Whatever your business does and whomever makes up your target audience, your marketing is every bit as important as your operations. After all, it doesn’t matter how good you are at what you do if nobody even knows you exist. And in the digital realm, there’s a lot of advice out there about digital marketing that may seem logical and eminently helpful to nascent entrepreneurs. The trouble is that not all of the advice out there is good advice. While many entrepreneurs find that they have an affinity for digital marketing, those with experience in the field understand the difference between the realities and the myths of digital marketing. Here, we’ll look at 4 digital marketing myths that could actually harm your brand…
Digital marketing should be your first and only priority
We’re living in a digital world. And while much of your attention is focused on the digital space, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your customers have the same priorities. Depending on your target audience, you may find that print, traditional media and word of mouth are effective in augmenting your digital strategy so that consumers who would benefit from your product or service but don’t spend much time online don’t fall through the cracks.
Paid ads are the best way to get quick & targeted engagement
This isn’t so much a myth as an oversimplification. Paid ads can certainly be effective. They allow you to target consumer profiles likely to be in your target audience with precision, so you don’t have to resort to the “spray and pray” tactics of old. They can also be useful in driving a surge of interest to your brand. But unless you make an effort to capitalize on the surge of attention that they create, it will inevitably fizzle out. And you’ll be left with no recourse but to pay for more ads. Instead, consider combining paid ads with organic social media marketing. This can be an effective one-two punch which generates brand awareness while also encouraging new leads to discover your brand organically.
The more content the better!
Your blog is likely the heart of your content marketing strategy. It’s what allows you to showcase your knowledge, experience and expertise, building trust in your brand and delivering value to the consumer. What’s more, as you produce and publish more content, it can give your SEO a nice organic boost. But don’t make the mistake of sacrificing quality for quantity when it comes to your blog content. High-quality engaging content keeps readers on the page and encourages them to move around your site architecture. Poor quality duplicate or spun content is quickly dismissed by readers causing them to bounce away from your website. And this can do your brand more harm than good in the eyes of search engines.
Only millennials and Gen Z care about influencers
Finally, many businesses rely on influencer marketing to target younger consumers. But if you assumed that millennials and Gen Z are the only ones who care about what influencers have to say, think again! The truth is that many within Gen X and even the baby boomer generation (who are generally resistant to traditional advertising) could value the word of influencers more than you may assume. Don’t let your preconceptions keep you from benefiting from this vital digital strategy!
