Here are the top 5 myths that cause individuals and companies to be weary of social media marketing:

1. They’re afraid they’ll lose control of their brand.
2. They don’t understand it.
3. The effectiveness of social media is hard to measure.
4. They’re afraid their employees will be on Facebook and Twitter chatting all day.
5. Social Media is costly.

Ladies and Gents, don’t be afraid. We can debunk each and every one of these myths and get you on your way to social media marketing the smart way.

Fear: Losing control of your brand.

When you start a business you hope that people will hear about and discuss your brand. Word of mouth is a key to brand success, especially if you’re offering a service. Clients and the general public are going to talk about your brand; don’t you want to be part of that discussion?

If you’re involved in the dialogue you can help direct the conversation to benefit you and your company. The truth is, not being part of the banter can lead to loss of control; not the other way around. Get in there and join the discussion.

Fear: Social Media marketing is confusing.

Many companies still don’t know how to use social media effectively. It can be confusing and intimidating. It’s very easy to look at other brands and say, “they use social media so well, I could never do that!” But, you’re wrong! All it takes is a little getting used to. READ about social media techniques online; WATCH informational videos on YouTube; LISTEN to your colleagues talk about social media and pick up the tid-bits they’ve acquired along the way.

You will be shocked at how easy it is to pick up some basic skills. Hire a social media guru to get you started and after a few weeks you might find yourself confident enough to go it alone.

Fear: Social Media marketing results are hard to measure.

The idea that you can’t get an accurate read on your social media success or failure is ridiculous. The truth is, it couldn’t be easier! You can debunk this myth yourself by just searching “Twitter/Facebook/Google/etc. tools” online. There are SO MANY measurement and analytical tools floating around the web that calculate your data and spit out information instantly. Tools like Twitalyzer and Google Analytics can be hugely helpful.

Fear: Employees will be on Facebook and Twitter all day.

Face it: you’re employees are on these sites anyway, so why not use their presence to boost your brand? In fact, it would benefit you to ask them to post company updates to their Facebook and/or Twitter pages. Use your social media resources! Additionally, keeping your employees off Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. is restricting them from massive amounts of information that could benefit your brand. Social media sites are the most populous and popular sites on the web. YouTube alone is the second largest search engine in the world! Everyone else on the planet is using social media; why shouldn’t your employees? All you need to do is apply some social media guidelines and/or policies to help structure their time on social media sites.

Fear: Social media is costly.

Well, this one is easy to debunk! Unless you’ve been living in a remote village you should know that social media is not only easily accessible, but it’s FREE. Think about how much you currently spend on ad banners or television ads and then compare that to the $0 that social media costs. Nice, huh?

Alright, alright! It’s not entirely free. We know time = money and social media marketing takes time. It does not, however, compare to writing those advertising checks you’ve been writing.