Since I run the small social media agency that I launched more than a year ago, I have had all kinds of clients with various problems and even more desires.
And my goal from the beginning was to help our clients’ businesses grow and be satisfied. And to be more than a company you do business with! To know so much and to advise you how a professional consultant would do it, to be at your disposal and to answer as promptly as an employee would do and to execute and put into practice as an expert would do.
Sometimes it came out, sometimes it didn’t. And from the recent meetings and relationships with the clients I work with, I noticed some major mistakes they make and although we advise them differently, we often have to talk 30 times and understand once. These are myths about social media that keep spreading and that I want to dismantle a bit.
More and more often people come to us and contact us to help them with social media. Either they don’t have time, they don’t know and they don’t know or they tried and it didn’t work out. But invariably, 90% of them see one (or more) of the mistakes below.
What mistakes do many of those we work with on social media make? What could you learn from them and the answers we give them? And which of them do you recognize the most?
Client: I heard that if we do Facebook and post we will have clients. What should we do and how and when do we start? Yes … listen … I don’t want to put money in this, because it works without it! I don’t want to pay on Facebook … Why give money to them?
Answer: NO! In most cases, it does NOT work without investing something, either time or money and often both! Indeed, Facebook has lately become a more business platform than a year or two ago … in terms of advertising. They focused on making money. And that’s normal! I’m just a company that should make money, pay salaries, servers, administrative staff, phones, bills, electricity, space, etc. NO, Facebook is not a bearded charity that you can grow your business and make money… for free! I had a Client in Shayari and Status market. They say social media marketing is a huge investment but I plan to serve them for free. Then I proved them if you have the skill then everything is free.
Someone has said, “if you are good at something dont do it for free.”
The saying “you have to spend money to make money” holds true in many aspects of business, including advertising and content creation. While it’s possible to achieve results with cost-effective strategies, a strategic investment in advertising and promotion often yields better outcomes.
In the digital age, platforms like Facebook have become powerful tools for reaching a wider audience. However, the algorithms and rules governing these platforms can change, affecting visibility and reach. Adapting to these changes and utilizing the platforms effectively can be the key to maintaining success.
Your analogy of selling strawberries is apt. Having a well-placed stall and targeting the right audience are crucial components of attracting customers. Similarly, in the online world, understanding your target audience and investing in targeted advertising can lead to higher engagement and conversions.
The central message here is about adaptation. Adapting to the evolving landscape, whether it’s in marketing strategies or changes in platform algorithms, is vital for sustained success. Complaining about changes doesn’t yield results; instead, learning, adjusting, and making the most of the available tools can lead to better outcomes and profitability.
Your insights emphasize the importance of strategy, calculated investment, and the ability to evolve with the shifting dynamics of the market. It’s a valuable perspective for businesses aiming to thrive in today’s competitive environment.
# 2: No, giving money on many Likes is not a smart goal!
Client: I want a lot of likes, I need to grow up, to be seen by a lot of people, to be seen that I have a lot of likes and a big community and a name in the field.
Answer: NO, many likes are not a smart goal and you should not focus on them. You shouldn’t spend half of your budget on them, as some have seen.
Why? Because nowadays, the fact that X gave you a Like on the page doesn’t mean much anymore. It doesn’t mean they will always see your posts. Only 5-10% of people will see them. So why spend so much money on likes? It does not mean that you will have customers, it does not mean (automatically) that you will make money. I love seeing my clients attitude at the same time. It’s really funny. Ow, I remember a funny shayari for them,
I’m not saying it’s wrong to grow your community. Or invest in it. But do it with your head. Invest in more measurable things, which can really bring you profit and whose ROI (return on investment) you can measure more correctly / well than in likes. To invest your budget today in the crazy gathering of likes and without any other business objective (email leads, product promos, engaging engagements, etc.) nowadays when alike no longer means so much many… is stupid! And you lose money! And then blame Facebook! Or us! Anything less than your wrong thinking. Either in business or you listen to the advice of a person who knows, or if you do as you cut your head and it goes wrong you bear the consequences.
# 5: No, you won’t see results today or tomorrow!
Client: Did you change that? Why not see the result? Why is nothing happening? Why doesn’t the phone ring, why hasn’t anything been sold today?
Answer: As with any relationship, the results are not immediately apparent. Even in the case of a sales process, people see the advertisement today and will buy tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or for three days or a week. Have a little patience and you will see results. Let things work and test only after a few days a week. Your posts are not immediately visible. Your ads, too, have no immediate effect.
Sure, 90% of 18 to 25 yr olds had been utilizing social media in 2019, however, in keeping with Statista, over 80% of 30 to 49 yr olds, and almost 70% of 50 to 64 yr olds are on social media.
# 7: Newer platforms, like Snapchat and TikTok aren’t valued taking critically.
Snapchat and TikTok are each cell social media apps which have pulled in millennials and Gen Z because of their distinctive platforms. Whereas Snapchat thrives on ephemeral content material, AR filters, and Bitmoji options, TikTok highlights goofy, enjoyable, or musical 10 to 60-second movies just like Vines.
Although these platforms pull in odd content material created by customers, it would not essentially imply that manufacturers cannot use the apps to realize credibility and consciousness.
At this level, a plethora of manufacturers — from publishers to B2C corporations — have created profiles or adverts for TikTok. One of the vital stunning and oldest manufacturers to construct a TikTok technique is The Washington Put up. Though the publication has a really formal social media presence on different platforms, they use TikTok to focus on the humorous, but human, aspect of working in a newsroom.
Equally, a variety of bigger companies have additionally launched paid promotions or long-form Tales on Snapchat Uncover. To be taught extra about these corporations and the content material they’ve launched, take a look at this weblog to publish.
At this level, you definitely take any fashionable social media platform critically. However, as we were famous when debunking earlier myths on this publish, you must establish which platforms the greatest match your viewers and your objectives earlier than spending money and time to construct a method for them.
The factor with social media is that it strikes actually quick. What’s posted at present would possibly very properly be forgotten about tomorrow. It is simple to consider this as an issue by saying, “I haven’t got sufficient content material to publish.” However, alternatively, you possibly can simply repurpose content material or reshare nice content material often.
If the subject your publish discusses is evergreen, it’ll virtually all the time be helpful, even for those who repurpose or repost it later. This does not imply you must share the very same hyperlink and replace commentary day after day, but when a number of weeks go by and also you need to re-promote one thing, go for it. Simply do your loyal followers a favour and discover a new fascinating nugget of data to name out in your replace.
The reality is, indignant clients have already got loads of venues: phrase of mouth, Google critiques, Yelp critiques, and plenty of different locations on the web will permit them to present suggestions once they aren’t comfortable. Not making a Fb web page merely for worry of adverse suggestions is not defending you from indignant wrath.
As an alternative, get forward of the dialogue by being conscious when adverse critiques are going down, studying them, responding to the shopper, and arising with options. Then, when clients are happy, encourage them to share their constructive tales,
Should you do want some assist coping with these adverse nancies, we have got a weblog publish that can stroll you thru the steps to calm indignant clients down.
Once more, social media is not about fluffy issues we talked about earlier, like “model fairness” and “partaking dialogue.””
Yeah, these issues occur, nevertheless it doesn’t suggest you possibly can’t measure the effectiveness of your social media actions.
With HubSpot advertising instruments, you possibly can establish precisely how a lot of site visitors social media drives to your web site, what number of leads social media generates, and what number of of these leads turn out to be clients.
From there, you possibly can even calculate issues like the typical cost-per-lead and buyer — throughout particular person social media networks, and in mixture — identical to you do with each different advertising channel (proper?).
It is free to hitch, nevertheless, it’s nonetheless a useful resource funding. Even in case you are posting totally free, you will possible have to pay a worker to handle your channels and construct methods. And, as your social media technique grows extra profitable, you would possibly determine to up money and time investments.
Fortunately, social media remains to be some of the reasonably priced methods to spice up audiences, model consciousness, and finally leads. This makes the funding value your whereas.
It’s not necessary to immediately join every social media network just because they exist. While I can list numerous social platforms, it’s important to recognize that not all of them warrant setting up profiles.
Certainly, it’s a good idea to explore various social networks. Create a business profile or page and give them a fair chance. However, you might discover that some platforms don’t provide significant value. In such cases, it’s advisable to discontinue your presence and shift your focus elsewhere. Your time and resources should be directed towards platforms that closely match your target audience and marketing strategies.
Effective marketers rely on data to determine which marketing efforts deliver optimal outcomes. If a particular social network isn’t contributing positively, it’s wise to discontinue your involvement on that platform.
The key takeaway is to prioritize quality over quantity. Concentrate your efforts on a select few platforms that align with your objectives, and be prepared to make adjustments based on data-driven insights. This approach ensures that you’re investing resources where they make the most impact.
In the end…
I want you to believe that you have learned from the mistakes that many of our clients have made. And just as they learned along the way, so can you learn better now.
And as a final idea, I would like you to know that there may be businesses that, even if they make one or more of the mistakes reported here, are still successful. Because, as I said above, some products or services are more interesting to people than others. Even easier to promote. And the success they have is not mandatory! It does not mean that if they were lucky enough to sell without money at some point, for free or by aggressively promoting themselves, this does not necessarily mean that by doing the same thing you will have.
The rules of the game are changing! Make sure you play with them in mind and you are the one who adapts and continues the game and not the one who shouts from the sidelines
Which of these 3 myths did you feel was true? In which situations did you find yourself? And if so, did I manage to give you a clear answer? Write to me in the comments below!
