Everyone knows that social media is a necessary part of marketing, but many business owners are buying into myths regarding social media. It can be quite daunting starting up your social media accounts for your brand and you have probably heard conflicting messages about what you should and should not do.

Well, let’s bust some of the most common myths about social media marketing and uncover the truth about social media for business.

You need a brand presence across all platforms

When considering your marketing strategy you will have identified your target audience. So when you are looking at your social media presence you need to do the same.

If your customers or potential followers do not use certain platforms then you are wasting your time developing a brand presence there. Doing it right on one platform is much better than doing a mediocre job on a few. You will get a much better response by sharing quality content adapted to the platform you have decided to use.

Social media is just for sales

Yes, Social media can be important from a selling point of view. However, the most beneficial use of social media is customer engagement. In fact, if you just use your accounts to promote sales then you are likely to lose your followers interest.

These platforms can be essential for improving trust in your business and for brand recognition. Use social media to answer questions and resolve queries in real time. Building trust and confidence in customers purchasing products and services from your business.

You will be found and followed easily

Many people will just build their social media pages and wait for followers to find them. You might be waiting a long time if you take this approach.

If you want to make yourself known on these platforms then you need to put some effort in. Engage with users, post and share interesting and relevant content, making your page one that customers want to hear from. If readers look forward to your posts then you are in a good place. You need to target your audience well, if you are marketing a Physical Therapy website, for example, you don’t want to make these mistakes.

It is as simple as posting the same content across all platforms

Make a great post and share it across all your accounts simple right? Actually, it doesn’t work like that. With the different types of posts and formats on different platforms, your well-crafted article or post may not look or be received as you expected. The best thing you can do is target each platform separately and make great content for each audience you have. Plus if people follow you on different social media sites, they don’t want to see the same content again and again.

You can post any time of day

Social media is twenty-four–seven so it doesn’t really matter when you post. Wrong again, when are your customers online? This is something you need to know so you can post or schedule posts accordingly. Researching when your brand will reach the most followers is essential to getting the right content to the right people at the best time. You put work into your posts so you need to make sure they are seen and shared.

You don’t have to worry about copyright on Social media

Just because something is shared on social media it doesn’t mean it can be used copyright free. If you use pictures, photos or other information found on the internet you need to check the copyright before using it in any marketing campaign.

Some creative commons items can be used freely, others can be used if the creator is credited but some cannot be used at all. Content use for commercial purposes can be different too, so you need to be careful before using anything you find on the internet.

Use as many hashtags as possible

Hashtags can be a good and a bad thing. Using too many can actually be detrimental to your post. It may be unclear what your content is about or it may look like a paid or promoted post. By using the less is more concept when it comes to hashtags you can be clear and to the point with your shares. Your followers will also know where you are coming from each time. You could also use your own hashtag and make it a part of your brand, representing you every time you post and share.

So what are the top tips for using social media marketing?

Now you know what not to do and how to change your ways of thinking when it comes to social media marketing. Here are the top 3 things you should be doing with your social media accounts.

Share relevant and quality content. If you want to interest your followers you need to share the right content that is relevant to both them and your brand.

Engage quickly and effectively with your followers. Answering questions in a timely manner will improve your brands’ credibility.

Target the right audience. Make sure you are sharing your content with those people who are potential customers and not to those who are not interested.

What social media myths have been busted for you?

Do you have a better understanding of how social media marketing works now? There are plenty of different stories you will hear but as long as you stick to the fundamentals and have a great marketing strategy you are sure to succeed. There are also tools you can use to make your social media marketing even easier. Are there any myths that have been busted for you?

About the Author: Charles Dearing is an experienced digital marketer and blogger who writes for PatientSites.com, which is a digital marketing agency for physical therapy websites and clinics. Charles enjoys sharing his experience on popular blogs such as 60secondmarketer.com.