Part 1
There are a lot of misconceptions about social media, especially when it comes to representing a brand through a professional business or company page. So let’s talk about them!
Now, it’s okay if any of the below have been or are currently your thoughts. Our goal is to simply call out the misconceptions, because this IS the way many people think, and calling them out may provide helpful insight.
#1 - Social Media is only good for discovering new companies
Social media is for new AND for established companies. If you think your company is already so established and busy with customers, you don’t need social media or you don’t have a use for it, you're likely missing out on some key value. You may not be brand new and bringing in your first customers, but it’s always possible that there are still people who haven’t heard of you. Social media can be a great way to interact with current customers and also expand your reach to the new!
The first thing most people do after they hear about a company (even a bigger company that they may have heard of) is look them up on social media. Even before looking for a website!
Social media is NOT just for small businesses or ONLY for new companies trying to grow. If you’re established, it is actually especially confusing to people when you don’t use social media. Unless you’re Tesla, and people want you to be on social media so badly that the CUSTOMERS created fan pages and owner pages for the community to build itself. However, this is a rare experience.
Additionally, if your brand is established and you have regular customers, your community will want to look at what people are saying about you online. Whether before purchasing any products or services, or simply to decide if your brand is trustworthy, it has become very normal for people to want to see reviews and learn about other people’s experiences. Plus, if anyone has a negative experience it is also much easier to address their concern, make your presence known, and show that you truly care about and hear your customers or clients. It helps you build, present, and keep transparency, trust, and connection with your current and potential customers!
#2 - Social Media is only for young people
If this is your perspective or first thought when anyone suggests social media for your company or business, most likely, the main channel you’re thinking of is Instagram or TikTok. If you think social media is only for young people, you’re not thinking about the huge array of people who could be YOUR audience.
You’re also most certainly incorrect about only “young people” being on those channels. These channels are quickly becoming the biggest platforms to promote and share your brand with the world; and when we say “the world,” we mean the entire world.
Every industry, every age, every gender, every interest, and almost every country can be found on one or more social media platforms. So, don’t let this common misconception keep you from expanding your audience and network.
But, if you’re still not convinced, but we have sparked your curiosity, go ahead and take a look at your LinkedIn connections. Search different people and companies on various channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), and see how many you can find. Also, LinkedIn is social media too!
#3 - No need for social media in my industry
What industry would that be? Every industry we can think of is either on social media or would absolutely benefit from being more active on social media.
If you think there’s no need for your company to have social media platforms because of the industry you’re in, you’re quite simply doing yourself a disservice. However, your counter may be, “But THESE companies do great and don’t have any platforms.” We counter: this is technically not true.
What do we mean?
Even if a company doesn’t have any professional business pages themselves, they most likely are still getting content out on social media. Meaning, the owner, CEO, or founder has made the company a part of their personal brand. So when people think of the company, they think of the individual and vice versa. Some companies even utilize partnerships with other companies and promote across those channels rather than their own. Even if it’s not ‘their’ social channel, it’s still utiizing social media.
As we say a lot at Validity Communications, the biggest mistake in the STEM industry is believing quality science and tech will speak for themselves. To put this in different terms, this industry, science especially, has its own language. A language that is intricate, unique, and amazing, yet no matter how incredible it can be, it doesn’t mean everyone will understand it. Not everyone has learned the language and it needs to be translated for many. But that’s also why we’re here! That’s why we love to call ourselves science communicators. We get the opportunity to translate your scientific discoveries to help the rest of the world understand it!
We can be YOUR interpreters.
#4 - Unable to measure ROI
This is the last point we’ll focus on in this article. The perspective that you cannot measure ROI with social media.
Typically, when looking at ROI, you’re looking at return in a monetary amount. Which isn’t really how you can or should be looking at a social media platform. This is not always a quantitative number. However, it also can be! Followers and engagement are numbers!
You gain followers who enjoy your content and service or products, then they spread the word and you grow. You gain engagement, you can use those numbers to elevate and improve your current content. You can also use these numbers to help improve the way you run ads. If a post is doing well, getting great engagement numbers, and even gaining followers, you can use that and create an ad from it!
Your engagement and social content may not directly convert to dollars, but it does create and build your audience, where you DO create that return. You can’t make any ROI without the audience to earn it.
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