Social Media Myths in PR

The most common flaws in our social media analysis.

Cover photo: @jerrysilfwer

Some social media myths can wreak hav­oc in PR.

Many com­mu­nic­a­tion depart­ments get their social media ana­lys­is wrong. The reas­on is simple: We often go for the obvi­ous answer.

We might think the answer is star­ing us right in the face. But recog­nising the con­trari­an nature of social media is a dif­fer­ent ball game altogether.

Here we go:

The Social Media Myths in PR

Common Social Media Myths in PR

Social media has become a cru­cial part of brand strategy, but there are sev­er­al myths and mis­con­cep­tions about its usage for brands. 

Here are 10 com­mon myths:

Social media is free and easy. While set­ting up pro­files is free, man­aging social media requires time, effort, and often paid pro­mo­tions to engage and grow an audi­ence.

All social media plat­forms suit every brand. Each plat­form has a unique audi­ence and style. What works on Instagram might not be effect­ive on LinkedIn. Brands must choose plat­forms that align with their tar­get audi­ence and brand image.

Read also: Corporate Cringe

More fol­low­ers equals more suc­cess. The num­ber of fol­low­ers is a van­ity met­ric. Engagement rates, con­ver­sions, and how fol­low­ers inter­act with con­tent are more import­ant indic­at­ors of success.

Read also: Critical Mass: How Many Followers Does Your Brand Need?

Negative com­ments should be deleted or ignored. Negative feed­back is inev­it­able. How a brand responds to cri­ti­cism can sig­ni­fic­antly impact its repu­ta­tion. Addressing con­cerns trans­par­ently can improve brand credibility.

Posting more often leads to more engage­ment. Overposting can lead to audi­ence fatigue. It’s more effect­ive to focus on the qual­ity of con­tent rather than just quantity.

Social media is only for young people. While young­er demo­graph­ics are act­ive on social media, older gen­er­a­tions increas­ingly use these plat­forms. Brands should­n’t over­look the diversity of the social media audience.

Viral con­tent is the key to suc­cess. While vir­al con­tent can boost vis­ib­il­ity, it’s not a sus­tain­able or pre­dict­able strategy. Consistent and rel­ev­ant con­tent is more effect­ive for long-term engagement.

Read also: Group Sizes (From Support Cliques To Tribes)

Any con­tent will do. Content needs to be tailored to the brand’s audi­ence. What res­on­ates with one group might not work for another.

Read also: “For Content!”

Immediate sales should be the primary focus. While sales are import­ant, social media is also about build­ing rela­tion­ships, brand aware­ness, and com­munity engagement.

Read also: No Brand Community For You

Social media res­ults are instant. Building a strong social media pres­ence takes time. Patience and per­sist­ence are key to see­ing the bene­fits of social media mar­ket­ing efforts.

Read also: The Publics in Public Relations

Learn more: Social Media Myths in PR

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Consider shar­ing my pub­lic rela­tions blog with oth­er com­mu­nic­a­tion and mar­ket­ing pro­fes­sion­als. If you have ques­tions (or want to retain my PR ser­vices), please con­tact me via jerry@​spinfactory.​com.

PR Resource: PR Issues in Social Media

List of Social Media Issues
Spin Academy | Online PR Courses

List of Social Media Issues

Social media isn’t just sun­shine and rain­bows. With massive change come new social media issues we must deal with.

Here are a few examples of social media issues:

Read also: Social Media: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

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Jerry Silfwer
Jerry Silfwerhttps://doctorspin.net/
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Kaufmann, Whispr Group, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Cover Photo

The cover photo isn't related to public relations; it's just a photo of mine. Think of it as a 'decorative diversion', a subtle reminder that there is more to life than strategic communication.

The cover photo has

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