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Have you ever read something online that made you raise your eyebrow? Nowadays, knowing what to believe online is hard because so much misinformation exists. This extends to the marketing world, where you get many “experts” offering advice that is straight-up wrong and could end up costing anyone who follows it. Many business leaders and marketing professionals will look for marketing advice online so that they can achieve success with their marketing campaigns, but you need to make sure that you always get your info from trusted sources (like this blog!). With this in mind, let’s look at a few marketing myths and why you should ignore them.
Marketing Isn’t Essential
You will hear some business “experts” claim that marketing is not essential and is a waste of money. This often comes from a belief that an excellent product/service will sell itself, but this is not the case. Historically, this might have been true when businesses were dealing in markets with just a few competitors, but today, you are competing with millions of companies online! The internet is an incredibly competitive and noisy marketplace, so clever marketing is how you stand out and get noticed. Product/service quality is essential, but this will only take you so far.
Marketing Is Only About Attracting New Customers
Another misconception about marketing is that attracting new customers to your business is the sole purpose. While this is certainly a primary goal and something that you should strive for, you will find that there is more to marketing than just this. Marketing is also about increasing brand awareness, connecting with your target market, and developing a positive reputation for your brand.
Traditional Marketing Is Dead
You might also hear “digital gurus” and “tech experts” say that traditional marketing is dead. While digital marketing certainly needs to be a priority area to focus on, you should not limit yourself. Print advertising, TV and radio commercials, direct mail, posters, and flyers remain highly effective ways to promote your business, especially for companies targeting local customers. Therefore, you want to strike the right balance of digital and traditional marketing to reach your target customers and stand out.
Good Campaigns Should Deliver Fast Results
Understandably, business owners want to see fast results when investing in marketing campaigns. Like anything good in life, patience is a virtue. It is vital to adopt a long-term view when it comes to marketing, especially methods like SEO, which can take 6 months to a year to deliver results. Therefore, you should not pull the plug or worry that campaigns are failing if you do not see results immediately.
You Don’t Need To Market To Existing Customers
It is a great feeling when you attract new customers to your business, but you should not be complacent and trust that they will continue to use your brand. Every company should focus on customer retention to build a solid customer base, which will require marketing to this group. When you market to your existing customers, you can stay fresh in their minds, create meaningful relationships, and develop trust. Additionally, 86% of loyal customers will recommend brands to their friends and family, so retention can also help you attract new customers.
Social Media Is For Kids
You will find that many business owners remain resistant to social media and claim that it is only for kids. This is entirely untrue, especially when you consider that it is millennials who were the early adopters of social media. This generation is now fully-fledged adults who spend as much as $6 billion in the US annually. 90.4% of millennials use social media platforms, and older generations are becoming more active on social media. Social media can provide an enormous platform for your business and a two-way communication channel with your target market, so it can be a great way to create relationships and build your reputation.
You Have To Be On Every Social Media Channel
Following this, you do not have to be active on every social media channel. These days, there are a lot of social media channels, meaning that it would require a lot of work to engage your followers on each channel. Instead, you need to focus on the channels that are preferred by your target market. Generally speaking, Facebook is a channel businesses in all industries should use, as it has a staggering 2.9 billion active users. Facebook is also a fantastic platform for sharing content, engaging with followers, and building brand awareness. The other popular platforms worth considering include:
YouTube (2.2 billion)
WhatsApp (2 billion)
Instagram (2 billion)
TikTok (1 billion)
Content Quantity Over Quality Is Best
“Content is king” is a phrase that you will often read online - this is one statement that is actually true! Content is the foundation that many digital marketing campaigns are based on, and it can be an effective way to increase visibility online, attract traffic, demonstrate your expertise, and improve your brand reputation. The misconception surrounding content creation is that quantity is better than quality. This results in many companies churning out a stream of content that is generic, dull, keyword-stuffed, and easy to ignore (and often created by AI).
Instead, you will get a lot further by generating content with your target market in mind. Content that will solve their problems, provide valuable information, and entertain them will create engagement, drive traffic, and keep them coming back for more. This is why you should have a deep understanding of your target market and use professional content writing services that will captivate your audience.
It is important to be critical when reading anything online, especially a topic as important as marketing. The above are some of the most common marketing myths you might encounter online and all ideas that you want to avoid. Instead, keep checking reliable sources like this blog to learn about the best ways to succeed with your marketing campaigns!
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