We get it; all the jargon that is related to digital marketing can sometimes be overwhelming. There are hundreds of them, and it can be very confusing, especially if you’re uninitiated. As a business owner, you already have a lot on your plate, and having digital marketing on it can make it a huge challenge for you.
Digital marketing is a good move if you want to expand your business online. However, as great as it sounds, it can also be quite scary, as there are plenty of digital marketing scams out there that are out to get your money. Luckily, we will talk about some of the most common digital marketing scams and how to avoid them. Let’s start.
Speedy SEO
Regarding digital marketing, the trend nowadays is to invest in SEO. SEO stands for search engine optimization, which aims to put your business website on the top list of search engines like Google or Bing. To do this, your website should be optimized with relevant content, keyword applications, etc. However, it can take time, as your website needs to grow its audience organically.
That said when a digital marketing company offers you a service that will put your website on the top search engine list in a short time, don’t hire them. As mentioned earlier, SEO takes time. They’re probably using black-hat strategies that can ultimately get your website banned from search engines.
Thankfully, there are a lot of reputable SEO agencies online, like Gorilla 360, that can help you develop an SEO campaign that can benefit your business greatly.
Buying Followers
As a business owner, you know that one way to increase your online presence is to use various social media platforms. However, just creating an account isn’t enough. You have to make your sphere of influence bigger by garnering tons of followers on Twitter or Instagram.
One of the most common digital marketing scams you can see on the internet is the buying followers scam. It’s a scam that promises you thousands of followers on your business’s social media account in a short amount of time.
But in truth, it’s just bots. They are not real people and are not interested in what your business offers. The worst part is that bots aren’t allowed on some social media platforms. If the administrators determine that your social media pages are using bots, they might ban you. So, if a digital marketing agency offers you millions of followers in a short time, you might want to avoid it altogether.
Business Directory Scams
Remember the yellow pages? The Yellow Pages is a thick directory book that lists national and local businesses that cater to the specific needs of its readers. Now, they have a website and provide listings for businesses that offer services their visitors need. There are multiple directories online, too, and they usually have specific industries that they cater to.
However, some directories are usually known for their scummy reputation. As a business owner, you don’t want your business listed on these sites, or they will be labeled as scams. That said, if a digital marketing agency offers your business to be put in various business directories, you might want to check which directories they mean. If the business directories are websites that have a bad reputation, you might want to reject their service.
Social Media Click Farms
If you haven’t heard of click farms yet, social media click farms are usually located in third-world countries, and what they do is employ thousands of people to click on content and artificially inflate social media followers or generate false engagement. This is different from the previous buying followers scam because this scam, instead of using bots, uses real people.
This practice is deceptive, and it violates the terms of service of most social media platforms. While it may seem appealing at first glance, it’s mostly empty since these people aren’t exactly interested in what your business offers. Not only that but using click farms for your business can ultimately harm it since it’s seen as despicable by people and can get your social media account banned. If you think that a digital marketing agency is using this scummy method, don’t buy their service.
Cheap Website
Nowadays, if you want your business to be successful online, you can create a website. If your business doesn’t have a website, you’re missing out on a lot. A website is an investment, and having it can help your business boost its online presence and garner tons of followers.
However, custom websites are usually expensive and can take time to prepare, but it’s worth the benefits. That said, if a digital marketing agency offers you a custom website with a too-good-to-be-true price, then it probably is. It’s most likely a poorly built website and might even have some backdoors that they can use to steal your business’ data.
Final Words
Scams, as unfortunate as it is, are very common online. Every day, thousands of people are prey to these digital marketing scams and have their money and business stolen from under their noses. Luckily for you, now you know some of the most common digital marketing scams on the internet, and with this knowledge, it will be harder for these scammers to trick you into their schemes.
Source: Cosmo Politian
