As a small business owner, it sometimes seems that everyone has something to say on the subject of your marketing strategy. “You’ll never succeed if you don’t do this.” “You’re bound to fail if you try that.” The conflicting advice often passes confusing and goes straight to downright frustrating.
So how do you separate marketing myths from truths? Here are some guidelines.
Myth #1 – Marketing is too expensive.
Yes, marketing can set you back a pretty penny – if you let it. However, there are tons of cheap (and yes, even free!) ways to spread the word about your small business.
Don’t underestimate your blog, website and social media presence. They’re all amazing and (mostly) free marketing tools that can help build your business.
If you do decide to pay to play, make sure you explore all of your marketing options and go with what fits your business’ unique needs, as well as your budget.
Myth #2 – Keywords trump content.
The days of keyword stuffing are over. Google, the king of search, has spoken and keywords don’t cut it anymore.
Instead, you need to focus on quality content if you hope to ascend to the summit of Mount Search Rankings. Solve a problem, include videos and infographics and actually do something for your small business’ audience. After all, you’re marketing to real people – not a search engine.
Myth #3 – Any marketing is better than none.
No. Just no! To truly do you any good at all, your marketing needs to be tailored to your small business, your demographic and (again) your budget.
Improper marketing is nothing but a waste of time and money. Results matter, and if you’re not seeing any return on your investment, you’re setting yourself up to fail.
Small business marketing myths can be difficult to decipher, but with a bit of common sense and these guidelines, it’s pretty easy to separate fact from fiction.
Still have questions? Drop us a line! The Mischa Communications team is a group of small business marketing myth-buster, and we’re happy to help guide you in the right direction.