10 Rubbish Pieces of Social Media Advice

Looking for an updated version of this article? Check out our newer article – Popular Social Media Myths Busted!

Have you noticed that more and more people are beginning to call themselves social media ‘experts’? We have. Just because we – in the Western world – now spend our time flitting between posting a status here and uploading a photo there, doesn’t necessarily mean we are equipped to carry the mantle of responsibility for a business…

You very well may have a passion for communicating with your friends via Facebook, but developing a social media strategy on the same platform is – you guessed it – NOT the same thing and does NOT make you an expert. So here we are, in all our glory, to debunk these monotonous myths once and for all.

1. Automated DM’s mean real-life goodbyes

Nothing irritates us more than a lacklustre automated message sent to our inbox. By creating this spam, you’re making yourself very unpopular before you even begin.

2. Ask for RT’s and follows at your own peril

We’re in the relationship building business, so asking somebody straight out to go ahead and do you a favour is, well, a bit forward. First, entice your audience in, then use simple but polite call-to-actions to really grab their attention.

3. You DON’T need to be on every platform

If you have a dedicated social media manager at your side, or the time to do it yourself, great. If not, figure out which platforms you need to be on and where your audience is – it’s better to be strong on 1 than weak on 4.

4. Anybody can do it (badly)

Giving your social media campaign to just anybody in the office is one sure way of damaging your company’s image. Trust us, we’ve seen it before and it can go horribly wrong. Think strategy and always remember what you’re trying to achieve in the first place.

5. Your business is the ONLY thing that matters

Your business may well be the only thing that matters to you, but guess what? It doesn’t to your audience. Talk about an array of different subject matters to ensure you inject some much-needed personality – at the end of the day, people connect with people, not with businesses.

6. “I have more followers than you, that means I’m better”

Sure, lots of followers and fans are nice on social media, but it’s the percentage of them that are interacting with you on a regular basis that is important. The only way this is done is through good quality content, which in turn creates organic growth that ultimately leads to more business and conversions.

7. Delete bad comments so nobody sees

Bad comments – when posted – are out there for all to see. But instead of burying your head in the sand and deleting them, they can be salvaged and turned in to a positive if you respond quickly and are sympathetic to the situation. Turning a negative into a positive is a great way to improve your customer relations.

8. Tweet every hour, so people really know you mean business

Quantity should not trump quality. Just because you know how to use social media, doesn’t mean you know how to use social media, if you get our drift. More content is – of course – better, but it has to provide value, be engaging and capture your audience’s imagination.

9. Go hashtag mad #haha #loveit #imcrazy

Ladies and gentleman; exhibit A. Now how ridiculous does that look? Not professional, informative or indeed what the hashtag was initially designed for. Be smart and use it to talk about relevant events and reach new audiences rather than to display your giddy excitement.

10. Setting up these accounts is the hardest bit

Although it may seem like a lot of bother to set up your accounts, the hard work really starts when these accounts are in motion. You’ll never get results from social media marketing if you don’t put in the time and the effort that is needed.

Have we missed any more social media myths? Tweet us – @GiraffeSM.