I have heard a lot of myths about social media consultants over the years. Some are just sad because people don’t realize how much I could help them. Others can be downright insulting. Those are always the most fun to hear, especially when the person talking doesn’t know what I do for a living.

Regardless what myths you believe, they can prevent you from getting the help you probably need. So let’s bust a few of them.

Myth #1: A social media consultant provides cookie cutter solutions.

I want to say this one is completely false, but I know there are social media consultants who do this. However, most do not. So if you are presented with someone who is giving you a plan before they even look at your analytics or know your business goals, RUN.

A qualified social media consultant does a lot of work to personalize your strategy to bring the most customers to your business. They may have some tactics they have seen worked with other clients that they might bring to you. But that is only when it fits into what you are trying to achieve. And it will be adjusted for your particular audience. No cookie cutters in sight.

Myth #2: Social media is just posting.

Holy cow is this wrong. And yet loads of people love to say this to me. If you are talking to someone who works in social media, please keep this thought to yourself.

But anyway, posting is just one aspect of social media. There is a lot of research and information gathering that goes into each post. And then there is tweaking each post with clients so that they’re as perfect as possible. Then there is community management to make sure that the brand’s accounts are safe places for fans to be, as well as answering any questions. And then there is reaching out to other accounts for influencer marketing and gaining relationships. Oh and interpreting analytics. And so on and so on and so on.

The actual post is just the tip of the iceberg of what a social media consultant does. It is so much more involved than that, and myths like this one make it hard for them to get the respect they deserve. That in turn makes it hard for them to get a livable wage for their work. And yes that livable wage is likely more than you are expecting for a comprehensive social media consultant. Luckily, there is more than one way to work with a social media consultant.

Myth #3: There is only one way to work with a social media consultant.

A social media consultant doesn’t have to do all the work for you. Yes, it’s fun to take on a client where I do everything and get to learn about them. But I’m also happy to work with clients in other ways.

Every social media consultant has different things they do. I do speaking engagements, trainings, coaching, writing projects, comprehensive social media and more. If you have something particular you are looking for, I’m always happy to develop a package around that. In fact, that’s how I started offering coaching for clients. I had a potential client that wanted to invest in an employee to get them up to speed on social, and we created that option together.

This is one of the easiest myths to break, because every social media consultant I know is very flexible about how they will work with a client. Just ask and you’ll be amazed at what can happen.

Myth #4: Success happens instantly.

There is rarely an overnight success on social media. Most of those influencers that suddenly hit it big have put in a ton of work to get to the right ingredients to go big. And the same with brands.

Effective social media takes time. You have to learn the client, the audience and what works on social media in this space. Otherwise, any success will be just a flash in the pan. Or worse. You could get success and just continually try to duplicate it which will get you into a bad cycle.

And here’s the secret: Viral does not equal more sales. If you want that business success, it’s super important to bust the myth of instantaneous social media success. Give into the idea of a slow build, and you’ll see the sales you are looking for.

Myth #5: Social media is free.

This is one of the myths that has been around since the beginning of social media, and I can’t believe it’s still around. And yet, here we are.

Social media at its least tech heavy still has costs. There is the time of the person who is doing it, and time always costs something. There’s the internet it takes to get online, the phone you use to capture the content and the laptop you use to post the content. But that will only get you so far. It costs money to get good analytics now, which means it costs money to get the kind of feedback you need to make adjustments to your social media plan.

But that’s the most basic of needs. There is so much more.

To make it easier, you need software that both posts for you at optimal times and gathers analytics on your posts. You need editing software for graphics, photos and videos. And you might want to hire someone to professionally do those things for you. And more and more depending on what you need for your social media presence. The costs of just organic social media can go up quickly.

But the thing is that organic social media is not good enough anymore.

You also need an ad program to fully reach your audience. Only a small percentage of your posts is actually reaching people who are choosing to follow you, so if something is important, you need to pay to reach a larger portion of that audience. And then there are the people who aren’t following you. You have to entice them to press that follow button so there is a greater chance they will see your messages. Otherwise, you may get lost in the feed.

Other myths

There are far too many myths for me to bust in a short blog post. All I can say in the end is don’t believe the myths. If you even have an inkling that you need help, contact a social media consultant and ask about what you are thinking. It could be the best thing you have ever done.

What myths about social media consultants do you wish you could bust?