Marketing myth-busting for the month of May

Let’s use the month of May to bust some marketing myths.

The business world is full of myths.

My personal favourite is that ‘running my own business would give me more balance’, for instance 😂

But how do myths start?

Myths and legends began as soon as we mastered the art of writing, so it only takes something to be written down or communicated once for it to have myth-forming potential. And in the modern world of such fluid and rapid communication, those myths can spread like wildfire!

So, let’s look at a few of the myths you might come across as a small business owner in the legal industry…

Myth #1

You should see immediate return on marketing

Some marketing might deliver quick results. For instance: if you do paid advertising you might get a quick injection of traffic to your site. But a lot of marketing will take time and investment to see return. With social media, it takes time to build up and engage with a following, listen to them and provide them value which, in turn, brings them down the buying funnel. It may take some months to see investment in SEO on your website paying off, and of course a lot of this depends on your buyer’s sales cycle. But the more time, effort and budget you put into your marketing and the more consistent you are, the more results you will generate!

Myth #2

You just need social media 

Hey – I luuurve social media. I shout about it from the roof tops! But social media is just one part of the marketing mix. Social media should not operate in a silo outside other areas of marketing – it should tie in to your overall strategy and plan! It’s easy to be seduced by the shop window of social media – it can look so bright and glossy and it feels like a marketing box ticked. But it’s not the only communication channel. Don’t overlook all those other ways to reach your buyers.

Myth #3

We just finished our website!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your website is never finished. The launch is only the start of your digital journey. If you want a website that performs well, there’s so much to invest in. From an SEO perspective: speeding up pages (especially with the new Google algorithm set to come in shortly), getting quality backlinks, using alt tags on imagery and most importantly, ensuring you publish regular, relevant content. It’s not a case of buy website > launch website > done. Your website is a marketing asset that’s ongoing: the more you add and update, the more valuable it is and the better it’ll perform for you!

Myth #4

I just need good SEO to make my website perform well  

SEO alone is not enough to make your website work for you as a business development tool. It’s without a doubt an essential cornerstone, but there is so much else to consider – from quality content of all kinds, regularity of quality content, link-building, onsite SEO… I am not going to pretend I am a tech guru who understands the fascinating world of SEO – but I always know a woman who can!

Myth #5

Marketing is easy. Anyone can pick it up. 

Come on now – I thought we were past this! To get the most out of your marketing, regardless of the size of your business, you should have a strategy that is aligned with your business vision: a robust plan of activity and someone with marketing experience who is able to deliver and measure it for you. Playing around the edges with ad-hoc tactical activity, a social media post here and there and the odd event or newsletter will never result in the foundations you need to keep up with the competition. If you are serious about growing your business, invest in a marketing pro.

Myth #6

You need a huge budget to be successful with marketing 

Some of the best marketing is done by smaller businesses by being smart, creative and knowing their customers and their needs inside out. And there is so much you can do for a relatively low cost! Create blogs and content that solve business issues for your customers and share these on your website and social media. Seek out opportunities to speak and demonstrate your experience. Use social media with purpose to target influencers and your customer base. Host a free webinar or event. There are no magical low-cost marketing secrets (sorry about that), but it does take some effort, creativity and measurement to see what works for you.

If you are a small legal services business who wants help with myth busting marketing, drop me a line to book a Discovery call.