By Darren Gilbert

When it comes to content marketing, there are a number of myths that are circulating. Now, while some may be harmless – others do have a way of negatively influencing people. With that in mind, here are three myths that need to be discarded.

Myth: It is inexpensive

If you ever want something done right, you will find that you do have to pay. Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to pay a lot – there is such a thing as good quality at a reasonable price. However, at the same time, when it comes to content marketing, you need to understand that it is not going to be cheap.

Salma Jafti, CEO of WordPL.net agrees in her post on Search Engine Watch: “While expense is relative, many brand managers assume that content marketing will always be the cheaper alternative to other promotional methods, such as advertising or PR.” This is not always the case. “While technology has leveled the playing field in that both big and small brands can achieve results with content marketing,” continues Jafti, “brands are investing widely different amounts depending on perceived value.”

Myth: It is all about creating more content

It is fairly rational to think that when it comes to content marketing, you just need to create more content. However, it’s not as simple as that. Yes, more content does mean that your business will have something to put to the public and it will have a few eyeballs. But that isn’t really the point. Instead, you want to create content that is worth sharing and interacting with.

“A misperception for many marketers new to the field of content marketing is that adding more content leads to improved business outcomes,” writes Lee Odden of TopRank Online Marketing in an article. “Quality, not quantity rules the day when it comes to high value, high impact content marketing. But there’s nothing like a quantity of quality to win the week, month and year.”

However tempted you are to simply produce more content, first think hard about the quality of what you are putting out.

Myth: There is no ROI available

ROI or return on investment is what everyone is interested in at the end of a campaign. If the campaign was a success, the ROI will be worth looking at. If it was a failure, many might try to simply forget about it because it will not tell a good story.

“Targeting your goals with the right content and distribution strategy is a valuable skill: one that sets up campaigns for success rather than disappointment,” writes Outbrain’s chief revenue officer, Tom Foran in an article. “Engagement may be a ‘soft’ metric, but without it, conversions and increased sales will remain remote outcomes.”

The great thing about the Internet is that everything trackable. Foran explains: “Tracking indicators like bounce rates, time spent, and page views per session are the first signals that your content is resonating with audiences at all.”

What are your thoughts? Do you know of any other content marketing myths that should be discarded? Tell us below.