{"id":1863,"date":"2015-12-31T20:00:29","date_gmt":"2015-12-31T20:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/?p=1863"},"modified":"2016-01-01T20:01:49","modified_gmt":"2016-01-01T20:01:49","slug":"the-online-marketing-myth-that-hooks-every-new-entrepreneur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/the-online-marketing-myth-that-hooks-every-new-entrepreneur\/","title":{"rendered":"The Online Marketing Myth That Hooks Every New Entrepreneur"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0\"Jayson<\/a><\/p>\n
JAYSON DEMERS<\/div>\n
CONTRIBUTOR<\/div>\n
Founder and CEO, AudienceBloom<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Image credit: Alexey Boldin | Shutterstock<\/a><\/div>\n<\/header>\n

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Marketing is a practical necessity for all businesses —\u00a0big, small, new or\u00a0old. But, unlike other business needs that are fairly cut-and-dried (think\u00a0accounting), marketing is a bit more qualitative in its approach.<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a05 Online Marketing Basics Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

In fact, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of different strategies to choose from, and conflicting information can sometimes be an issue in trying to make sense of them.<\/p>\n

As a result of this somewhat imprecise and less-than-predictable nature of marketing,\u00a0there are several myths about it that persist in the entrepreneurial community. There are big myths —\u00a0like the idea that marketing is only a tool to increase sales —\u00a0and small\u00a0myths, like the one that says paid advertising is the only way to get seen on social media.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s one myth that stands out among the others, because almost every new entrepreneur falls for it: the myth that somewhere out there, there\u2019s a guaranteed formula for success.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why the myth hooks so many entrepreneurs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It should be fairly obvious why the myth is appealing. If there\u2019s a guaranteed strategy out there to earn you more visibility and sales, it gives credence to your marketing efforts and reduces any perceived risk of investing in it.<\/p>\n

If, sooner or later, you\u00a0stumble on the \u201cright\u201d marketing strategy, you\u2019ll make money no matter what. The reality, that marketing is often unpredictable and rarely works the same for any two different businesses, is scary and intimidating.<\/p>\n

Sources of the myth<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are a few reasons the myth persists today. Part of it is its raw appeal, assuming it were true. If there isn\u2019t a guaranteed method for success, that makes marketing scary and unpredictable, so some entrepreneurs hold on to this myth out of necessity. The myth also persists due\u00a0to the sheer number of marketing agencies that have peddled their services under the false pretense that they have the \u201cmagic formula\u201d for results.<\/p>\n

Some agencies guarantee their results; and although this isn\u2019t inherently bad or deceptive, it can be misleading to a new entrepreneur. For example, an agency might use different strategies, adjusted carefully and frequently along the way, to get those promised results for every client.<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0The 10 Traits of Successful Online Marketers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is also a dangerous myth to spread by word\u00a0of\u00a0mouth. When a new entrepreneur hears from a more experienced entrepreneur about a successful marketing strategy, he or she\u00a0may assume the strategy works for everyone. Similarly, if a new entrepreneur finds a specific strategy to be successful, he or she may genuinely believe it will be successful for everyone.<\/p>\n

Why the ‘myth’ is a myth<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So, having established that there is no guaranteed formula for marketing,\u00a0let\u2019s tap into the reasons why this belief is<\/em> a myth:<\/p>\n