10 Digital Marketing Myths Which You Need To Clear [2021]

The marketing industry has evolved into a very complex and globally encompassing entity offering players with a wider and even broader range of options and channels where they can reach and connect with consumers on a global scale. This would not have been attainable without modern online tools like the Internet and Digital Marketing.

But just like all things wonderful, some aspects of Digital Marketing are shrouded in myth and misconceptions perpetrated by detractors who really don’t know any better. But today we’ll make you aware of some of these myths and how they are stopping your business from utilizing all that has been provided through digital marketing.

Let’s jump in!

1. SEO is Dead

SEO has undergone some massive changes since the early part of this decade, and that level of change has prompted many predictions of SEO’s ultimate demise.

It’s true that SEO as we once understood it (keyword repetition, quantity over quality of backlinks, etc.) is no longer with us. However, the true spirit of SEO, creating unique, valuable content and optimizing it so search engines can crawl and interpret it properly, is still alive and well.

2. Content Marketing isn’t Important

Many businesses believe that once their website is up and running, the work is finished. In order to make the most of your digital marketing campaign, your website must have relevant and updated content that attracts your target audience. Having consistent content not only helps you rank higher on search engines, but it sends a positive message to your target audience. Your customers will notice if your last blog post was a year ago, this gives your audience the feeling you aren’t concerned about their loyalty.

Content Marketing builds trust with consumers. People read, share, and engage more with content that is shared through friends and others that they trust.

3. One social media profile 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, or Instagram, each outlet gives you access to a broader 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 deteriorate and your brand will be severely hurt if not die as a result.

4. Remarketing is Creepy

Retargeting can be creepy if you ignore the best practices. However, if it is done right, it leads to great success. It helps re-engage consumers and keep your brand on the top of their mind.

There are enough of digital marketing myths out there, and there will be more added to the list over time. Online marketing can be daunting to a brand. However, with the right strategy, it is sure to help your business and company grow in ways you never expected.

5. Facebook is dead

No one can deny that it’s been a rough few years for Facebook. The tech giant has been plagued by bad press, leaks of embarrassing information, and privacy scandals. This, in addition to competition from younger social media platforms, has led to a lot of bold statements that Facebook is dead or, at the very least, dying.

The truth for numerous businesses is that Facebook still generates the most solid returns out of all the social networks on which they maintain an active presence. Facebook remains the largest social network, and while it’s important to be aware of changing market forces and not invest all your resources in a single channel, we’re certainly not ready to declare it obsolete yet.

6. Negative reviews online are bad for business’s reputation

Any customer concerns on your product or service should definitely be addressed and considered opportunities to improve and educate the consumer and the consumer experience with your products. There is a procedure for handling negative reviews online and it is something that can’t be ignored. Sticking your head in the sand and hoping a negative review goes away is a fool's mistake.

7. People don’t convert on mobile

People are far less likely to go through a lengthy checkout process and fill out all those tiny fields on their mobile phones. If you’re asking them to replicate the desktop process on their mobile phones, you’re aiming for the wrong conversions.

Make your mobile B2B forms simpler. Ask your mobile e-commerce users to sign up for coupons they can use on desktop sites.

Focus SEM mobile ads on phone calls. Offer cross-device shopping cart integration.

8. More content is always better

Another myth that vaults from content marketing’s accelerated rise as digital marketing darling of the moment. Because we tend to hear about the importance of content marketing over and over again, we are sometimes led to believe that we have to generate heaps of content at any cost. With new channels for content cropping up all the time (live streaming, social media stories, and more), it’s all too easy to stretch yourself too thin trying to be present everywhere all the time.

The truth is that very few businesses have the resources to create such a tremendous volume of content while simultaneously maintaining a high level of quality. It’s usually a far better strategy to focus on creating quality content for a select number of channels, rather than spray more low quality content across the web just to say your brand is everywhere.

9. Digital Marketing can't generate quick results

A lot of digital marketing tactics (content marketing, organic social media marketing) take time to generate results. These tactics do not deliver overnight results because the benefits tend to accumulate the longer you invest in them. This has created a myth that digital marketing is not capable of generating results in the near-term.

In fact there are many tactics at your disposal that can generate traffic and awareness very quickly. Paid channels are particularly useful for this purpose. Paid ads in search and social, influencer marketing, and even email marketing can very quickly deliver impressions, traffic, and conversions. It’s still important to optimize these channels, however, as you will be make campaigns more efficient with time.

10. SEM is not good for branding

It’s true that a channel based on intent is not the right choice to acquire new customers; if they haven’t heard of you, they won’t search for you.

That said, bidding on competitor terms is absolutely fair game, and there are ways to make big non-brand head terms more affordable than you think.

Beyond all that, SEM is critical in preserving brand reputation; you can reinforce brand messaging and keep your competitors at bay by dominating the SERPs for your brand terms, for instance.

Wrapping Up

An abundance of myths about what works and where you should invest your resources will always be a fact of life when it comes to Digital Marketing. Grand predictions about the future are common in this industry. If you don’t want to be led down the garden path, focus on what you know works for your business and make marketing decisions based on available evidence. There are many myths and misconceptions that have the potential to stand in the way of your marketing strategy. Fortunately, working with a knowledgeable, straight-talking and experienced agency like STS Digital Solutions can help cut through to the proven techniques that deliver reliable results.

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