With the abundance of available information about social media marketing, it can seem easy to research and master everything you need to know. However, the adage that you “shouldn’t believe everything you read” holds for social media: There are plenty of so-called facts and best practices out there that can set you back if you follow them.

Unless you’ve spent a lot of time studying and practicing social media marketing, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction as a business owner. That’s why we asked members of Business Journals Leadership Trust what false or misleading information businesses need to watch out for. Here are some persistent myths you shouldn’t believe about social media marketing.

1. Social media is all about advertising.
As an early adopter of social media, our general goal has been “brand awareness.” We use social media to share the information we find informative and helpful for businesses, such as making decisions about business growth, the economy, our community, etc. Viewers of our company’s channels/posts can quickly see what we do and what I care about. – DeLea Becker, Beck-Reit Commercial Real Estate & Asset Management

2. You should aim to get something from your followers.
One myth is that you are on social media to get something from your customer (a sale, their contact information, etc.). The truth is that social media is here for you to give to your customers. That’s it. Your job is to build a community of giving. Be so generous with your information and resources that your customers enjoy your content. Bombarding them with asks is a recipe for losing readers. – Betsy Hauser, Tech Talent South

3. People who ‘Like’ your post are ready to buy.
How often have you “Liked” a product on Facebook but had no intention — at least not immediately — of buying it? Social media can prove to be a powerful vector to engage your fans and followers as well as attract new audiences, but it’s important to understand that reach and engagement do not necessarily translate into instantaneous transactions. – Jeremy Segal, Proozy

4. Jump on the bandwagon if you spot a trend.
I believe a big myth is your message should follow the masses. It seems too many people today are jumping on the bandwagon with trends instead of crafting an authentic message that reflects their business and its core values. – Timothy Flanagan Jr., MassMutual Carolinas

5. Give up if you don’t see results right away.
Social media marketing is very powerful, but it has a long tail. Many times, organizations attack social media and then, when it doesn’t immediately convert customers, go silent. It’s as if you closed the door and locked it. You have to stay in front of the audience to build trust over a long period. – Kimberly Lucas, Goldstone Partners

6. Posting more often means more engagement.
A common myth is that if I post more often it means more engagement. It’s about quality and consistency. The right message to the right audience goes much farther than frequency. And being consistent about connecting to your audience builds trust. – Merrill Stewart, Marketing & Business Solutions LLC

7. Platforms make it easy to start advertising.
Platforms will default to large audiences with low frequencies — they don’t want their users complaining about too much advertising. You will need to have a high frequency, which means a tightly defined audience. You will be fighting the platform as much as you are using it, and you will need to work for a good ROI. – Lara August, Robot Creative

8. Social media is free marketing.
It’s not free, and it requires commitment. Whether you’re spending actual dollars to promote posts or you’re dedicating staff time, effective social media campaigns will require a budget all their own. And since customers use it to interact, complain and share their experiences, you have to commit to monitoring and interacting. If you can’t commit the time and money, don’t expect real results. – Sam Davidson, Batch

9. It’s all about lead generation.
Don’t believe anyone who tells you social media marketing is about lead generation. It’s not. It’s about building trusting relationships with prospective buyers and other audiences. Ultimately those relationships can lead to sales, but if you don’t have the patience to do it right, you simply won’t be successful. – Scott Baradell, Idea Grove

10. If you build it, they will come.
One myth of social media marketing is that if you start a page, people will automatically flock to the page and the business. Businesses need to put energy into developing followers, creating content that their followers want to see and continuing to engage people on social media in a way that makes them want to continue to be part of the community. – Tashina Bailey, The Bar Method Portland

11. Social media isn’t necessary for a B2B business.
Whether you are B2C or B2B, the key is determining what social media platform to be on and investing in a regular presence that will engage users. Most B2C companies are on social media, but even B2B companies can use social media as a platform for thought leadership and connecting with like-minded professionals. – Aviva Ajmera, SoLVE KC

12. Any intern can handle it.
“It’s just social media”; “Any intern can handle it”; “A big following is a good following”; “All social channels are equal.” All of these statements are false. An effective social media marketing campaign starts with a strategy of building awareness and engagement among and with the target audience. That will dictate how to use each channel. Don’t spend time building followings where your audience isn’t. – Lee Caraher, Double Forte

13. Do what everyone else is doing.
The biggest myth is you’ve got to do exactly what someone else is doing. Too many businesses try to copy the strategies they see working for others. In reality, the best way to be successful on social media is to showcase your unique brand voice. And, most importantly, be social! It doesn’t matter how slick your videos and photos are if you aren’t responding to and engaging with customer comments. – Brittany Hodak, Brittany Hodak

14. Your customers aren’t on social media.
The biggest social media marketing myth that must be debunked is thinking that your customers aren’t on social media. This is especially common for B2B companies and unsexy industries like construction, heavy engineering and so on. Everyone uses social media these days — you just need to find your audience. Figuratively speaking, you won’t sell trenches on TikTok. Make a judgment call. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

15. Social media won’t lead to ROI.
Not all social media campaigns are created equal. One myth is that social media leads to impressions only and does not lead to direct sales or ROI. The fact of the matter is, any marketing tactic on any platform should have direct ROI. If it doesn’t, it is not effective and should be re-evaluated for better-performing platforms. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne Advertising