8 Controversial Digital Marketing Opinions

First, I want to highlight that this is our 200th blog from Jennie Lyon Digital Marketing… which seems unbelievable. For this 200th blog, I was thinking of doing something different. I decided to share 8 controversial digital marketing opinions I hold as a digital marketing agency owner with over 23 years of experience. 

I’ve seen it ALL. Some things are popular right now that I just don’t get the hype for, and some things marketing “gurus” on the internet are sharing that I don’t fully agree with. 

Of course, these are just my opinions based on my personal experiences. If you’re doing any of these for your online business, take this as an opportunity for a different perspective—that’s all! 

Without further ado, let’s get into it. 

Content Overview

View Counts are Vanity Metrics
Branding Matters
Spending More Money Does Not Make More Money
Posting on Social Media is NOT Marketing
Not Just Anyone Can Do Marketing
Marketing Must Evolve
Marketing is a Long Game
My Advice as a Digital Marketing Agency Owner

#1: Substance > Trends

In this age of social media, I know online businesses feel a lot of pressure to keep up with social media trends. You want to ensure you’re using the right practices to trick the algorithms into showing your content to more followers. You might even consider learning that viral dance just to get more eyes on your business… 

But I’ll tell any client scared to dance on social media that you don’t have to follow trends or do things that make you uncomfortable to get eyes on your business. 

Will it work? Maybe… 

But you don’t HAVE to do it. Because let’s think about it—will posting a viral trend on your social media show the heart and soul of your business or product? If the answer is no… you’re just gaining viewers, not customers. 

So then you’re saying, “But Jennie, I need to draw attention to my business!”

Yes, of course! However, you must draw the right audience to your business to convert followers into paid customers. You don’t need to jump on the latest marketing bandwagon, go in there, and forget everything else. 

This is why we focus on social media marketing strategies that showcase the uniqueness and value of your specific business so you can stand out without following crazy trends. 

#2: View Counts are Vanity Metrics

Many marketing agencies and professionals give tips about increasing views, even tricking the algorithm. And I get it. You would think that getting more viewers means increasing the chances of a qualified lead that will become a sale. 

But in my experience, that’s not the case. View counts are vanity metrics, just like likes or follower counts. 

A new client recently complained that she wants to grow her followers on her Instagram, but she only gets about thirty views on her reels. 

So I asked her if she makes any sales off Instagram- and she said YES. 

I’m not saying she made millions of dollars on those thirty views. But I’ve had clients with hundreds of thousands of views on their “viral” content that didn’t make them a dime. 

Views are vanity metrics. What matters is the quality and strategy of the content, which will ultimately attract a qualified lead to become a paid customer. 

I need to add that what happens after people see your content is quintessential to building an online business. It doesn’t matter how many views you get; with no customer journey or ideal client avatar nailed down, millions of people can show up, and no one buys.

#3: Branding Matters

Okay, I say this one with love, so if I’m calling you out right now, I’m not meaning to. I’m just trying to help, I promise. 

But in the world of online businesses, like attracts like. 

Suppose you have an ideal client avatar that makes multiple six-figures or seven-figures, and your offers are four-figure and five-figure price points, but your logo was made from a free Canva template. In that case, your ideal client avatar won’t invest in your business until YOU invest in your business. 

Now, some minimalistic logos and branding are VERY easy to create in Canva—and that’s great. I’m talking about the pre-made Canva template with the circle and that one script font everyone has used at some point. It’s not serving your business, period. 

I’m not saying you need to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a brand designer, but branding matters. 

What colors are your ideal client avatars attracted to? What emotion should they feel when they see your branding and hear your business name? Does your branding reflect what you offer? 

Branding isn’t just colors and fonts. It’s the whole visual representation of your business online. 

With our branding clients, we spend way more time on the psychology and strategy of a brand than we do on the logistics (colors, fonts, etc.). So, if your branding was just made to look pretty, it’s time to return to the drawing board. 

FREE RESOURCE: Branding Building Workbook

#4: Spending More Money Does Not Make More Money

The most common misconception among my social media advertising and PPC clients is that they cannot have a “successful” ad campaign without spending much money. 

And I can say with complete confidence that is completely untrue. 

The strategy behind creating and running those ads is the key to successful advertising. The copy, the graphics, the targeting, and the offer itself determine the success of your campaign. 

#5: Posting on Social Media is NOT Marketing

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say again: marketing is an investment, not an expense. 

But I tell you this because I know you have dreams. I know you want to grow to an income level you’re happy with and serve more people. You’re not going to do that by posting on social media only a couple of times a week and crossing your fingers that someone goes to the link in your bio. 

If you want to grow your business and your revenue, you need a funnel, a customer journey, an ideal client avatar, and strategies surrounding every aspect. 

And you might not even know what some of those things are right now, and that’s okay. Hiring a marketing professional is not just a “nice thing to do.” It’s a MUST to increase your sales as an online business. 

The new online currency is attention, and if you’re not partnered with a marketing agency that knows what they’re doing and is keeping your business ahead of the curve- you’re already falling behind. 

I’m not trying to scare you, but I want you to know that I’m completely serious when I say marketing is the only way your business will grow to its full potential in a reasonable amount of time. 

FREE RESOURCE: Facebook Ad Writing workbook

#6: Not Just Anyone Can Do Marketing

I’m going to illustrate this with a little storytime. 

A client hired Jennie Lyon Digital Marketing to market their online workshops. We created a strategy that ran like a well-oiled machine. We could send one email and post once on social media, and the workshop would fill up with a capacity of 100 people. 

This client was so impressed with this strategy that they felt their niece could take it over and keep it running the same way. 

Needless to say, after just a few months, this client is back at Jennie Lyon Digital Marketing because now they can’t get even 5 people to sign up for a workshop. 

The story’s moral is- no, not anyone can do marketing. 

Digital Marketing isn’t just about putting content out, writing an email, or posting on social media. 

Marketing is psychological and scientific. Marketing hinges on strategy, and marketing without a strategy is wasted time. 

So, before you hire a family member or random contractor from Fiverr to build your website or run your social media account, make sure they have experience in marketing and successfully helping businesses grow online. 

FREE RESOURCE: How to Use Our Digital Marketing Team

#7: Marketing Must Evolove

This hasn’t happened very often, but enough that I feel like it earned a spot on this list. But I’ve had some clients in the past be so pleased with our digital marketing strategies because they are booked out, they are making the income they wanted to make, reaching their goals, all the good things… and they think they can just keep doing the same things and get the same results. 

Then, ten years later, I see these clients on social media, still using the same marketing tactics I taught them a decade ago… they wonder why they’re not making sales. 

Marketing strategy is not a stagnant formula for success. 

Marketing strategy is a living, breathing concept that must evolve with the development of your business, your ideal client avatar, and the online business climate. 

#8: Marketing Is a Long Game

I don’t know that this one is controversial as much as it may be a misconception, but marketing is not designed for instant cash flow. 

There are ways to create momentum and accelerate a return on investment, but ultimately, marketing is a long game. 

To turn a follower into a customer, you must build a like, know, and trust factor that makes them feel comfortable investing in your business and believe you will offer the transformation they want. This doesn’t happen overnight. 

Any good marketing strategy will have a hierarchy of focus to create a long-term sales machine instead of just creating upfront cash flow that doesn’t come back to convert again. 

My Advice as a Digital Marketing Agency Owner

So there are my 8 online business digital marketing hot takes. What do you think? 

You know, ultimately, what I’m getting across is that marketing isn’t some get-rich-quick scheme or magical formula. It’s the lifeblood of online business, and I don’t want outdated or unfounded marketing “tips” you read on the internet to keep your business from reaching its potential. 

So my advice is to do your research, not back away from the hard tasks, and, most importantly, start outsourcing your marketing if you want to grow your business. 

We offer done for you marketing services of all kinds, including: 

• Social Media Strategy
• Social Media Advertising
• Funnel Strategy
• Brand Development
• Website Building
• Email Marketing Management
• And more! 

If you have an in-house marketing team and want guidance on your business’s best next steps, we offer consulting services and marketing office hours for quick questions. Let’s chat!

Links for This Episode:

– Marketing Office Hours
– Discover Your Digital Marketing Success Path
– How to Use Our Digital Marketing Team
– Schedule a free call with Jennie today

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