The world of digital content marketing is full of misconceptions. In this post, we're debunking some of the most common digital content marketing myths.

Digital content marketing requires a lot of work, from creating your content calendar and researching keywords to analyzing your competitors and audience. There are plenty of best practices and tactics out there to help you build a successful strategy, but there are just as many digital content marketing myths.

In this article, we cover the most common digital content marketing myths to dispel so you can streamline your processes, get buy-in from your marketing team, and work more effectively.

Myth #1: Digital Content Marketing Produces Immediate Results

Many people believe investing in digital content marketing is the fastest way to attract customers and generate revenue. But in reality, it’s quite the opposite.

Digital content marketing is not for the impatient—it’s a long-term investment. Unlike outbound marketing (paid advertising, cold calls) that delivers results in an instant, you often don’t see results from your digital content marketing strategy until about six months or even a year.

New content isn’t delivered immediately to your audience; it must first be indexed and ranked by search engines, which can take a few days. Once search engines have acknowledged the value this new content brings to your readers, they will start ranking you higher. A higher search engine results page (SERP) rank means more people will discover your content, providing you with the measurable results you want.

It might also take some time for you to come up with a strategy that works for your brand. Since results can’t be measured from the start, there’s no way of knowing what works until you see statistics from your efforts. Business owners who say digital content marketing doesn't work for them usually give up on their campaign before it has a chance to get off the ground.

Myth #2: Content Writing = Copywriting = Content Marketing

Many people believe content writing and copywriting produce the same output and therefore must be one and the same. This digital content marketing myth can lead your campaign to ruins. While both do focus on creating and distributing content for your target audience to consume, content writing and copywriting have very different objectives—and neither of them equates to content marketing.

Content writing provides value by giving your audience content they want to read, such as blog posts, whitepapers, e-books, guides, and case studies. The content provides significant information that builds authority in your industry and puts your brand's services and products in front of your target audience.

By contrast, copywriting is primarily focused on producing content designed for sales campaigns and advertisements. The goal of copywriting is to drive people to take action, whether that’s subscribing to a mailing list or buying from the brand right away. Content generated by copywriters includes website landing pages, product descriptions, and headlines for Facebook ads.

Content marketing is a far larger discipline that involves not only the creation and distribution of content but also the underlying planning. As a content marketer, you do more than just write; you also build strategy and conduct market research, competitor analysis, and keyword research.

Believing these three content-related terms to mean the same thing can prevent you from knowing important information, processes, and strategies that can help you maximize your digital marketing efforts.

Myth #3: Being on All Social Media Channels is Necessary

The power of social media can significantly increase your brand’s customer base. We’ve all seen how TikTok helped small business owners sell out their inventory in a matter of minutes and how Facebook became a go-to channel for shopping.

This doesn’t mean your brand needs to be on every social media platform out there. In fact, believing this myth and targeting all social media channels will burn through your resources. When you have multiple social media profiles, you must tailor the content to each one. This process alone is time-consuming and would require a dedicated team to manage each profile for the best results.

This is a significant waste of manpower because you don't really need all social media channels to boost your brand’s online presence. Not every social media outlet will work for your business, the type of content you’re producing, and even your target audience.

For instance, if you’re a coach who shares valuable advice on social media, it doesn’t make sense to focus all your energy on visual-based apps like Instagram when short-form TikTok videos of your advice are much easier to consume.

Instead of creating an account on all the platforms, conduct market research on your audience first to determine which platforms they use most. From there, it will be easier to determine what kind of content you need to create and what your social media content marketing strategy should look like.

Myth #4: B2B Marketing and Social Media Marketing are Incompatible

One of the most common digital content marketing myths is that social media and B2B content marketing don’t mix. This misconception likely stems from the fact that Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other trendy platforms are heavily populated by consumers rather than businesses. B2B marketers don't see these platforms as a way to reach their target audience, so they stick with traditional web advertising instead of creating content for social media.

Additionally, social media has traditionally been an escape for people looking for downtime. Social media users are thought to want fun and engaging content rather than ads. It can be challenging for B2B marketers to create this type of content, so they often avoid incorporating social media into their strategies for fear of not getting enough engagement and conversions.

Steering clear of social media is a big, if not the biggest, mistake a content marketer can make. As one of the most rapidly expanding digital channels today, social network sites offer several opportunities to grow your business.

Social media humanizes your brand, which establishes a personal connection with your target business owners. Much like B2C consumers, B2B buyers are looking for a personalized experience where they can develop a closer relationship with the brands they do business with. A presence on social media helps your brand give B2B buyers what they want.

Another important benefit of being on social media is increasing your site traffic. As you deliver content in a format regularly used by your audience, you can effectively market your brand and drive your viewers where you want them: to your website.

Myth #5: Email Marketing is Spammy & Ineffective

With the emergence of so many new marketing strategies, it’s easy to believe email marketing has become spammy and useless. This simply isn’t the case, especially for businesses, which can use email marketing to convert leads into paying customers.

The most successful retailers—online and in-person—use strategic email marketing campaigns to connect with both existing clients and prospective customers.

In fact, 89% of marketers say they generate leads primarily through email. As of 2021, email marketing ROI remained high at a $36 return for every $1 spent.

If you’ve tried email marketing before with disappointing results, don’t discount the channel’s effectiveness and the significant role it should play in your marketing efforts. After all, not all email campaigns are created equal. You just need to try again with a different approach.

To make email marketing work for your brand, dedicate your resources to learning more about your ideal customers. Segment the market into your prospects’ location, gender, age, and buying preferences. This way, you can release emails relevant to the recipients instead of sending generic messages.

Following your customer market research, determine the objective of your email campaign. Is it to generate sales? Inform customers about a new product? Nurture your prospects? Once you know your goals, you can start creating your emails. Make sure the content resonates with your target audience and include action-driven CTAs in the copy and an attractive subject line that piques interest.

Implementing an automated email marketing campaign can improve your strategy by eliminating redundancy and streamlining the entire process. Trigger a welcome email to send when they enter their contact info, then follow up with messages to guide your customer’s buying journey.

Myth #6: Everyone is Your Audience

Not everyone will buy your products or use your services, so making everyone your audience is one of the digital content marketing myths you must avoid. When it comes to digital content marketing, more isn’t always better. This is why researching your target audience is so crucial.

Sure, as a business owner, you want your brand to reach as many people as possible. But just as businesses each have unique kinds of products and services to offer, prospects have individual needs and goals. There must be certain compatibility between a brand and a potential customer for a successful transaction to happen and a relationship to develop.

When you conduct target audience research, you learn more about what your customers want and need and how you can solve their pain points. You can then zero in on that specific buyer characteristic to build a more qualified customer base already interested in your products or services. These leads are more likely to purchase from you in the future.

Myth #7: In-House Content Marketing is Best

Many businesses keep their digital content marketing in-house as it costs less than hiring a content writing agency—this is one of the most common digital content marketing myths.

In reality, B2B marketers can benefit from outsourcing at least one of their content marketing activities.

37% of small organizations, 54% of medium-sized organizations, and 75% of large organizations report outsourcing part of their content marketing efforts.

While an in-house marketing team makes sense for some businesses, there are several disadvantages to it. Training your staff can be time-consuming. Even if you do have people onboard who already know how to create a successful content strategy, implementing it will involve more time and manpower and will take your staff’s attention away from valuable tasks such as nurturing leads and closing deals.

An external agency can create content and a strategy for you, leading to a higher ROI. Outsourcing lets you tap into the creative talents and experience of writers who are already trained for the task, while your internal team can stay focused on what they do best.

Partner With the Content Marketing Experts at WriteForMe

Digital content marketing is an important step in building a strong brand image and generating continuous sales. But before implementing every best practice and strategy you come across, it's important to identify and dispel the myths. Save yourself time and money by investing in a content marketing firm that can help you focus on the facts and build a digital content marketing strategy that meets your needs.

Ready to grow? Contact the content marketing experts at WriteForMe today and get a free customized playbook. We’ll identify opportunities for your business, show how you compare to your competitors, and help you quickly attract and convert new business.