7 Dangerous Digital Marketing Myths It’s Time to Rethink
Published on October 5, 2016
For as long as brands have turned to the internet to reach and retain new audiences, there have been skeptics pushing back against digital marketing.
From social media scoffers to web development foot-draggers, we’ve seen – and converted! – them all. Now it’s your turn. If you subscribe to one of these seven digital marketing myths, you’re losing valuable reach and business opportunities by the day.
Let’s get debunking! It’s high time to stop saying that:
1.) “Digital Marketing Doesn’t Have a High ROI!”
One of the most common reservations businesses have about delving into content creation and digital marketing is that it appears like a high cost proposition with a seemingly low reward. While we can’t deny that there’s some experimenting, patience, and trial-and-error needed in order to launch successful digital marketing, the notion that it’s impossible to measure ROI is demonstrably false.
Working with analytics and marketing platforms makes it easy to gauge, measure, and track the results of your inbound marketing efforts. You’re not just gathering raw data – you’re gathering real world results that indicate real world success. Beyond lead generation and conversions, digital marketing is also cited as a way to generate “trust” or “loyalty” or “engagement” – abstract terms that can’t actually be monitored, right? Again, these intangibles aren’t just nebulous concepts, but real world practices, which can be observed across social metrics.
And once you have your digital strategies in place, they last a lot longer – and generate more revenue over longer periods – than traditional “outbound” tactics like commercials or mailers. Hubspot’s 2015 “State of Inbound” report, in fact, revealed that every surveyed company “was three times as likely to see higher ROI on inbound marketing campaigns than on outbound” – regardless of the amount spent!
2.) “If You Build It, They Will Come”
You already have a website! You already have a few pieces of blog content! This will be enough, right? While you’re off to a great start, this won’t be quite enough to actually have the impact you’re probably looking for.
Remember that you’re competing with thousands and thousands of other businesses for eyes, clicks, and dollars. A website won’t be enough if your audience isn’t able to find you in the first place. Similarly, upgrading your website won’t be effective if you’re not also adding elements that create value and get your message in front of new eyes.
The bottom line? Just building a site won’t be enough. A responsive, mobile-optimized site is one piece of a larger puzzle, one that should also include a comprehensive SEO strategy, social media, and email marketing.
3.) “Quantity Is More Important Than Quality”
This old chestnut is a holdover from the earliest days of the modern internet. Back in those dark times, cunning web developers flooded the web with content and information, the better to appeal to less-sophisticated search engines. This “more is more” mentality – quality be damned – led to a number of tactics that will actually do more harm than good today, including “keyword stuffing” and headlines written to con readers into clicks.
The reality? Like its users, today’s search engines are highly sophisticated. Your emphasis should be on creating compelling, informative, and meaningful content that appeals to more targeted, “long tail” searches. Don’t just create stuff – create value.
4.) “Digital Marketing Isn’t Right for My Industry”
We understand being a little hesitant to get involved with social media and email marketing. They can seem daunting, or worse, superfluous. But the reality is that there is a digital marketing strategy that works for every type and size of business, from architecture groups to healthcare offices to law firms.
In fact, digital marketing is even considered a must-have for B2B companies, for much the same reason that it’s important for you: There are unique, valuable audiences online that you can more actively and accurately target, securing hotter leads and more conversions.
5.) “Social Media Is Just for Kids”
Sure, some social channels, like Snapchat, for instance, skew young. But the reality is that there is a social platform that’s right to help you accomplish your brand’s goals online. And to speak more generally, social media is where the kids are hanging out – but it’s also where EVERYONE is hanging out. Social media long ago overtook entertainment online; by some metrics, 27% of all time on the internet is spent using some form of social media, and it’s becoming a vital tool for ecommerce, with 84% of buyers engaging in “online information consumption and education before buying,” according to a Google ZMOT report.
6.) “I Already Have Clients. Digital Marketing Can’t Do Anything for Me”
The strategies behind content marketing don’t just capture new leads (and who doesn’t love growth?) – but will also help your brand “retarget” and retain existing customers. And we can’t overemphasize how valuable that is for your brand: Repeat customers spend 67% more than first timers, and a loyal customer is worth more than 10x the value of their first purchase.
With tactics specifically designed to promote loyalty and repeat engagement in audiences, digital marketing is a great way to drive up value by retaining and growing an audience, at the same time.
7.) “I Don’t Have the Resources for Marketing”
Analytics, content schedules, social media tracking – this turns off a lot of brands, who fear that they don’t have the internal manpower or resources to devote to digital marketing. The good news? Bringing on a company with a deep knowledge of the ins and outs of SEO, social marketing, email marketing, and web development is less expensive than you may think! Why not drop Geek a line, or check us out on Facebook or Twitter, to get the conversation started?
