Something we hear super often in the marketing industry is something along the lines of – my business doesn’t need to be on social media. Customer expectations are evolving with the top companies in the world. And no matter what industry you’re in, there are made up of people. And people are spending their valuable attention spans on some form of digital platform. 

1. I don’t even use Instagram and/or Facebook

Just because you’re not interested doesn’t mean your customers, clients and associates aren’t! Research shows that 80% of people trying to make a purchasing decision will Google the company online. This includes results not only for your website, but also your social profiles. Apart from a few demographics, people from all socio-economic backgrounds are on social media. Here are some statistics to back this up.

• 60 percent of Instagram users say they discover new products on the platform
• Pew Research Centre determined that between 28-51% of users check Instagram and Facebook several times a day
• 1 million new people joined social networks every single day in 2017
• Nearly a quarter of a billion new users came online for the first time in 2017

2. Social media is not for B2B or any niche industry

A common misconception is that B2B can’t be done on social media. Yes, Linkedin is a great platform for reaching other professionals. But research shows best post times is still between 9-6PM, meaning people mostly browse the network during work hours. Outside of that, decision makers within companies – CEOs, founders, account managers – anyone that has a say in doing business with you, are still spending time on Facebook. Mobile use during office hours is also increasing, with 80% of B2B buyers reported to be using a mobile device at work.  

3.  People get annoyed with too many posts

People get annoyed the most by one particular kind of post: hard sell ones. Flashy sales, or anything with a prompt to “BUY NOW” are annoying to potential customers. The correct goals and corresponding tone for social media messaging is: adding value, building trust and communicating above selling. Presenting giveaways and contests, collaborating with respected thought leaders or giving announcements they care about are all ways to build consistency without shoving a product down a customer’s throat. 

According to buffer, here is a study on best posting frequency practices that some of the biggest brands in the world adhere to:

• Twitter – 3 times per day, or more

Engagement decreases slightly after the third tweet.

• Facebook – 2 times per day, at most

2x per day is the level before likes & comments begin to drop off dramatically.

• LinkedIn – 1 time per day

20 posts per month (1x per weekday) allows you to reach 60 percent of your audience

• Pinterest – 5x per day, or more

The top brands on Pinterest have experienced steady growth – and in some cases rapid or sensational growth! – by adopting a multiple-times-per-day posting strategy.

• Instagram – 1.5 times per day, or more

Major brands post an average of 1.5 times per day to Instagram. There’s no drop-off in engagement for posting more, provided you can keep up the rate of posting.

• Blog – 2x per week

Companies that increase blogging from 3-5X/month to 6-8X/month almost double their leads.

4. It’s too much work to post that much

If content creation doesn’t come naturally, it can feel like too much work. Social media is being bundled into other jobs, like receptionists when it really requires a specialized role. An alternative for this might be to split up the role – IE an employee good at photography can take photos while another can post or to contract a company. Social media marketing companies usually have a process in place to streamline the tasks required to get your public image out there without too much hand-holding. Find one that understands your brand and automate this side of the business.