It’s understood that what we know as marketing has been around since the late 18th century, which is plenty of time for a large number of myths, or pieces of #FakeNews, to spread. Here we take a look at five of the most common and debunk them.
Myth 1 – You only need PR when you have a crisis
No, that’s incorrect. It is true that when something negative happens, it does need to be managed with effective PR, but if you just follow this strategy, potential customers will only hear about you during a crisis. What about when something good happens to your company, or you have something important to say about your industry? Maintaining a constant presence will grow your brand awareness, build customer loyalty and give you credibility.
Myth 2 – Advertising is so expensive
Again, no. Doing some research and having a strategic plan means every company can afford to advertise. With any advertising, the more you book the better rate you will get, and with the growth in digital advertising, there are more opportunities. You may not be able to afford a series of ads in a newspaper or glossy magazine, but advertising on the publication’s website could be a more economical alternative. Also, take a look at Facebook’s advertising options. They allow you to target users by areas and interests, amongst many other choices, and can start at as little as £4 a day.
Myth 3 – Sexy sells
No, it doesn’t – are you seeing a pattern here? This is such an outdated concept and any company going down this route is more likely to experience a PR disaster than see an upturn in sales. It is true that, with a bit of creativity, you can market anything, just keep it relevant to your target audience.
Myth 4 – We don’t need marketing, we have enough business
Yes, that’s correct – just kidding, of course it isn’t! You may have enough business for now, but what about expanding or growing your company? Your industry could change in an instant and all of a sudden you may need to find new business rapidly. Whereas if you had developed a marketing strategy and continually grown your client or customer base, you may not notice a market downturn.
Myth 5 – You need to cover every social media platform for it to be effective
Nein, non, nee, no. New social media platforms are popping up extremely regularly, so it can be impossible to maintain a profile everywhere. Choose two or three that suit your business and do them well. We would always say that Facebook is a must, as it has the most active users, is great for engaging with customers or potential clients and, as mentioned above, is a very cheap advertising option. As they are mainly visual, Instagram and Pinterest are great for lifestyle brands, Twitter can be perfect for starting conversations or leading debates, and LinkedIn is the right choice for B2B interaction and developing a company reputation. Research all platforms and pick what works for you.