Although digital marketing strategies may seem to be all around us in 2018, there is indeed no shortage of myths surrounding this still emerging marketing technique. It is not difficult to fall prey to these misconceptions, particularly if you are a business owner unfamiliar with marketing strategies, so I wanted to take a moment today to examine some of these standard errors and explain why they are not to be trusted.
1. Digital Marketing is Only Successful in Certain Industries
While there are indeed some industries that traditionally have a stronger presence online, it is absurd to assume that just because your business niche hasn’t been on social media platforms before, you should not even implement a digital marketing strategy. It may seem untraditional for a financial service company or property developer to spend money and resources on digital marketing, but when you look at the statistics, an online presence is something that nearly every consumer has come to expect. According to Forbes, 85 percent of consumers assume businesses have an active social media presence; and on top of that, 82 percent of consumers say they trust a company more if they are involved with social media. It is no longer a question of, “Why have a digital marketing strategy?” but “Why not have a digital marketing strategy?”
2. Creating a Website is All You Need to Do
Another widespread misconception about digital marketing, especially from small business owners, is that all you need to do is create a website and your job is done. This notion could not be further from the truth; launching a website is merely the tip of the iceberg. From there, companies should be turning to their content marketing plans and regularly distribute original content such as blog articles, videos, social media campaigns, etc. The Internet is in a constant stage of development and keeping your website up to date and content relevant will allow you to retain customers as well as attract new ones. Think about it, how would you feel if you checked out a new business’s website and realized they were citing facts and trends from 2005? Your site should be a place where consumers can trust they will always be able to find the latest information.
3. It Doesn’t Matter What You Post as Long as You Are Putting Content Out There
The above statement is the other side of the argument I made above; while just having a website is not enough, you also do not want to go too off the deep end and bog customers down with “fluff” content. If you are regularly putting out timely content, you will not only increase your website traffic but also attract return consumers and improve SEO. If the content is generic or duplicated, search engines will filter that when keywords are searched and decrease your page's visibility. It comes down to quantity vs. quality. You can and should apply this practice to all forms of news distribution, press releases, social media posts, email campaigns, etc. Furthermore, if a consumer grows accustomed to seeing the same old posts recycled from your company day in and day out, they are more likely to unfollow or unsubscribe.
Of course, there are many more myths out there surrounding the online marketing arena, but these three are an excellent place to start to improve your digital presence. Visit enrichmybrand.com today to learn how we can help you develop and implement a robust digital marketing strategy.
