5 Commonly Held Social Media Myths...Busted!

Funny enough, remnants of that ancient desire to rely on mythology still linger in today’s society. We create stories to explain the unexplained based on our personal experiences and sometimes quirky ideas. While it’s still fascinating to study these modern myths, it’s not smart to rely on them when we have access to scientifically derived information.

Today, in the "Science of Social Media" webinar , Dan Zarrella will bust some commonly held myths that have built up lately. Here is a sneak preview of some of the social media misconceptions Dan will expose during the webinar. (More than 27,000 people have registered for the webinar so far, so if you haven’t reserved your seat yet, you should go ahead and do it .)

Myth 1: Social Media Is All About Conversations

“Engage your audience in a conversation.” You hear this advice time and again. However, there isn’t necessarily a positive correlation between the percentage of tweets that start with “@” (replies) and the number of followers these Twitter users have.  What should you do instead of obsessing over conversations? Link to valuable information. Twitter is a link economy. Highly followed accounts, Dan’s research shows , tweet lots of links.

Myth 2: You Shouldn't Call Yourself a Guru

Your social media presence needs more assertiveness. Don’t shy away from authoritative words when crafting your Twitter bio. Dan’s research has shown that including reputable words in your bio leads to more followers. For instance, the words “official,” “founder,” “speaker,” “expert,” “guru,” and “author” are a common characteristic of highly followed Twitter users. They become a reputation mechanism that can earn you more attention.

Myth 3: You Need to Be Sophisticated

If you are a social media rookie, you might easily over-think your updates. But in fact, your language doesn’t have to be sophisticated and overly analytical. Readability levels on social media, Dan’s research shows , are actually pretty low. So go ahead and get started with sharing clear and concise messages. They will do just fine.

Myth 4: "Please ReTweet" Doesn’t Work

Our recent debate between David Meerman Scott and Dan Zarrella is all about the usage of “Please ReTweet.” Is it too desperate to ask your network to repeat your updates? Or is it simply a call-to-action that will help you reach your business goals. Dan’s latest data indicates that using “Please ReTweet” in Twitter messages helps.

Myth 5: Weekends Are Bad Days to Publish

Dan’s research shows that Fridays are some of the days with highest numbers of retweets. He has also found that Saturdays and Sundays enjoy the highest email click-through rates (CTRs). The takeaway from this myth-busting exercise is that you need to use contra-competitive timing.

Ready for more myth-busting? Join the "Science of Social Media" webinar live !

Image credit: YaelBeeri