6 Marketing Myths Should be Avoided

Nowadays, everyone can write an article listing the best advantages of being a successful entrepreneur. But this doesn’t necessarily make them true. Go on reading to find the top 6 myths about successful Marketing Guy must avoid.

At the outset, and with every best intention, even with the right tools in hand, when we embark on our marketing journey, it is worth pointing out that there are many marketing myths and common misconceptions that exist around exactly what marketing is all about and what it can do for your business.
One thing is for sure though, the expert direction in marketing definitely constitutes sound leadership in running a successful business. Don’t fall under the spell that threatens to cast negative aspersions over your marketing strategy and don’t believe everything you hear. Myths are just that, myths; especially when it comes to marketing. Marketing is not rocket science, yet, as a management and leadership discipline, it does rely on many different forces working together cohesively to ensure that your brand stands out and gets the full attention that it deserves.

Myth #1 – Effective marketing means you need to be involved in every single social media network

Social media platforms are great tools for marketers. It allows businesses to really get to know their audience, interact, and engage with them, as well as provide them with an easy way to promote products and services.

Keep in mind however that, social media isn’t about volume. You don’t necessarily have to be on every single platform available out there. Instead, you should focus on understanding where your audience is, what your followers want, and figuring out the best ways to get your message out there.

Here’s an example: Pinterest may be one of the biggest social media platforms available today, but apart from being a largely visual platform, almost 85 percent of its users are female. So if your audience is largely male who prefers reading informative reviews about a product, it really doesn’t make sense for you to use Pinterest as a way to boost engagement.

To find what social network will work best for you—

• Get to know your audience—who are they and where do they search for information?
• Do try to test out different platforms and posting styles to see which works best for your business.
• Be sure to track and monitor the progress that you’re making on social sites to understand what works best.

Myth #2 – Email marketing is not effective.

Contrary to the myth that email marketing is dead and well past its prime, research regarding its effectiveness shows that it can still help generate a significant amount of revenue. It all depends on the level of personalization that goes into its creation, and how relevant it is for your audience.

It’s all about tailoring content so that it engages your audience. It doesn’t matter if you’re sending a welcome email, or a follow-up, or even cart recovery emails—all these are still effective.

According to statistics—

• 55 percent of companies are able to generate over 10 percent of their sales through email marketing campaigns.
• 89 percent of marketers continue to use email as their primary source of lead generation.
• Cart abandonment follows up emails have a 40.5 percent open rate.

Myth #3 – Personalizing isn’t necessary at all.

This could perhaps be, the worst marketing advice that you could ever follow.
In brick and mortar shops, customers love and appreciate it when their shopping experience is tailored to their needs. Take your favorite coffee shop for instance—don’t you love it when the barista immediately knows your order and has your favorite cup of coffee ready for you when you swing by?
A one size fits all approach to marketing isn’t advisable in this day and age when you have at your disposal all the tools to help you create customized content and messages

Myth #4 – A/B testing is unnecessary

When in doubt, test it.

Again, this is something that can be easily done through the use of automation tools.  There’s no excuse as to why you can’t set one up to make sure that you’re able to determine what kind of content works best to elicit a response from your users.

Focus on—

• Testing your subject line for emails—this is a vital factor that could determine whether or not your email gets opened.
• Experimenting with different ways of presenting your call to action.
• Placement of images—this will help you see what formats prompt the most engagement.

Myth #5 – Don’t worry about SEO

Think about how many people go on search engines daily to learn about a particular product or service. Then think about how many websites are able to answer and address their needs. To get noticed among a sea of competitors, you need to stand out from the rest. And the best way to do that still is by optimizing for search engines.

Consider the following—

• Whenever someone searches for a particular keyword, the top three results will get 60 percent of the clicks, making SEO a critical part of marketing strategies.
• Search will drive ten times more traffic to shopping sites versus social media.
• 66 percent of marketers say SEO is vital to their online presence.

Myth #6-Marketing plans are only for large companies

Marketing planning is good marketing. Good marketing helps you reach your customers, helping them understand what you can offer them.

Crafting a healthy marketing plan will allow you to develop your products and meet the needs of the customer. It will absorb some of the complexity that comes with shaping your marketing strategy, helping you define your strategy, goals, budget, and get ahead of competitors by knowing how and where you will focus your energies.

Good Marketing Begins and Ends with the Customer

Good marketing always begins and ends with the customer. Successful business people know that it's customers who buy products, and if the products and services they sell do not appeal to customers, the slickest advertising and promotion in the world won't generate the enthusiasm needed to be successful.

Always start by understanding your customers, who they are, their wants, needs and desires. Next, look for ways to satisfy those desires at a price point people can afford. Use this formula, and find ways to make your customers happy, and your marketing will be based on fact rather than myth.