There’s a lot of information out there about what best practices are for social media marketing. Among the good tips that are based on analytics, there is also misinformation that can stop small organizations that don’t have a dedicated marketing team from wanting to even bother with social media. Social media may be free, but behind the scenes, we know that it costs a lot of time and energy. We’re here to bust those social media myths and let you know that any effort your staff puts into your social media strategy will be worthwhile in the long run.

Myth #1: Be on every platform

There are so many social media platforms that cater to different user demographics, and new ones crop up all the time. Don’t feel like you need to master each platform. The best way to approach social media marketing is by truly knowing your audience. Once you know who you’re sharing your information and content with, that should narrow it down to which channels you use to deliver your library’s message. Focus only on the social media platforms that your audience consistently uses and interacts with. Even if that’s just one platform, narrowing your content to a place where your followers engage with it the most will be time well spent.

Myth #2: Post multiple times a day

It can be easy to get caught up in the high expectations for frequency of posts. Some organizations post multiple times a day, but that doesn’t mean they’re more successful at marketing on social media. It’s not about the frequency of posts, it’s about being consistent. Creating meaningful content that connects with your patrons is the priority for social media marketing. Another myth that’s out there is that using scheduling tools can hurt post performance. Scheduling tools are vital for small teams like those at public libraries. They’re a great time saver and way to plan out weeks or months of content to be ahead of the curve. When researched further, it was found that using a scheduling tool does not have an effect on engagement.

Myth #3: Images & Videos must be perfect

The best thing about social media is that looking authentic is more relatable than looking polished. Staying true to your organization’s brand standard is important, but beyond that, create the kind of content you enjoy and have the time to create. Not every image needs to be photoshopped and not every video needs to be professional. Patrons will connect with the creativity and the message more than how that message is packaged. This type of marketing is interactive and can be fun and engaging for your community, so don’t put pressure on making every post perfect. Give your staff room to try new things and see what clicks with the audience most. Feel free to check out easy tips on how to enhance your visual content, but there is no need to conform to the myth that every graphic needs to be flawless.