Every digital phenomenon has a tendency to generate ideas that mystify and distort its essence, and digital marketing is no different.

From the moment people realized they could promote themselves online, there have been stories about what works, what doesn’t, and what you ought to be doing. Some of them were the product of research based on facts and the scientific method, while others had little going for them in terms of evidence, but they had a lot of vocal supporters online. The latter ones are also known as digital marketing myths, and they are all to frequently promoted as legitimate marketing strategies.

Unfortunately, they rarely work, and when they do, their success can often be attributed to other factors. Knowing the difference between established marketing ideas, and ones based on hearsay and deceit is essential for developing a digital marketing approach that works. So to help you separate truth from fiction, we have compiled a list of the most common digital marketing myths you will come across online in 2018.

Traffic is the Ultimate Goal of Digital Marketing

One of the most common ideas surrounding digital marketing is that its purpose is to divert traffic to your website, online shop, blog, or social media profile. After all, the more people visit your online properties, the more customers, subscribers, or followers you stand to gain. However, this simplified view doesn’t hold water upon closer scrutiny, and it is easy to see why. Namely, it doesn’t matter how many people end up visiting your website, if they have no interest in the content, services, or products you might be offering. In fact, having high website traffic can strain your servers, resulting in a diminished UX for visitors that actually came to your website for a reason. In other words, chasing traffic at all costs is not a sound digital marketing strategy.

SEO is a One-time Affair

Another common misconception surrounding digital marketing, or more specifically SEO, is that it is a set-and-forget kind of endeavor. The idea is that once you put an SEO strategy in motion, you can sit back, relax, and watch as you climb in rankings on search engines. In reality, SEO involves a lot more work than it might be immediately obvious. There are a number of reasons for why this is the case.  One of them is the fact that search engine algorithms are always evolving, and you have to keep pace by constantly modifying your website. Another would the competitive nature of the web – new websites are constantly cropping up, and each of them has the potential to usurp your rankings, unless you are careful.

You Don’t Need Technical Knowledge to Utilize Digital Marketing

A myth frequently propagated by digital marketers themselves regarding the work they do, is that digital marketing can be practiced on its own, without any technical knowledge. Their contention is that you can simply implement existing solutions, tips, “growth hacks”, etc. without an understanding of how they work, and reap the associated benefits. However, as experienced web developers will tell you, this is patently not the case. If your digital marketing assets are not seamlessly integrated with your website on a technical level, they will stand out like a sore thumb, causing your site UX to take a hit. Your SEO will take a hit as well, as search engine crawlers are very proficient at detecting technical website issues, which are bound to arise if keep using digital marketing techniques without knowing how they function under the hood.

Negative Reviews are Inherently Undesirable

Managing your online community is a core component of digital marketing. And sometimes, the community will grow unsatisfied with the way you have been managing things, which will tend to net you negative comments, reviews, and other displays of discontent. And the prevailing idea is that negative feedback of this sort is undesirable, and should be hidden or removed. This notion is misguided from the outset – ignoring legitimate customer concerns is a quick way to lose customer goodwill online. But more importantly, receiving criticism is essential for determining how to improve your online business endeavor, and by choosing to ignore it, you are effectively shooting yourself in the foot. Instead, try to think about negative feedback as an occasion to reexamine your online strategy, and make adjustments in an informed manner.

Digital Marketing is All You Need

The greatest myth surrounding digital marketing is that digital marketing is the be-all, end-all solution to all your marketing needs. It is easy to see why digital marketers would make such a claim, but from the perspective of a business owner, putting all your eggs in one basket in this way is not a sound decision. Digital marketing is highly effective, but it ultimately only affects people that wish to interact with brands online, or look for products and services. For everyone else, a more effective approach would be to utilize traditional marketing methods, some of which are still highly effective, and often cost less than running length digital marketing campaigns.

Stay Smart

To get the most out of digital marketing, you need to be aware of its benefits, downsides, and the principles behind how it works. And in order to acquire this knowledge, you must be able to distinguish between digital marketing facts, and myths. And we hope that you a bit more about the latter as a result of reading the article above.