The marketing industry has been evolving into a very complex and globally encompassing entity offering major business players with a wider and broader range of options and channels that have the potential to reach and connect with consumers on a global scale. This has all been made possible by internet connectivity and digital marketing.

The use of digital marketing for B2B markets has experienced an exponential growth over the past few years. More and more businesses have realized that going digital has a myriad of benefits especially when used for their lead generation and brand building strategies. Digital marketing is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity as the shift towards digital expands.

However, just like in all wonderful things, some aspects of digital marketing have been shrouded in myth and misconceptions constantly perpetrated by detractors who really don’t have a clue about how it works. The myths have been holding back many entrepreneurs leaving them to grope around in the dark which makes them miss out on all the vast opportunities available such as maximizing output and online engagement.

Here are some of the popular and common myths replete in the business world today that entrepreneurs need to dispel and gain fresh insight so as to take their brands, products and services to a higher plane of marketing

• Your business must be on every social platform

Social media platforms have become very important tools for business owners. I mean just log into any platform, I’m sure the most recent post must be from an organization. This however doesn’t mean that a business should have a presence on every platform.

Experts recommend companies that offer technical services could have a presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube rather than Pinterest while a fashion company would do best on Instagram.

Posting on all platforms can be considered time wasting and unproductive, it would be better for a business to focus on creating fresh, relevant and regular content on two to three platforms that one can easily keep track of the target audience insights

• Online negative comments and feedback are bad for business

You know, entrepreneurs are also like me and you. They do also get emotionally overwhelmed to see negative comments about something they have put their blood, sweat and tears on. While many entrepreneurs would resort to hide the comments or blocking the users, one can use such negative comments to their advantage.

Experts’ advice that responding well and timely to legitimate concerns can do you a lot of good by creating a virtuous reputation for your company. A good example of companies that are not discouraged by negative comments on their services is Safaricom PLC.

Their online platforms are constantly bombarded with insults and foul language but their quick and prompt responses even to some the most hilarious comments continues to make them one of the most successful and profitable company in Africa.

• Digital Marketing is all about tech

Many business owners make the mistake of assuming that traditional marketing strategies have been phased out by tech. This is wrong. As much as technology is key in digital marketing strategies, it is pertinent that entrepreneurs merge it with their existing traditional marketing practices such as TV, radio commercials and newspaper classifieds. Merging the two is likely to have a long lasting impact and become more apparent.

Another good reason for not depending on digital marketing solely for your business is that the internet is notoriously unpredictable. There is an influx of updates that are released every minute or hour and your company is better off maintaining a balance between the old marketing approach and the digital marketing one.

• You don’t necessarily need a blog when you have social media

This is one of the major misconceptions popular in Kenyan entrepreneurs today. Many businesses do not have blogs where they write and share their content on but have a strong social media presence. Sometimes though, a business’s target audience maybe be searching for it online when looking for things such as tips, how to guides, product recommendation etc.

Entrepreneurs should never underestimate the power and importance of blogs because when they are on social media, they are on someone else’s turf and on their terms (Zuckerbergs). But with a blog, you get to be the master of your own domain and you can make your own rules, no matter how preposterous they may seem to other people. On the blog is where a business can build their positions as experts.

There are very many myths floating around out there about digital marketing, but these four are the most common especially in our Kenyan setting where businesses are still struggling to understand the digital marketing concept. Do not let any of them hold your company back from fully realizing the benefits of marketing in the digital world.

 

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