A lot of folks these days seem to think that "the new rules of marketing" and social media are the future of web - or at least getting yourself known on the web. Truthfully, in a lot of ways they're right. Using social media and web 2.0 tools like a Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Digg (and so on) with any kind of regularity can drive traffic and notoriety to you and your website. However, a lot of people don't read the fine print. Here are the Top 5 Myths of Social Media:
 

Top 5 Myths of Social Media

1. Instant Success: I've had more than a few experiences with many past clients who think that simply adding a Facebook and/or Twitter account will attract massive amounts of traffic to their website, and therefore increase sales and inquiries. What most people don't realize is that they have to create fresh, unique, interesting and useful content that targets and interests their target demographic. Updating statuses and messages multiple times a day is a really good idea if one is serious about creating a dedicated following within their chosen social networks. In short: it can take time and a lot of dedication.

2. All you need is Social Media: This may be surprising, but many folks don't even have a website connected to their social networks. No blog, no website, not even a one page wonder (sales page). They just have a Twitter and/or Facebook page and think they've got it covered. Wrong. You need to drive traffic somewhere. You need to have a place where your followers can go to get more information. In most cases, even with a Facebook Fan page it simply isn't enough to educate the masses on why you're so important to pay attention to.

3. The More the Better: It's much better to have a highly targeted following with less overall followers than a massive amount of followers that have little or no interest in actually visiting your website, inquiring about your products and/or services, or actually buying something from you. Do the best you can to target your chosen demographic and keep them in mind with every status, post, article, or link. Keep them interested and keep them satisfied with your content. You want quality, not quantity.

4. Join Everything: A lot of folks out there think that if they join every network or have a presence on every web 2.0 website, they'll be good to go as far as social media is concerned. This is definitely not true. Pick one to three different sites (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc) and stick with those. You'll be able to create a lot more content much more consistently if you choose just a few of these sites to make your presence known on. It's easier to build and maintain a following when you don't have as many audiences to keep interested. Pick your social media niche and stick with it.

5. If You Build It, They Will Come: This might work for Kevin Costner, but it doesn't work for Social Media. The past few years has taught us that social media and networking should not be underestimated. Indeed, it should be used wisely and often. However, when building a presence online in order to increase sales, get clients, or anything having to do with profit, remember this: search, not social networks, help users find new products online. In the end, most people will find what they're looking for in the search engines - and we're not talking about PPC or advertisements. We're talking real, organic results. That's where SEO comes in (search engine optimization). What do you want people to type in to a Google search to be able to find you? When it comes to being findable online, SEO should always be your #1 priority.

Thanks for reading my blog. If you're interested in learning more about SEO, check out the SEO Guide - right now it's 60% Off. You can download the guide instantly to your computer, or get it on your e-reader device (iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc) via Amazon, the iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, or LuLu. Check it out!