broadcast tool to simply push your products or services. If this is all you do, your audience will stop listening.

For example, if you're in the Real Estate industry, don’t simply post listings to your Facebook page Twitter account, or Google +. Take the time to interact with your audience. Ask them questions, conduct polls, hold contests, promotions. And always be ready to respond.

Also, there's a difference between promoting yourself and broadcasting. Promoting done right means that you can showcase what you do, while still delivering value to your audience.

It's not simple

Misconception #2: People believe social media is simple.
To have success in social media requires effort, and is not as simple as some may assume. Having Conversations may be easy, but building relationships requires an investment of your time and money.


















Misconception #3: People believe that it is free.
Social media is not free. While the tools are free, the investment of your employees or your time is not. There may be times when you need to run social media campaigns, promotions, or 3rd party services which will cost you both time and money.


Misconception #4
Unless you're about to write a sequel to the movie, "Field of Dreams", this is not going to happen. You need to spend time building a community first and engaging your audience. Promotions and campaigns can be a great way to kickstart your community building efforts, but be sure to be responsive.






Misconception #5: It delivers immediate results.
Social media is not instant. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  It may take anywhere between 3 to 9 months of consistency before seeing results.


Misconception #6: It's only meant for marketing
Folks seem to think that social media is only meant as a marketing medium for your brand. This is simply wrong. Social media can be used for customer service, product development, recruiting, human resources, internal relations, market validation,etc.

What are some misconceptions that you frequently hear about social media? And how can we address them?

3 comments:

  1. @jeffroachNovember 29, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    Great post, Dave! These are bang on and myths we see businesses acting on every day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. davergallantNovember 29, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    Thanks Jeff.  Appreciate the comment.
    Is there one additional misconception that you would add to the list?

    ReplyDelete
  3. @jeffroachDecember 5, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    Online social engagement needs to be the role of everyone in a company who has a presence online and that share of the employee base needs to grow. Significantly. Derived from your point #6, businesses think social media is handled by a person or a department. But businesses that silo social media in that way are not social businesses and will continue to be lost in efforts to broadcast messages and clamp "social" activities onto existing marketing efforts. It won't work.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

6 Misconceptions of Social Media

When first starting off with social media, it's important to know the medium.  In order to understand what social media is, you first need to understand what it isn't.

If you missed it, here's a quick radio segment with JoyFM on the last three misconceptions of social media.



Below are the six misconceptions about social media:


It's not a megaphone




















Misconception #1: People think they can use social media as a megaphone.
Social media is NOT a broadcast tool to simply push your products or services. If this is all you do, your audience will stop listening.

For example, if you're in the Real Estate industry, don’t simply post listings to your Facebook page Twitter account, or Google +. Take the time to interact with your audience. Ask them questions, conduct polls, hold contests, promotions. And always be ready to respond.

Also, there's a difference between promoting yourself and broadcasting. Promoting done right means that you can showcase what you do, while still delivering value to your audience.

It's not simple

Misconception #2: People believe social media is simple.
To have success in social media requires effort, and is not as simple as some may assume. Having Conversations may be easy, but building relationships requires an investment of your time and money.


















Misconception #3: People believe that it is free.
Social media is not free. While the tools are free, the investment of your employees or your time is not. There may be times when you need to run social media campaigns, promotions, or 3rd party services which will cost you both time and money.


Misconception #4
Unless you're about to write a sequel to the movie, "Field of Dreams", this is not going to happen. You need to spend time building a community first and engaging your audience. Promotions and campaigns can be a great way to kickstart your community building efforts, but be sure to be responsive.






Misconception #5: It delivers immediate results.
Social media is not instant. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  It may take anywhere between 3 to 9 months of consistency before seeing results.


Misconception #6: It's only meant for marketing
Folks seem to think that social media is only meant as a marketing medium for your brand. This is simply wrong. Social media can be used for customer service, product development, recruiting, human resources, internal relations, market validation,etc.

What are some misconceptions that you frequently hear about social media? And how can we address them?

3 comments:

  1. @jeffroachNovember 29, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    Great post, Dave! These are bang on and myths we see businesses acting on every day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. davergallantNovember 29, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    Thanks Jeff.  Appreciate the comment.
    Is there one additional misconception that you would add to the list?

    ReplyDelete
  3. @jeffroachDecember 5, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    Online social engagement needs to be the role of everyone in a company who has a presence online and that share of the employee base needs to grow. Significantly. Derived from your point #6, businesses think social media is handled by a person or a department. But businesses that silo social media in that way are not social businesses and will continue to be lost in efforts to broadcast messages and clamp "social" activities onto existing marketing efforts. It won't work.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)