With digital marketing at an all time high, there is a lot of advice on the internet about what to do and what not to do. You may think that you would be able to spot some bad advice if it was presented in front of you, but would you really? Some people mean well but have the bad habit of spreading misleading advice that can hurt your digital marketing strategy if you were to employ it. Other people, well, they may not mean so well. They either don’t care that they’re spreading false information, or they really have no clue.
Let’s take a look at some of the myths that we have seen come up again and again in regard to digital marketing. It’s time to get educated.
Myth #1: Updated, regular content isn’t all that.
Status: Definitely false.
We can understand where this idea would come from. With so much emphasis placed on content, it seems like everyone and their toddlers are contributing it. The competition is high, and it’s difficult to get noticed. After a few tries, it’s easy to think that updated content isn’t where success lies. So why bother?
The fact is that consistent, routine content is all that – and then some. It just is. But you have to stick with it. Content brings your website to life. It fleshes out your digital marketing strategy. It gets people interested in what you have to say, and eventually, in your brand. It gets you noticed on social media. It builds relationships. It proves that you know your stuff. It reminds people that you’re there.
How do you feel about a company when you see that their last post was from 2 years ago? Don’t make that mistake. Keep up the good work, and the fruits of your labor will pay off.
Myth #2: Digital Marketing is the only form of marketing you need.
Status: Mostly false.
Digital marketing gets all the love these days, and there have been countless pieces of content that have beaten traditional marketing tactics to shame. While it’s true that you want to replace some forms of marketing because they are outdated and ineffective, digital marketing won’t fulfill all of your marketing needs. You do still need to execute other marketing methods.
For example, some forms of offline marketing can prove beneficial for your business. If you want to sell a new product to the college audience, setting foot on a local college campus and handing out samples could win you some new leads. Same with promotional items that have your logo on them. You may also find that mailing out catalogs or featuring a booth at a tradeshow yields returns.
While digital marketing is highly effective and should account for the bulk of your marketing, don’t give up on other channels that are good for your business.
Myth #3: It’s better to have one great profile on social media than a bunch of mediocre ones.
Status: Somewhat false.
There are so many social media channels out there, you do need to pick the ones where your audience is most likely to be. Otherwise, you will be unable to fully connect with your audience. It’s just impossible to be great on every channel. Even everyday people usually choose a few social networks to be on and leave it at that.
That said, you need to consider that you can meet new audiences on each channel. If you limit yourself to just Facebook and Twitter, you’re not giving your brand the chance to connect with people on Pinterest or LinkedIn. These are new audiences to tap into, and you don’t want to limit yourself just because you’re busy posting updates on Facebook.
Additionally, don’t post the same things to every network to save some time. You need to choose a decent number of social networks to be on and write up unique content for each of them. Perhaps you can post images on Instagram, launch a contest on Facebook, and post a blog on LinkedIn.
So do you need to be on every channel? No. But do consider being on most and maintaining an active profile. You can then pick a few channels to spend more of your time on, preferably the ones that have the most engagement.
Myth #4: Some industries are boring and don’t have anything exciting to contribute online.
Status: So wrong.
While it’s true that not all industries have the wow factor, any business can create buzz online. No offense to HVAC companies, but I wouldn’t think they would be very interesting. That is until I needed advice for cleaning my air conditioning unit. Or information on why my furnace was making growling noises.
The truth is, there are no boring businesses. If you think yours is that boring, then maybe you’re in the wrong industry. From steel to toilets to insulation, there is room online for every industry. You may have to work harder to be more relatable, but if your product is selling to someone, you have an audience to market to.
Myth #5: SEO has died a slow and public death.
Status: Laughable.
Usually, the people claiming that SEO is dead are the people who have no idea what SEO is. It’s true that SEO has changed. Changed. That’s all it’s done. But it is not dead. In fact, it’s more full of life than ever before.
SEO is what helps your company to be found online. Whether a person lives halfway across the world or next door to your business, SEO is what brings them to your website. With the right SEO practices, you can bring targeted traffic to your site. In other words, you’re bringing people who have a need for your product or service to your site instead of just random individuals.
Rumors from SEO being dead probably stem from people trying and failing. When we say fail, we mean not making it on the first page of Google. But no one is going to make the first page when they’re rushing through the SEO process by overstuffing their content with keywords and lots of poor content. Today’s SEO practices involve consistent, high-quality content that includes natural keywords, links, and images.
At the end of the day, you can’t win without SEO.
These are just a few of the myths that continue to persist online and then be questioned by marketers. Don’t fall for the hype. They are myths and nothing but that.
