3 Damaging Social Media Myths

Though social marketing has become a commonplace tactic used by many brands, many harmful social media myths continue to keep companies from reaching their full potential online. Beware of these misconceptions.

Respond to every question and complaint immediately. Though this is a myth, it should be clarified that companies should indeed keep aware and be responsive to customer complaints. When a customer puts forth an issue, however, direct them to a contact your company elsewhere to resolve the issue off of social media. This is a much better alternative to addressing problems online, as it avoids crowding online pages with irrelevant issues. As learned in the Applebee's Facebook page, never argue with customers on an online forum.

Google+ isn't worthwhile. Because relatively few people are on Google+, many companies shy away from getting involved in lesser known platforms like this. Companies in the know, however, understand the importance of Google+ despite its relatively small community. Being on Google+ is critical when it comes to SEO, as Google Authorship partly determines the legitimacy of a site based on its activity on the network. Be sure to maintain a strong presence on Google+, as its likely to improve your company's rankings in search engines.

Test out every network possible. Though some companies are well suited to more platforms than others, it's not necessary for a brand to be on every single site, particularly now that there are more and more as time goes on. Figure out which platforms suit your brand's message and goals best, and train your team to master these networks.

When it comes to maintaining an online presence for your brand, ensure that you're making the most of your team's time and energy and approach social media with caution and common sense. For more information regarding how brands are making the most of social media, check out the Trend Hunter Social Media Trend Report.