Social Media is increasingly becoming a more popular platform for those who are starting their own business. Due to the accessibility of social media, many believe that integrating social media into their business is easier than it actually is. There are several common myths about social media in business, and all of them need to be debunked before starting one’s business.

Myth 1: You must be on every social media platform.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest — there are almost too many social media platforms to choose from. The choices can be so overwhelming that you may end up focusing all of your efforts into the wrong form of social media. Research what type of social media platform has the right tools and community features necessary to increase your online presence for your business before deciding which platform to choose.

Myth 2: Social Media has replaced websites

Building your own website is by no means an easy task. Social media provides the means to get your message out onto the internet without any of the heavy lifting. It may save time and effort initially, but in the long run it won’t help you build a larger user base. The best way to combat this problem is to use a premium service that is exclusive to your website. Market exclusive features or information that can only be found on your website, thereby increasing traffic to your site as well as actively attracting more users from your social media of choice.

Myth 3: Social Media is for broadcasting only

It’s easy to see why some might be skeptical of social media’s role in a small business. Too often social media is used like a large bullhorn shouting into the void. In order to turn broadcasting into involvement, you must hook users in. Retail companies often hold sweepstakes or giveaways exclusively on social media. By following a similar marketing model, you can gain more customers who know that the best way to get exclusive features or products from you if they follow you on social media.

Myth 4: You have to spend hours a day on Social Media

Much like broadcasting, you may put all your time and effort into social media posts without anything to show for it. The key solution to this is networking. Send your friends, family, coworkers and anyone else you can think of, information about your business. Eventually your services will get noticed, and your audience will be big enough that you won’t have to communicate every hour but rather every day or every week.

Myth 5: Everyone is on Social Media

A common figure thrown around online is that over 80% of people have heard of a product through social media. The reality is that not everyone is on social media, which is one of the most important myths to understand. If your target demographic is unlikely to be on social media, you may be interested in a technique known as search engine optimization, which essentially allows your website to show up at the top of Google results.

Social Media and business can be coupled together effectively, but it is important to get past the common misconceptions regarding social media. Once you’ve learned about these myths, you can work around them in order to make your business much more successful in the long run.