Tags: Businesses, social media, social media misconceptions, social networking, social sharing, The Modern Connection[ × ]

As I’m sure most industries experience, we often encounter many misconceptions regarding social media and how it can be employed as a marketing tool. We’ve definitely met our share of individuals who assume that because they have a Facebook profile, they understand the inner workings of using social media for business purposes. However, once we start talking about strategy, niche networks and monitoring conversations, we get blank stares in return.

And, really, we’re ok with that. Just like we wouldn’t expect anyone who owns a car to automatically understand the mechanics of its engine, we don’t assume that a Twitter handle instantly creates social media prowess.

To help combat these misconceptions and put some of your social media worries at ease, I’ve compiled a list of our top five social media fallacies and why they should matter to business owners.

It’s free. Technically, the social sites are free. The work, however, is not. Whether you handle it yourself, hire an employee or contract with an agency, running a well planned and consistent social marketing campaign takes time. And, as we all know, time = money. We encounter a lot of businesses who aren’t willing to invest the time it requires to have a successful social presence and it really shows.

You need to be on every social media site. We’ll let you in on a little secret here – you only need to be on the social sites where your customer exists. A company that produces fishing lures would never advertise in Glamour magazine (we hope) because that’s not where their customer seeks information. The same principle holds true with social networking. Do your research, spend some time listening to online conversations and hone in on where your customer is spending their time.

You need to be online 24/7. There are social networking stars who have really made a presence for themselves – Guy Kawasaki, Pete Cashmore, Chris Brogan – and if you watch their social sites, it seems like they’re online ALL THE TIME. Truth is, they’re not. There are management tools and scheduling tools that can help streamline your online presence so that you can step away from your computer when you’d like.

There are experts. In our opinion, an expert is someone who has mastered a trade, skill or subject. Social media is such a rapidly evolving landscape; it seems to us it would be almost impossible to ever master it. What you can master is pinpointing your audience and how to communicate with them. From there, you simply learn the tools and adapt with the changes.

You don’t need professional guidance. As I just mentioned, the social landscape is constantly changing. With those changes come new guidelines, best practices and regulations. Just as you would hire an accountant or lawyer, having someone on board to guide you in your social marketing efforts will ensure you are heading in the right direction and will give you the time to focus on running your business.

Are there any other misconceptions you’ve encountered while implementing social media for your business?

As a social media specialist for The Modern Connection, Jessica provides innovative and strategic solutions that help businesses connect with their customers.