When I talk to other business owners about marketing their business there are a few phrases that I hear that really get the digital marketer in me excited. Those phrases are generally misconceptions or even myths about the benefits and the world of digital marketing. On November 26, 2021, I wrote an article about “Why Should You Take Your Small Business Digital?”, and since then my conversations with clients, family and friends surrounding digital marketing, social media, website and more have skyrocketed. I am so passionate about what I do that when someone says one of these magical phrases I feel like Elle Woods when she wins her first court case. Don’t judge me, Legally Blonde is one of my favorite movies. Just ask me to share my favorite music playlists, then you’ll really raise your eyebrows. Anyways, stick with me and let’s put some of these common misconceptions and myths to bed once and for all.
1. "I am too small time for that."
I swear every client that I talk to says this within the first five minutes of talking to me. This way of thinking is so wrong and it's not long before I am usually able to change a client’s mind and have them jumping on the digital marketing train with me. There is no business too small, or too new, to be marketed. Social Media and a basic well-built website can go a long way to building your brand image and bringing in the clients or customers that you deserve. This is probably the only area of your life where I would say look at what your friends (competitors) are doing and do what they do…only better. If you’re going to play in the sandbox, you need the right tools. Marketing your business properly will ensure that you can keep up with the bigger kids and maybe even knock them down a few pegs when potential customers realize you’re better than your competition.
2. “I have a profile on “______” platform. I don’t need any others”, or my personal favorite “I don’t ‘do’ social media.”
Think again. 4.48 million people in the world use social media. That’s a lot! Those users, on average, engage with the world on at least 6 social media platforms every day. Six! At first, that number surprised me, and I thought ‘there’s no way I use that many social media platforms’ so I went and checked and surprised myself. While I am only (currently) active on three social media platforms for my business (with intention to add more as I grow and expand my clientele), I actively use nine platforms on a personal basis. I am definitely not active on all nine every day, but I do use each for a different purpose and engage with each on at least a weekly basis. Each day, individuals spend an average of four hours and twenty-five minutes on social media. That’s a lot of time, platforms, and a lot of potential customers that you could be reaching by adding the use of a team of social media platforms to your marketing plan.
3. “I don’t need a website.”
Yes, yes you do. You might be able to get started by only using social media or even word of mouth, but long term you won’t be able to sustain your business or grow in the way that you want. On a basic level, having a website makes your business more credible and when looking at the grand picture a website will help you to meet and exceed your business goals because you will be more visible to potential customers. A quality website that is built with purpose and updated regularly will take your Mom and Pop business and make it look bigger and more successful. Think of it this way: your website becomes a virtual window into your business for people that are too busy to come into your store. Your website is open 24 hours a day. It’s a way to tie your social media together and become a one stop information board for your customers to get all the information they need about your business easily and quickly. Linking your social media back to your website and keeping your main information there makes it overall easier for you to keep your ducks in a row and make those ducks work for you instead of running all around haphazardly. Crazy ducks.
4. “I don’t need a content calendar.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa, there. Slow your horses down and take a step back. Yes, you do, and I am about to tell you why. How often do you get so busy that you forget about creating content for your social media pages? Or forget to write that blog? Or even get stuck on what content to create or subjects for your blog? More often than you care to admit, right? Not good. A content calendar will help you to organize your thoughts in one place. Setting aside time every week to look at the week coming up and planning your content will take the pressure off you. Remember: consistency is key. Pre-planning and sticking to your content calendar is hugely beneficial to your business as it helps to increase your search engine rankings (SEO) and engagement across your platforms which will grow your audience and brand awareness. There are multiple content calendar platforms that can help you manage this. Canva and Hootsuite are two of the ones that I use to manage and post content. You can even set up your content to post automatically from these sites so that you don’t have to remember to do it yourself. Let your content calendar serve as your own personal Marie Kondo for your business. You won’t regret it.
5. “I am not good with technology, there’s no way I’d be good at that.”
You don’t need to be good with computers to learn how to market your company. You do have options. YouTube is a huge resource with step-by-step tutorials on how to market your business or you can source out a digital marketing company to do the work for you. Don’t forget to shop around if you chose to outsource your marketing. Make sure you find someone that you connect with and that understands what your vision is for your business. Dreamweaver offers a DIY Digital Marketing Consultation where you get to sit down with a specialist and together you will take a look at how you can market your business on your own.
In conclusion, these are just some of the most common myths and misconceptions that I have come across as my time as a digital marketer. There are many more, but these ones seem to be the ones that really stop people in their tracks when it comes to marketing their business. Digital marketing is very effective for brand awareness and business growth. With the proper plan in place your business will grow, and you’ll find that you will achieve your dreams for your business a lot quicker. So the question becomes what are you waiting for and how can Dreamweaver help?