Common Digital MarkStill Believeeting Myths Beginners
Digital marketing has
become one of the most important aspects of a company’s development in today's
business environment. Whether it be for new businesses or well-established
companies, digital marketing is being utilized by companies of all sizes. At
the same time, while new entrants to the digital marketing arena tend to have certain
misconceptions about how things actually work, these misconceptions often lead
to misunderstandings, which in turn lead to wasted time and energy, as well as
slow progress for the individual. Most of the myths that new digital marketers
believe have their origins in outdated or incomplete (half) information, as
well as unrealistic expectations that are promoted through social media and
other online platforms. By being able to differentiate clearly between what is
a myth and what is reality, the new digital marketer can effectively save
themselves time and money throughout their career.
This post will provide an overview of 10 of the most common digital marketing myths that continue to be perpetuated and outline the truth behind each myth.
Myth 1: Digital
Marketing Delivers Instant Results
Many new marketers enter
the industry believing that digital marketing will provide instant success. New
marketers expect immediate traffic, leads, and sales once they have launched
their website or started an online ad campaign. A few forms of digital
advertising (especially paid advertising) can provide immediate visibility;
however, the majority of digital marketing methods use an approach that takes
time and dedication to achieve results.
Search engine
optimization, content marketing, and social media growth processes are very
long-term projects. It takes the search engines time to index and rank content;
it takes time for users to grow to trust a brand. If beginners expect to be
successful overnight, they will give up too soon. The truth of the matter is
that digital marketing has a long-term return on investment, as well as a need
for continual testing and improvement over time.
Myth 2: More Traffic Always Means More Sales
Many new marketers worry that their website is
not getting enough visitors and therefore not achieving sales
opportunities—they think that getting more website visitors means getting more
sales. This is true to a certain extent, but there are many other factors
besides just the number of website visitors that affect whether or not a
business succeeds.
If your website is slow to load, does not have
clear messaging, and does not encourage your visitors to take action, then most
likely your visitors will exit before they do anything. In fact, when it comes
to visitor numbers, quality is much more important than quantity. Therefore, a
strong landing page, a well-thought-out call to action, and relevant content,
plus targeted traffic, are more likely to result in sales and leads than the
total number of visitors to the website.
Myth 3: SEO Is No Longer Relevant
While many newcomers to
the world of search engine optimization (SEO) view this process as an
out-of-date and ineffective approach due to the constant updates to search
engine algorithms, in fact, the process of optimizing your website for engines
is still more important than ever. The primary difference between today’s SEO
processes and processes used previously is how modern search engines determine
what is valuable to their users, and this has affected how SEO is done.
Modern-day SEO focuses
on the visitor's experience, providing value through informative content,
optimizing for mobile devices, and considering what the user was searching for,
rather than simply focusing on keyword density. Search engines are designed to
provide the best, most relevant results to their users, and all visitors are
welcome to find a source of ongoing traffic that builds organically over the
years without the cost of ongoing advertising/marketing.
Myth 4: Social Media Marketing Is Free and Easy
Some people new to
social media marketing believe it to be a free and easy way to grow their
business, but while you can create a free account on social media, it takes a
lot of time, creativity, and strategy to actually build a real audience.
Because organic reach
has declined across most social media platforms, getting your content in front
of a large audience now requires promoting it. There are many things that go
into successful social media marketing, such as content planning, building a
community through engagement, and monitoring and analyzing data from your
posts, as well as sometimes promoting your posts through paid advertising. By
taking a casual approach to social media, you will often experience decreased
engagement and growth rates.
Myth 5: Going Viral Is the Key to Success
There's an attractive
notion to having one post go viral that leads to overnight success, especially
for most novice users' accounts; unfortunately, wealth creation through viral
content is unpredictable and has a very short lifespan. Although it may
generate a lot of excitement for a brief period, sustaining the same excitement
for a longer period, and providing long-term growth and loyal fans does not
happen through virality. Instead, consistent posting, establishing your unique
brand voice, and being engaged with your audience create the foundation for
sustainable success. Continually offering your audience quality posts will
develop their trust, which will keep them engaged. Beginners should take the
time to help people with their problems and offer value instead of trying to
chase a trend that could probably be considered to be temporary in nature.
Myth 6: Paid Ads Guarantee Profits
Too often, new marketers
believe simply running a paid advertisement will bring them success. The truth
is, running ads can quickly deplete your advertising budget if you do not have
an appropriate approach. You must understand how to effectively target your
audience, create engaging visual images, communicate your message clearly, and
engage in continuous optimization.
Without understanding
how customers behave and what ad strategies may perform better for your
business, beginners may end up spending money on advertising with no return on
investment. Paid advertisement is most effective when done in conjunction with
good landing pages, clear objectives, and using data to make decisions. It is
not a shortcut but is instead a skill you develop over time through continued
learning and experience.
Myth 7: Email Marketing Is Outdated
Many people who are just
beginning to use Email Marketing Think that social media & messaging apps
have become the most popular & used ways to market to people. But email
marketing still ranks as one of the best channels for generating high returns
on digital marketing dollars. Email allows you to communicate directly to an
audience already interested in what you have to say, send them personalized
emails, and develop long-term relationships with them. When used appropriately,
emails generate repeat traffic, develop trust between you & your
prospective customers, and lead to increased conversions. The secret is
providing value rather than sending them spam emails.
Myth 8: Digital Marketing Requires Expensive
Tools
Many digital marketing
beginners believe that they have to invest in expensive tools like software to
be successful online. While advanced tools can help at times, they are not
required at the beginning stages of digital marketing. Marketers can use many
free and low-cost tools to accomplish the following basic marketing tasks:
conduct keyword research for their products/services, create and analyze content,
and schedule their social media posts.
The digital marketer's
overall success is due to a blend of the individual's strategy, creativity,
and, more importantly, their understanding of the market's needs. Therefore,
before any heavy investments in tool purchases take place, it is important for
beginners to learn the fundamentals.
Myth 9: Copying Competitors Guarantees Success
Beginners typically look
at the strategies of their competitors to emulate the success that other
businesses have experienced. Competitor research can be helpful; however, the
results of simply copying the content, ads, or keywords of your competitors will
often lead to negative outcomes.
Because every brand is
different with their own distinct audience, voice, and purpose, digital
marketing will work best when customized for your audience and company
objectives. Therefore, beginners should use competitors as a source of
inspiration only and not as an example to follow.
Myth 10: Digital Marketing Is a One-Time Effort
Some new digital marketers make the mistake of
believing that creating a website or starting an online marketing campaign is
an end to their responsibilities as a digital marketer. In reality, digital
marketing isn't something that can be completed once; instead, digital
marketing is constantly evolving. There are always new digital marketing trends
emerging, algorithm updates, and continuous changes in the way that consumers
interact with the internet.
To remain competitive in the ever-changing
landscape of today’s digital marketplace, marketers must complete ongoing
educational work throughout their careers and constantly evaluate, test, and
improve on their business practices. By consistently updating and simplifying
the user experience on your website, as well as providing users with timely
content that aligns with the users’ wants and needs, you position yourself to
remain competitive in an ever-changing digital environment.
Conclusion
Resources online related
to digital marketing are limitless and, quite frankly, filled with misleading
assumptions/misconceptions, which discourage those who are new to digital
marketing. Success does not come from quick fixes, rapid results, or imitating
another person's approach. Rather, success in this area is linked to one's
understanding of the fundamentals (of DM), their consistency, and their ability
to adapt.
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