There are countless myths surrounding digital marketing do’s and don’t’s. With so much misinformation online regarding digital marketing, it can be extremely challenging for a marketer to know what to believe.
Here we take a look at some of the biggest digital marketing myths that can hurt any small business.
There are many myths about digital marketing. If a digital marketing campaign doesn’t work, it’s because the marketer didn’t follow a proven digital marketing strategy, not because digital marketing doesn’t work. Digital marketing is all about experimentation as long as you are doing it properly.
The biggest digital marketing myths are that digital marketing is all about social media, email marketing, and generating traffic. While all of these are parts of the digital marketing mix, they are not the whole picture and can be misleading if they are given this much importance. Digital marketing is in all aspects of marketing, from planning to implementation, from marketing mix to measurement.
Myth 1: Digital Marketing is Everything
Digital marketing is highly important to a brand, however, it should be viewed as one part of the overall marketing plan. It’s important to mix some traditional, event, and digital marketing together as you build your marketing plan, all are important. Many consumers are going online for information, reviews, and purchases. Traditional marketing has taken a back seat to digital marketing, however, there is still a large audience reading magazines, buying the newspaper, and seeing your billboard.
Myth 2: Digital Marketing means only Paid Marketing
Digital Marketing is not about spending a lot of money to get customers but about finding creative ways of engaging customers. It can help you to go from 100 to 1000, but it cannot get you your first hundred authentic impressions. People need to understand the difference between Paid, Earned, and Owned Media.
Myth 3: Digital Marketing is for Large Businesses Only
Another common myth is that digital marketing is only for well-established businesses and organizations that have a huge name in the marketing world. Small businesses or startups also need digital marketing to promote and expand their business. Any business that wishes to establish an online presence in digital marketing is on the path to success.
Myth 4: One Social Media Is Enough
There are many popular social media platforms available and numerous ways to connect with current and potential customers. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Instagram, each outlet gives you access to a wider audience and the ability to target your ideal customer. If a consumer can’t find you on a social network, then you are missing out. If you are not engaging with your customers; your customer experience will suffer and your brand will be seriously hurt if not die as a result.
Myth 5: Digital marketing is another word for social media marketing
You can say that social media marketing is a subset of the whole set called digital marketing. Social media is a tool used in digital marketing, but it is not the only one. Right from mobile-friendly websites and SEO to PPC and email marketing, digital marketing uses a variety of tools to reach out to customers.
Myth 6: My Business Isn’t Online, So I Don’t Need To Be
It’s important to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to all marketing is it traditional or digital. If your competition isn’t online this simply means you are one step ahead of them. Just because your competitors aren’t taking the necessary steps to remain relevant doesn’t mean you should allow your business to make the same mistake. Not being online means missing out on a whole world of new customers you can potentially reach and leave revenue on the table. There are no excuses.
Myth 7: Digital Marketing means Creating your Website
Websites are a medium, but they work to attract customers only when you put in fresh content. The scope of digital marketing goes beyond websites. It is a combination of various social media sites, algorithms, and analytics. With these misconceptions crushed, digital marketing is the key to a successful business.
To conclude a lot of people believe that digital marketing is super easy and anyone can wake up one day and become one. People confuse Digital Marketing, Growth Hacking, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, etc., and think they all are one thing – It is not so. You need more than an internet connection to do Digital Marketing.
