7 Marketing Myths Hurting Your Conversions

It’s hard to believe, in this digital age, that not all organizations have yet bought into the value of inbound marketing. When done correctly, inbound marketing increases brand recognition, qualified leads, deal pipelines, and ultimately revenue. So why isn’t everyone doing it?

FREE GUIDE - Grow your Business Better with Digital Marketing. Grab your Copy Now.

Here are seven common marketing myths you and your business should not buy into:

1. Content Marketing is Enough

While a good content marketing strategy is crucial to a successful marketing plan, there are many types of marketing tied to content to put it to work for you. For example, you need a strong marketing automation program to feed that content to potential leads, and then to nurture those leads once they bite on your content.

You need an email strategy to ensure that the right content gets to the right lists at the right time. You’ll also want to get the most bang for your content buck with targeted SEO and social media campaigns.

2. All We Need is a Website

You can have the brightest, best website in the world, but if you aren’t promoting it, through SEO and targeted marketing campaigns, no one will ever find it, and it will waste your efforts.

One of the biggest online marketing myths is that you simply have to build a website and the rest will take care of itself. It is imperative to refresh your content, analyze your SEO performance, and keep exploring new ways to put your web content in front of your audience.

3. People Will Take Your Word For It

Case studies and customer references are the best types of marketing in your arsenal to create instant credibility for your brand.

You can talk all day long about your achievements and skill, but if you get a customer or user testimonial, tied to a great ROI story, your audience will be far more engaged and place far more trust in what you have to say.

4. Content Quantity is More Important than Quality

One of the biggest content marketing myths is that good SEO and brand recognition are born of the amount of content you put on the web. In reality, there is nothing more frustrating than searching for a solution, and clicking on a relevant article, only to find that it has little to do with your actual query and provides very little helpful information.

If you want to find favor with your audience (and the search engine web crawlers), you’ll need quality content. Sure, you should write often, but, more importantly, write well.

5. Only Large Companies Need Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing can be done well by companies of all sizes. Whether it’s setting up simple social media accounts, or developing integrated marketing campaigns, inbound marketing can position you as a thought leader and help your organization grow. Start small and grow your marketing plan methodically, based on feedback from your audience.

55% of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority. Source: hubspot.com/marketing-statistics

6. Social Media Is A Waste of Time

Social media isn’t just for funny cat videos anymore. According to Forbes.com, one out of every four buyers uses social media to ask other consumers what they think about a product or to discuss a recent purchasing experience—whether good or bad.

With an increasing percentage of the market using social media as a research tool, it makes sense to at least dip your toe in the social water. It’s an inexpensive, simple way to connect with your audience. Get comfortable with one social media format and gradually add more.

7. Things Are Fine the Way They Are Now, Thank You

You might think “why would I need to expand my marketing efforts? Things are going great.” That may be true, but it’s also true that consumer expectations are also changing.

7 Signs It's Time to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

Consumers want to communicate with businesses in a variety of channels, when they want, in how they want. Only by finding new ways to grow, can you outpace your competition and increase your foothold in the market.

Over to you

Don’t fall for these marketing myths. Listen to your audience, take the time to stop and evaluate your efforts, and adjust your course as needed. Businesses have a whole arsenal of tools at their fingertips - more than ever before - and communicating with your customers has never been more important.