17 Marketing Misconceptions That Can Hold a Business Back

I've been around marketing for a long time, and one thing I've learned is that businesses don't always have a marketing problem.

Sometimes they have a misunderstanding of what marketing actually is.

I've heard these misconceptions from businesses of all sizes—from small local companies to national organizations. And they're not necessarily the result of bad business decisions. Marketing has become such a broad term that it's easy to misunderstand what it should—and shouldn't—do.

Here are 17 that I've encountered over the years.

1. Marketing Is the Same as Sales

They're closely connected, but they're not the same thing.

Marketing helps people discover your business, understand what you offer and gives them reasons to consider buying from you. Sales helps turn that interest into a customer.

I've written separately about why marketing and sales aren't the same thing, because the distinction is important.

2. Marketing Is the Same as Advertising

Advertising is part of marketing. It isn't marketing itself.

Marketing can involve your product, pricing, website, customer experience, publicity, email, social media, promotions, reputation and much more.

An advertisement is simply one of the tools available.

3. Marketing Doesn't Work

Usually what this means is:

"The marketing we tried didn't work."

That's very different.

The wrong message, wrong audience, wrong offer, wrong timing or simply giving up too soon can all produce disappointing results.

Marketing isn't magic. It needs thought, testing and consistency.

4. Marketing Is Too Expensive

It certainly can be expensive.

It doesn't have to be.

A small business doesn't need the advertising budget of Coca-Cola to market itself effectively. A useful website article, email to existing customers, Facebook post, local publicity or customer referral program can all be relatively inexpensive.

5. Marketing Is Only for Big Companies

We notice the big companies because they're everywhere.

But they didn't all start as big companies.

Marketing can be scaled to virtually any size of business. In fact, a small business may need marketing even more because fewer people already know its name.

6. I Don't Need a Website

Social media hasn't eliminated the need for a good website.

Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are platforms you use. Your website is something you control.

It's where potential customers can learn about your business, find answers, see what you offer and decide what to do next.

If someone searches for exactly what you provide and finds your competitor instead, that's an opportunity you've handed to somebody else.

7. If You Build It, They Will Come

Unfortunately, that usually only works in the movies.

Having a good product, restaurant, service or website doesn't automatically mean people will discover it.

People first have to know it exists.

There's a reason successful companies continue marketing even after becoming household names.

8. Social Media Isn't Important for My Business

Not every business needs to be on every social platform.

But there's a very good chance that at least some of your customers use social media.

9. Word of Mouth Is Enough

Word of mouth is wonderful marketing.

But why leave it entirely to chance?

A broader marketing strategy can introduce your business to people who don't yet know one of your satisfied customers.

Word of mouth and structured marketing should complement each other.

10. Marketing Results Should Be Immediate

Occasionally they are.

More often, particularly with smaller budgets, marketing builds momentum.

Someone sees your name today, notices a Facebook post next week, visits your website a month later and finally contacts you after hearing your name from a friend.

Which piece of marketing produced the customer?

Probably all of them.

11. I Already Know My Customers

You probably know them pretty well.

But customers change. Markets change. Competitors change.

And sometimes what customers actually do is different from what we assume they'll do.

Listening is part of marketing too.

12. More Website Traffic Means More Success

I'd rather have 100 visitors who are genuinely interested in what a business offers than 10,000 visitors who aren't.

Traffic is useful.

Relevant traffic is much more useful.

And getting people to the website is only half the job. The website then has to give them a reason to do something.

13. Once We Have a Marketing Strategy, We're Done

A marketing plan isn't carved in stone.

Something works, so you do more of it.

Something doesn't work, so you change it.

A new competitor appears. Customer habits change. A new opportunity comes along.

Good marketing evolves with the business.

14. Discounts Are the Best Way to Attract Customers

Discounts have their place, but price isn't the only reason people buy.

Quality, convenience, trust, reputation, service and experience can all matter.

There's another danger with constantly competing on price:

15. My Product Is So Good It Sells Itself

I've actually encountered this one.

I once worked with a business that was a nationally recognized specialist in its field. The assumption was that prospects already knew the company, so when they needed the service they would naturally call.

The search data told a different story.

Thousands of people were actively searching online for exactly what the company provided—and many were finding competitors instead.

Being good at what you do doesn't help the customer who doesn't know you exist.

16. Email Marketing Is Outdated

People have been declaring email dead for years.

It isn't.

The problem is often not email itself. It's what businesses send.

If every email says BUY SOMETHING, people eventually stop paying attention.

Give people something useful, interesting or relevant and email can be an excellent way to maintain a relationship with customers.

17. Every Marketing Channel Is Equally Important

It isn't.

A platform that's perfect for one business may be almost useless for another.

You don't need to use every marketing tool available simply because it exists.

Choose the tools that fit your customers, objectives and budget.

Take the Handbrake Off

You don't have to become a marketing expert.

But misconceptions like these can quietly restrict a business because they eliminate possibilities before they're even considered.

Before spending more money on marketing, sometimes the first thing a business needs to do is simply look at marketing differently.

…And that's my Two Pence Worth.