It’s no secret that in order to help your business or brand’s online presence, you simply have to pay attention and participate in social media. But there is a lot of information flying around out there about what you can do and what you should do in order to get the most out of your efforts, so how do you sort it all out?

Well, it looks like you’re in the right place, because today we’re discussing 5 common myths about social media for small businesses.

Myth #1 – Your customers/clients aren’t on social media.

This is something we hear often, and the simple fact of the matter is that your patrons most assuredly are using social media. Stats released in Jan of 2016 show that 69% of all active internet users have some sort of social media account. Even out of users aged 65+, over 45% of them are using social media to some capacity, and the older generations’ use is only climbing in percentage as time progresses. You simply cannot afford to ignore the impact of social media in today’s marketing climate.

Myth #2 – You need to be on all platforms.

Just because you can be on all the social media platforms out there, doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Although it’s a good idea to create an account on most of the valid ones out there just to claim your name and help with SEO (Search Engine Optimization), if your key demographic isn’t on that platform then you shouldn’t use it. Consistent and authentic posts/interactions are the name of the social media game, and if you don’t see yourself getting into Instagram or Pinterest, then don’t.

Myth #3 – It takes too much time.

Yes, being active on social media does take a degree of commitment on your part. But you don’t have to spend 2+ hours each day to keep your business up to date. Many sites will recommend you post multiple times per day or daily to get the best results, and yes, that will get you the most exposure. However, the sweet spot that we recommend is 3x per week. That will establish a consistent and authentic presence for your followers without making too high of a demand on your time.

And there are always tools available to help you save time when it comes to social media. For posting across all platforms at once, Buffer is an amazing tool you should check out. If you want to post AND monitor all of your accounts from one location, maybe Hootsuite is a better option. The best way to save you time is to take advantage of scheduling posts features – this way you can take 1 day where you sit down and schedule out your posts for the entire month!

You also have the option to hire a management team to help populate and upkeep your accounts – something that we do here at EZY Marketing! Just contact us if you want a quote for monthly management services.

Myth #4 – You have to advertise to get anywhere.

Can advertising help your appearance on social media? Undoubtedly the answer to that is yes. But is it necessary? Absolutely not. The key with social media is to establish a real and authentic portrayal of your brand to followers. If you do this effectively and grow your interactions in a real way, you will see results. Advertising can help you accentuate certain sales or messages you want to get across, but the real benefit of social media is to give others an idea of what to expect when they do business with you.

Myth #5 – It doesn’t apply to B2B

If I had a nickel for every time I… well never mind, I think you get the picture. We hear this one a lot. And to be frank, it’s simply not true. If you focus on B2B (business to business), social media is still important for your marketing goals. Some of the ways you go about interacting may be a little different, but the purpose of creating that authentic interaction through the use of social media is the same, no matter whom you’re selling to.

Hopefully by now you’ve realized how important it is to establish and maintain your online image through the use of social media. In today’s marketing climate, you honestly cannot afford to ignore it.

So what do you think? Did we cover some misconceptions you had about social media? Do you have other questions? We’d love to hear them – just comment here or find us on social media and throw some at us there! We’re always excited to help small businesses out with their online presence.