There are several digital marketing myths that seems to persist, even though marketing professionals have been trying to educate the business world for several years. Let’s run through the five most persistent myths that people seem to stubbornly refuse to let go.
Myth 1: Content Marketing Is Not Relevant To My Business
Many tradesmen and small business owners believe that content marketing is something that only large corporations should be involved with. Major brands such as Zoopla, Waitrose, Virgin, and GoPro all make great use of content marketing and do so on a level that is not possible for small businesses. But, this does not mean you should do nothing. Content marketing is now a vital part of every digital marketing strategy.
Myth 2: My Customers Are Not Interested In Social Media
Either that or the belief that it is only youngsters, a demographic you may not be targeting, who use social media. Of course, you know this is not true, as you probably use some social media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, on a weekly basis. Every business should make use of social media, and ideally, be on the top 5 social networking platforms as a bare minimum.
Myth 3: I Just Need Keywords On My Site
Many years ago, just shoving the most important keywords on your homepage was enough to rank well in Google. This is no longer the case. Google, to some extent, can algorithmically detect good-quality web content. Likewise, it can also detect poor-quality content and penalise it. The content on your website is possibly the single most important ranking factor in Google search, and it also plays an important role in turning readers into paying customers.
Rather than stuffing all your important keywords into a single page, it is now important that you create high-quality and informative landing pages for each product, service, or category of your business. Ideally, you should also write a blog that provides a more personal account of your business dealings so that potential customers and service providers can make a connection with you, and better understand what you offer. With so much commerce now taking place entirely online, many businesses are losing the personal touch with their customers, and a blog can go some way to restore this.
Myth 4: You Only Need To “SEO” A New Website Once
SEO is an ongoing process and it can take anywhere from a few months to several years to win and maintain high rankings in Google. We still speak to start-ups on a regular basis who believe that they can build a website and then “SEO it” to rank top of Google. It really does not work like this. In the same way that one advert in a newspaper is not going to capture a national audience, you cannot succeed online with just one SEO hit on your site.
Myth 5: All I Need Is A Great Desktop Website
Ten years ago this was true, and five years ago it was just about true, but nowadays, the desktop website is in decline. More people now search from mobile devices than desktop PCs, and many people do not even own a desktop computer. Within another five years, it is likely that mobile phones and tablets will account for over 80% of your visitors, and in some industries, your target market will solely use mobile devices to interact with your business. Google is pushing for a “mobile first” approach to the Internet, and you should follow suit.
If you need help with any part of your marketing strategy, contact digital marketing agency FSE Digital today.
