Social media marketing is a startup’s best friend. With it, a small business can punch above its weight marketing-wise and even outdo larger corporations if the conditions are right. So a savvy entrepreneur should never disregard social media’s potential, and should actively look for ways to leverage it. However, silver bullets don’t exist, and this approach still requires proper implementation by well-versed professionals. Success takes more than just a few “viral” posts and self-proclaimed social media “gurus” can’t just magically boost sales and get outrageous ROIs. The social media marketing world is always changing, so to properly utilize it one must dispel the myths, go past the buzzwords, and gain a working understanding of the subject.
So here are some social media marketing myths we’re gonna bust:
Social media marketing only works on young people
These millennials, right? And those Generation Z kids, too. Always on their phones, surfing the web, checking their notifications. Why can’t these youngsters be like everyone else-
Bzzt, wrong! Many millenials are already in their 30s. And a lot of their parents, and even their grandparents, are just as well-connected as they are. Social media helps families stay in touch across long distances. It keeps the young and old from being lonely, as they’ll share funny cat pictures, set events and send invites for family reunions, and so much more.
This means that social media marketing’s reach can be really, really long and wide. And it’s not just for the latest fads aimed at youngsters. It can work just as well for parents looking for a sweet deal for pilates classes, DIY types out for home improvement supplies, senior citizens looking for nostalgic antique products, and other potential customers of all ages.
Social media is the same for all businesses!
A business should know its audiences and its own strong suits before launching a social media campaign. You need an understanding of the types of customers you have, and how each kind will react to the specific sort of content you are releasing. Your content should also tie in to aspects of your business that work better with social media.
For example:
A fitness establishment might tailor content highlighting intensive workouts such as powerlifting for younger, more athletic demographics. Less intensive activities such as yoga or ellipticals can be used in content aimed at a different audience.
A grocery store holding a sale on child care supplies would have ads directed to a different audience than a sale on barbecue-related products.
A restaurant, with an actual physical presence and a broad customer-base, can use both social media and traditional marketing. A business with a niche audience, on the other hand, would be better suited by going guerilla. Virtual assistants, employees working online, are at a great position to become the frontline of this kind of campaign.
I/my partner/kid knows how to use Facebook, they can handle my business’ social media strategy
A social media marketing specialist isn’t just someone with a good grasp of using social media. There’s a difference between a social media consumer and a specialist who formulates campaigns and creates content.
Strategizing and implementing a marketing campaign requires an understanding of how the business works, your audiences’ tastes and thought processes, familiarity with the specific kind of social media as well as cross-media platforms, as well as the ability to create compelling visual and written content or coordinate with those who have the relevant specialities.
These are hard-earned abilities that come from both training and experience in the field. This is where your specialist VA comes in, with the knowhow necessary to maximize social media’s potentials in ways beyond ordinary humans.
Social media campaigns result in instant returns!
A proper campaign that’s sustainable will require time and effort to set up. A business needs an established online presence to convey its brand and its identity. Then audiences will recognize your startup, check out your content, like and share them. These will then translate to sales as customers are drawn in. This is a process that needs to take its course. Random posts don’t just become viral sensations, and campaigns can generate great returns without having one-shot wonders. As the Jedi say: Patience, my padawan. In due time, that campaign will become awesome.
Takeaway
Social media marketing offers lucrative benefits for businesses great and small, particularly plucky startups looking for a cost-effective advantage and an alternative to traditional forms of marketing. However, like any strategy, it has to be intelligently implemented or else it will fall flat. And yes, as an emerging field there is still much to learn about social media’s workings, and there are also myths and misconceptions to dispel. All this is why businesses that pick up on it earlier will be at an advantage. The general population is growing ever more connected, young and old alike rely on social media to keep in touch and stay informed. Businesses must follow suit, in order to be accessible and to reach customers better. This is no longer “the future,” it is the now and no one wants to get left behind.
– John Li
