Marketing myths can often lead many of us astray, with the power of social media and many, many, content creators all having their own take on these different areas. While there may be a grain of truth in some of these, I am safe in saying here that the following myths are quite simply, just that. 

But how have these myths come about? Some have evolved through those working in marketing. For many others, it can often fall back on consumer confusion - For example, “marketing and advertising are the same thing, right?”

Without further ado, I’m here to bust some myths and figure out what they really mean…

1. Having a website is all you need

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but a website is only the beginning. Of course, its value must come into your marketing strategy as a whole, but for the love of God please don’t just build a website and leave it there.

Instead, build your website strategy by asking questions and really get to the root of what you’re trying to achieve and deliver to your target audience.

The biggest no no: Don’t create a website and never touch it again. A website needs to be updated often in order to work properly, both in software and in the content sense. You wouldn’t visit a news website that offered 10 old articles and never showed the latest, would you? So don’t rely on out of date content on your own website to pull readers in.

Keep it fresh, search engines love it.

2. Direct mail doesn’t ‘do it anymore’

For some businesses, direct mail is definitely not the way to go. While for some, it can prove quite successful. Although more and more people are turning to the internet for shopping, information and everything in-between - there is still a place for direct mail.

But will it definitely work? Possibly not. The only way to find out is to research well and test it.

3. Sexy sells

Sexy sells - to a point. Sexy might sell lingerie or even a piece of technology (at a push). But it most definitely won’t work for selling someone some new carpet. There’s a time and a place for sure. 

4. SEO will fix your website and bring a flood of traffic

I’m sorry, I’m here with that bad news again. SEO is just one slice of the marketing cake. SEO is very much just one component and is most certainly a marathon, not a sprint. SEO is only one factor that affects your brand’s visibility and audience exposure after all. It may seem relatively simple, “we just fix the website, right? Then everyone will be able to find it!” 

Erm, no, sorry. If your website is optimised, it will most certainly help. But you’ve got to be pushing content onto social media and other channels to receive some traffic. Plus, of course, writing valuable, SEO rich content to begin with.

5. There’s only one right way

Marketing is much like a recipe. You have a variety of ingredients that pull together to form your strategy and (hopefully) reach your goals. 

For example, your website, SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, the list goes on… Instead, marketing a product or a service has to take into account a whole bundle of things: Such as customer understanding, the product’s quality, positioning in the marketplace, etc etc.

6. Social media doesn’t matter

This is a crazy one we hear all the time, in fact, check out our recent blog on why your business needs to be on social media. Social media is fast moving and audiences expect things quickly. As a brand, you’ve gotta keep up. If you’re going to dip your toe into social media, don’t post once a month, be consistent and show up daily. Simply having a profile and existing on social media platforms is sadly, not enough!

But how do these myths come together?

To sum up and have a little recap here, it’s important to note how a combination of efforts equal a good marketing strategy. Good marketing begins and ends with the customer you’re targeting, and by understanding your audience you’ve got a far greater chance of success.

If you’re struggling with your marketing strategy or simply need a bit of guidance, get in touch with our team and we’ll be happy to help.