Original article posted June 2, 2018, updated June 15, 2019
Great marketing can raise brand awareness and generate leads, and Internet marketing is ramping up competition among businesses. Many organizations struggle to utilize Internet marketing effectively and believing marketing myths can negatively impact the business. That being said, digital marketing is a fluid field and certain beliefs and strategies that were once considered absolute, no longer hold merit. Elements like key performance indicators (KPIs), strategy, and testing will always have value, but other activities will come in and out of style as their effectiveness grows or wanes in relationship to changes in consumer behaviors.
Given the need to respond to consumer changes, brands need to accept that what was once myth might now be a reality and what was once best practice might now have shifted towards myth. So, if you were looking for a black and white understanding – sorry, it doesn’t exist. In this article, we’ll take an updated look at some of the myths surrounding online marketing and those prevalent misconceptions that keep businesses from growing and thriving.
My Content Has to Go Viral
There is more value in reaching a small, highly-targeted audience.
If you depend on local business, widespread likes and shares out of your area might help your ego but not your bottom line.
Someone seeing your content does not equal him/her engaging with your content.
Content that establishes you as a problem-solver and thought leader is more important.
Strategize your unique definition of success and measure the performance of your content against that definition.
I Don’t Need to Spend Money on Social Media Marketing
Promoting posts through boosted or paid ads can put your content in front of a larger audience.
Spending money allows you to target your audience and deliver more relevant impactful information.
Only Certain Types of Business Benefit from Internet Marketing
Online marketing is a way for any business to interact and connect with customers and prospects.
Marketing is storytelling – every business has a story to tell and can tell it uniquely.
Internet content isn’t just about using words, you can use photos, videos, infographics, gifs, etc. to create interesting and engaging content.
Quantity v. Quality
There is a difference between consistent posting and bulk posting.
Low-quality content makes everyone lose – it has no value to customers and negatively impacts your business reputation.
Every piece should have a specific objective and bring value to consumers.
Low-value content wastes consumers’ time – engage and impress, don’t disappoint.
Marketing Has to Be Memorable and Entertaining
Marketing needs to sell your product or service; it needs to motivate people to take action.
Just because someone thinks your ad is awesome doesn’t mean he will be moved to act.
ROI is based on whether or not what you are marketing fills a need or solves a problem.
Desirability and the ability to inspire a response are more important.
Cross-platform Marketing Isn’t Necessary
You increase consumer exposure to your business with multiple marketing channels.
You increase your reach by utilizing your website + print + any and all social media platforms that make sense for your organization.
97% of buyers use social media when researching a product or service and online channels are where consumers go to discuss businesses and customer service - meet them where they are.
I Don’t Need to Worry About New Content, I’m All Set
Fresh, engaging content builds brand credibility. It also appeases search engines which, in their algorithms, take the amount of new content into consideration.
The knowledge that there will regularly be new content brings consumers back.
Updating is always necessary because relevancy is, well, relevant…
All Content Should Center on MY Business
Engage.
Educate.
Provide value.
Help solve problems.
Life isn’t always about promotion.
No One Reads Long Copy
Ever heard of an e-book? People will read content that is well-written, compelling, and interesting.
Provide valuable, useful resources.
Not all content should be long, not all content should be short. Mix it up and let the topic, product, or service determine the copy length.
No One Reads Email Anymore
Email marketing allows specific targeting and personalization of messages.
Email also remains an excellent way to lead score and remarket to customers.
Email continues to be cost-effective.
SEO Doesn’t Matter
A more accurate statement is that SEO is changing…constantly.
Stay up to date on information pushed out by the big platforms like Google and Bing and make tweaks that help your content align best with any algorithm changes that occur.
Remember that SEO strategies have expanded to other search engines like Amazon and Facebook and that brands should also educate themselves regarding visual and voice search SEO strategies.
We Need a QR Code
QR codes never fully caught on because the QR readers were never fully integrated into mobile phone software. The need to download a separate app made QR codes less than simple to use. AI voice assistants like Siri also made the need for QR codes almost obsolete.
Internet marketing is an excellent, long-term strategy. Great marketing pieces share three important features – they are relevant, engaging, and they trigger a response or action. Leave those marketing myths behind and get the most out of your Internet marketing. The experts at Strategy Driven Marketing are ready to help you with all of your marketing efforts. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer and how we can create a personalized marketing plan that works with your particular business goals and budget. Let’s get started!