The Biggest Misconception I Had About Digital Marketing
I believed digital marketing is all about uploading posts across social media on different platforms to promote a product or service. I assumed it mainly involved uploading the posts at the audience interaction slot with consistency and delivering quality content, my initial assumption was that it was limited to paid google ads, sponsorships, ranking on google, and creating websites.
As I went deeper, I understood that there was a lot more happening behind the scenes like: Keywords, Search Result Page (SERP), Key Performance Indicator (KPI), Call to Action (CTA), Lead, Pixel, Organic traffic, Backlinks, Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (EEAT) updates, Algorithm and what not. That’s when my learning digital marketing website journey actually began.
I underestimated digital marketing by believing that algorithms were only relevant to Instagram. Back then, I followed content about “beating the algorithm” without understanding that algorithms influence almost every digital platform.
I remember my trainer asking, “What’s an algorithm?” and my mind going completely blank. I knew I’d heard the word a hundred times on Instagram reels but I couldn’t explain it in one sentence. At that point I thought that algorithm is a way of identifying what users watch and then promoting the same concept again and again in their feed, which is quite true but yet blur, and I can explain it now because my understanding has improved. That moment made me realize how surface-level my understanding had been.
I was introduced to concepts like the marketing funnel, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), SEM (Search Engine Marketing), and bounce rate. The sheer number of new terms initially made digital marketing feel overwhelming. However, as I spent more time learning and practicing, things started becoming clearer, and my interest in this first-time digital marketing experience genuinely grew.
Why Setting Up My First Website Felt Intimidating?
The most important thing while setting up a site is that, it takes a lot of time to decide your niche if you don’t have any idea about it, also, later when you will have to buy domain and hosting it will the most important part; I mean to me personally it was very brainstorming.
I couldn’t think of a perfect name for my first WordPress website that gives a personal touch and is relatable to my niche, but anyways there’s nothing much to worry as things starts clicking your mind once you start exploring options better than others for yourself.
Everyone in my batch purchased the domain and hosting but I was moving at my own pace, and it turned out that even though I took time, I chose a niche that aligned best with my interests so I have no regrets.
Then there comes this hosting, I’m very selective about spending money, especially when it comes to online payments. I went to buy the hosting for my domain and the hosting process went smoothly at first but then suddenly the payment gateway crashed just after paying the fee. It showed “unpaid,” and despite refreshing multiple times, the status didn’t change, which got me panicked for at least 10 minutes I thought the page had frozen so I refused to leave the website, but then when I did leave the website after trying everything, it finally popped that the payment was done successfully, and that was such a relief.
After this step, I had to change my server and all, which I was very confused of, as everyone did things when the instructor was teaching but I had to do it alone, which made me learn it the hard way. I was a little nervous to click any unknown thing on my screen, but I realised that I’m just starting off and learning new things, and to discover things I need to explore more.
While building my first website, I had to disable and delete several plugins. I kept wondering that if plugins are meant to enhance a website, yet I was being asked to delete them all? That confusion sparked a series of questions I didn’t even know how to ask yet. Later, I understood it was about keeping the website lightweight. That moment exposed a major gap in my understanding of website optimization, but it also marked the beginning of real learning.
The Moments I Felt Completely Stuck
There were times when I felt very stuck and inexperienced but that was just because I am learning and developing. there were myths that people often believe about digital marketing but when I practically entered this field I got to know about a lot of insights and strategies that normal people often don’t know. There were many myths busted while learning and applying and I was feeling dumb to actually believe those myths, now learning new things are benefitting me, my knowledge and what not.
I was feeling stuck to get back to the dashboard like from where I can edit things post blogs and make changes in my website. I thought I would just enter my website in the search tab and I’ll be able to make changes but that going to the dashboard has its own way, That’s when I learned that WordPress has a backend most beginners don’t notice.
Sometimes curiosity pushed me forward, and sometimes it overwhelmed me. As a beginner exploring WordPress, I quickly realized how deep and complex the platform is. That’s why we were advised to avoid heavily designed websites initially, as they negatively impact website speed and overall performance.
The Small Moments That Made Me Proud
Even though I didn’t know much about internet marketing, I realized I had already picked up several basics through personal experience and curiosity. I felt genuinely happy when I finally decided my website niche and domain name. I was very proud to enter my website and go to the homepage and watch my website being live I felt proud the first time I opened my website’s homepage and saw it live. Even though it was a small step, owning a self-made website I had always imagined felt incredibly rewarding.
I know I still need more practice in website building and understanding the full development process, but I’m confident in my ability to identify a niche and work on personal branding.
I felt confident when I was able to put my thoughts and ideas into words. Earlier, I avoided speaking up, but now I feel proud of trying even if my answer isn’t perfect.
As I write this blog during my digital marketing learning journey, I feel excited documenting my experiences as a beginner Things may feel unclear in the beginning, but I’m choosing to trust the process and grow with consistency.
Why Quitting Would Have Been My Biggest Mistake
Before starting my journey of learning digital marketing, I genuinely believed it might be a waste of time, money, and effort. I always assumed digital marketing was limited to posting consistently on social media and basic social media marketing.
Whenever I tried to understand digital marketing as a whole, I felt overwhelmed by the number of online marketing tools and concepts involved. Many terms didn’t sound like what they actually meant, making them hard to understand and remember at first. That’s when I realized I was still a beginner, and that feeling confused was part of the process.
I knew that once I gained hands-on experience with these tools, things would start making sense. I accepted that it’s okay to feel clueless at times, especially when you’re building something new. Choosing to start, instead of overthinking, turned out to be one of my most practical decisions. Gradually, everything started feeling clearer and far more interesting than it had at the beginning.
I began understanding how the market works, how people think, and how consumer psychology plays a role in digital marketing strategies. That’s when I realized quitting at the very beginning without even trying, would have been my biggest mistake.