Good marketing ideas make money. That’s why there’s nowhere else you’ll find innovation like you will from a marketing team. With shifting trends, breaking discoveries in consumer psychology, new digital platforms, and search algorithm updates, marketing strategies need to be flexible and adapt quickly.
But such a chaotic field gets confusing fast. How do you know what works and what doesn’t? What do you do to keep your marketing campaign on the cutting edge of best practices?
To make sure you have the confidence you need to design a powerful marketing strategy, let’s talk about the top marketing misconceptions in the industry!
1. Marketing results are always immediate
Many people without marketing experience may assume that if you do any kind of marketing, you’ll get an immediate ROI. While some forms of marketing do get results quickly, such as ads, other types of marketing aren’t meant for that. For example, SEO strategies can take months for you to see increases in keyword positions. However, once your product or service pages start ranking at the top of Google’s search results, you’ll see a considerable rise in traffic.
So when you’re designing your marketing strategy, just remember: You may not get results instantly, and that’s okay.
2. Traditional marketing is dead
With the birth and maturation of digital marketing, traditional marketing might seem antiquated. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
If you have a storefront, marketing materials like flyers or flag advertisements are invaluable. They direct the attention of pedestrians to your store, leading to more foot traffic, purchases, and brand exposure. Passing cars also see them, so even if they don’t come into your store that day, they know where it is for the future.
When you plan your marketing campaign, make sure to set aside budget and time for traditional marketing methods alongside your digital ones!
3. The effectiveness of a marketing campaign can’t be tracked
Too often, businesses won’t continue to invest in marketing methods because they don’t believe the results have any connection to their efforts. Even worse, some companies might not even start a campaign because they doubt marketing will help at all.
But here’s the thing: marketing is a science. It relies on data to determine whether a marketing strategy is working or not. That means marketers have figured out ways to track specific strategies’ results.
For example, digital marketing tools allow you to measure traffic to your website, track position changes on search engines for your targeted keywords, and see the open rates for emails. Traditional marketing methods like promotional flyers or letters could include a discount code so that when that code is redeemed during a purchase, you know the flyer was successful.
4. Not every business needs marketing
Even if your business doesn’t do discounts or promotional sales, you still need marketing. Marketing isn’t just about temporary sales; it’s about brand presence. You cannot make a sale if people don’t know your business exists.
That doesn’t mean every kind of marketing will be valuable. For example, if you’re a law firm, you probably wouldn’t want to have a rewards points system, even though that’s a highly successful model for cafes. However, you would benefit from billboards featuring a catchy slogan and your phone number. Clients won’t call immediately, but when they need a lawyer, they’ll remember you.
So when you build your marketing strategy, make sure you’re using tried-and-tested marketing methods for your industry. This is the best way to maximize the returns on your marketing investment.
5. Marketing is easy
At first glance, marketing looks simple. Just create some ads, write a couple blogs, send out some flyers, and watch your sales go up!
Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. First, you need to research what methods work for your industry. Then, you’ll need to figure out how to use these methods for your business, as well as what data-gathering methods you can use to track their efficacy.
Execution is its own beast. You’ll need to write content for a variety of marketing methods, create graphics for them, and tailor your ads and marketing materials to convey your unique selling points effectively.
But even once your campaign starts, the work isn’t done. You’ll need to carefully monitor your marketing efforts. If something isn’t working, you’ll need to change your approach — and things won’t work forever. For example, new ecommerce trends might necessitate changes in how you promote your products or services. Search engine algorithm updates might require updating your site with the latest best practices to ensure your site retains its rankings. Worst of all, you might find that none of your efforts are going the way you hoped, and you’ll need to build a brand new strategy from scratch.
Marketing is a constant job. It isn’t easy, so be ready to do a lot of trial and error to figure out what works for your business.
Conclusion: Avoid Marketing Misconceptions and Grow Your Business
By avoiding these marketing misconceptions, you can create a powerful marketing strategy that gets you the results you’re looking for. You’ll be able to take advantage of shopping trends, establish a solid brand presence, and maximize your ROI. Plus, you’ll stay ahead of your competitors who are still falling for these misconceptions. Go grow your business with confidence!
