It should come as no surprise that the world of digital marketing is always in flux. Things that worked a few years (or even months) ago might not work today, and trying to force them to work is like sticking a square block into a triangular hole. As technology changes and customer expectations evolve, it’s become important to adapt marketing strategies once they start to lose their effectiveness. Businesses need to be flexible if they want to thrive, and that means pushing out old ideas about marketing that are either ineffective now or just don’t work.

So let’s explore some of the old digital marketing advice that you may have heard of or even followed in the past, then explain why it’s not as important in today’s marketing world.

“Posting frequently is all that matters”

There was a time when digital marketers all believed that constantly posting was the key to online success. They thought that the idea of visibility was all that mattered, and the only way to achieve that was to post more and make yourself easier to see. You’d gain more followers, you’d stay in the minds of consumers, and you’d be more successful.

Sadly, this just isn’t the case anymore. In fact, posting too much content on a regular basis can actually dilute the quality of your content, leading to spammy low-effort posts that actually turn people away from your brand or website. With so much content online these days, it’s inevitable that customers get fatigued from reading the same or similar things over and over again. There’s just so much to sift through if you want to find quality content that’s actually helpful or meaningful, so any business that contributes to that glut is often seen in a negative light.

This is why it’s become important to share high-quality content but on a less frequent basis. Let’s face it, there aren’t many (or perhaps any) businesses that can churn out content every single day and make it meaningful or interesting. We know it, marketers know it, and most importantly, your audience knows it. So if you want to get noticed and stay on your customer’s good side, you’ll want to focus on creating quality content.

“Buying followers can boost your credibility”

Buying followers was often seen as a shortcut to marketing success due to how quickly it could boost your credibility. After all, people like to work with or follow companies that have a lot of followers. They see that you have lots of likes and a large audience, and they’ll immediately believe that you’re credible.

However, people are smarter these days and they can almost sniff out when something is fake or bought. Not even engagement numbers and statistics are a sign of credibility these days due to all of the bots and fake posts out there. It’s really become difficult to stand out based on these metrics alone, and they can even be seen as negatives depending on the context.

So what’s the solution here? Honestly–there really isn’t one. It’s created a wide spectrum of online consumers. Some people will almost believe anything they see, following the same idea that big follower numbers means big credibility. On the other side, you have cynical consumers who don’t believe anything brands say, and they have this idea that all brands buy their followers and thus buy their credibility.

The only thing a business can do in the face of such uncertain times is to focus on being honest and transparent. Trying to project an image of success or grandeur can work for some people, but the fake-it-till-you-make-it mentality has largely shifted to influencer marketing. Instead, businesses should focus on their core fundamentals, and that means making a great product, offering fantastic service, and keeping their marketing feet on the ground.

“Email marketing is old news”

In an ironic twist, the advice that email doesn’t work for digital marketing anymore is just plain false. Email marketing has always been relevant because people always use emails. Sure, the landscape has changed a bit given the prevalence of spam filters and other features that protect consumers, but the effectiveness of email has never really fallen off.

Doing email right isn’t easy, but it’s possible. The trick is to focus on personalized emails that drive value, offering subscribers and loyal customers real benefits instead of just updating them with some news every week. Targeted campaigns allow companies to send tailored messages to the right people at the right time, and it helps to maintain strong customer relationships that lead to success.

So if you’ve been neglecting the power of email marketing, give it another try. Focus on creating value with emails and you’ll notice a world of difference.