News
M&A Sessions
Impact Awards
Pipeline 2025
MSP Index
Reports
Events
Resources
Advertise

Business Managed IT Services Cloud

Collaboration Data Centre Digital

Distribution Hardware Mobility

Networking Printing Security

Servers & Storage Services Storage

Telco

End of support for Windows 10 State of AI 2024 Public Sector Tech Report

State of data State of Security 2024 State of the MSP 2024

Kickstarter 2024 Cloud Covered State of Diversity

State of Sustainability 2023

Channel Leaders Golf Day Benchmark Security Awards MSP Index Roadshow

Channel Meets 2025 Pipeline 2025 Impact Awards

Fast50

Photos Channel TV Focal Points

Partner Content Partner Hubs Partner Stories

Media Hub Boardroom Impact Whitepapers

News

Business Managed IT Services Cloud Collaboration Data Centre Digital Distribution Hardware Mobility Networking Printing Security Servers & Storage Services Storage Telco

M&A Sessions Impact Awards Pipeline 2025 MSP Index Reports

End of support for Windows 10 State of AI 2024 Public Sector Tech Report State of data State of Security 2024 State of the MSP 2024 Kickstarter 2024 Cloud Covered State of Diversity State of Sustainability 2023

Events

Channel Leaders Golf Day Benchmark Security Awards MSP Index Roadshow Channel Meets 2025 Pipeline 2025 Impact Awards Fast50

Resources

Photos Channel TV Focal Points Partner Content Partner Hubs Partner Stories Media Hub Boardroom Impact Whitepapers

Advertise

Log in

Email:

Password:

Remember me | Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register now!

Home
Galleries
Services

The myths of social media

How to make it work for your business.

By Staff Writers on Nov 13 2012, 9:49AM

0 Comments

1 of 11

Fact or fiction?

Companies of all sizes are trying to figure out how to tap into social media for their businesses. Here are 10 common myths around social media and how VARs can take advantage of platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest, according to comms agency Attention USA.

Myth No. 1: Social media does not drive sales

According to CEO Curtis Hougland, a study two years ago correlated how well companies do in social media and their stock price and concluded that those in social media perform better. It isn’t the stock price, per se, but rather that social media serves as a platform to listen to customers, and companies that listen to their customers run better businesses. Furthermore, customers on social media are higher-value customers because they are more engaged.

And, this phenomenon doesn’t apply just to B2C companies. B2B companies with highly engaged social media participants have engagement rates that are five times higher than B2C, said Hougland.

Myth No. 2: Social media is a technology

Social media is a behaviour, as humans have an inherent need to share -- whether it is good or bad. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter simply provide the platforms to share and allow a person to amplify how they share information. "Social media is a behavior, and Facebook and Twitter are the plumbing," said Hougland.

Myth No. 3: The principle benefit of social media is marketing

Social media can be used for branding and creating buzz, but it is also altering the path to purchase, said Hougland. While word of mouth has always been the No. 1 reason that people buy, social media allows those links to be brought directly to the customer. As social media tools get more sophisticated, companies will be able to engage and acquire customers at the point of the highest engagement -- when they post a comment that they are very happy or unhappy with a particular product.

Myth No. 4: The website is the centre of the customer journey

Hougland says that you can't expect people to come to your website anymore. Rather, your website has to go to them. VARs need to think about how their website takes the customer on a journey and socialise every step of that journey.

Myth No. 5: Social media is not predictable

In fact, there are predictive models today that can measure brand strength and predict future sales based on what is being said online. What social media provides is a valuable feedback loop for companies. "Many people believe it is solely a marketing tool, but social media is the world’s biggest focus group," Hougland said.

Myth No. 6: Marketing is more difficult as a result of social media

While it is another platform to consider in your marketing efforts, "social media is really, really easy, and a lot of people want to make it hard," said Hougland. There are three questions to consider in your social marketing efforts: Why engage, why this brand and how would someone share it? Social media conversations need to have utility, entertainment, value and reciprocity, said Hougland.

Myth No. 7: Brand matters more

Hougland argues that social media is largely dilutive of brands. People are sharing the brand and the brand equity by commenting on it. Therefore, a company cannot control a brand like they were able to do in the past. "Your customer owns your brand, not you, and social media made that obvious," said Hougland.

Myth No. 8: Great creativity drives marketing "The days of Don Draper are over," said Hougland. "You can't lead with creative within the context of how it is consumed and shared as a link." In the future, data is going to have equal footing, said Hougland.

Myth No. 9: Companies are ready for this change

System integration is desperately needed within organisations. There are different silos, and there needs to be more collaboration. Hougland said Intel has done a good job of breaking down the silos and moving social media into all practices of its organisation.

Myth No. 10: Social media is a bubble

While it feels a bit like 1999 with the glut of competition and high stock price valuations, said Hougland, the volume of content that is being shared is enormous and will continue to grow.

Fact or fiction?

Tags:

social media socmed

ATO aiming to modernise its Project Portfolio Management solution

Service NSW looks for new integrated development environment software

Zetaris and Equinix collaborate to accelerate agentic AI

Partner Content

Kaseya Dattocon APAC 2024 is Back

Channel can help lead customers to boosting workplace wellbeing with professional headsets

How NinjaOne Is Supporting The Channel As It Builds An Innovative Global Partner Program

Ingram Micro Ushers in the Age of Ultra

Secure, integrated platforms enable MSPs to focus bringing powerful solutions to customers

Events

techpartner.news MSP index - Brisbane

techpartner.news Channel Leader List / Golf day

techpartner.news Pipeline Conference 2025

Integrate Expo 2025

Security Exhibition & Conference 2025

Most popular tech stories

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content

Westpac hires CBA's data chief to lead AI, data and digital

Coles merges digital and customer leadership

BHP sets up AI hub in Singapore

ANZ explores agentic AI opportunities
Telstra to move away from 'best effort' connectivity, let users tweak attributes

Transport for NSW restructures tech division

In Pictures: Freshworks IT modernisation roundtable

In Pictures: Abnormal AI and AUSCERT security roundtable

Vic firefighters doing battle with IT outages
Blackberry celebrates "giant step forward"

Photos: The 2024 IoT Awards winners

Axis Communications opens experience centre in Sydney tech hub

Perth IoT vendor Digital Matter names new chief executive

How the University of Melbourne used LoRaWAN and IoT in ‘COVIDSafe’ strategy

OTHER TECH SITES: Digital Nation | IoT Hub | iTnews

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorisation.
Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of nextmedia's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Log in

Don't have an account? Register now!

Email:

Password:

Remember me | Forgot your password?

The myths of social media

How to make it work for your business.

Fact or fiction?

Myth No. 1: Social media does not drive sales

Myth No. 2: Social media is a technology

Myth No. 3: The principle benefit of social media is marketing

Myth No. 4: The website is the centre of the customer journey

Myth No. 5: Social media is not predictable

Myth No. 6: Marketing is more difficult as a result of social media

Myth No. 7: Brand matters more

Myth No. 9: Companies are ready for this change

Myth No. 10: Social media is a bubble

Fact or fiction?

Related articles

ATO aiming to modernise its Project Portfolio Management solution

Service NSW looks for new integrated development environment software

Zetaris and Equinix collaborate to accelerate agentic AI

Most popular tech stories

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content

Westpac hires CBA's data chief to lead AI, data and digital

Coles merges digital and customer leadership

BHP sets up AI hub in Singapore

ANZ explores agentic AI opportunities

Telstra to move away from 'best effort' connectivity, let users tweak attributes

Transport for NSW restructures tech division

In Pictures: Freshworks IT modernisation roundtable

In Pictures: Abnormal AI and AUSCERT security roundtable

Vic firefighters doing battle with IT outages

Blackberry celebrates "giant step forward"

Photos: The 2024 IoT Awards winners

Axis Communications opens experience centre in Sydney tech hub

Perth IoT vendor Digital Matter names new chief executive

How the University of Melbourne used LoRaWAN and IoT in ‘COVIDSafe’ strategy

Log in