Author: Waeladmin_asf
August 4, 2025
Digital marketing is undoubtedly a thriving industry that has the potential to have a big impact on your company. Global digital marketing spend is projected to reach $700 billion in 2025. This represents a significant portion of overall ad spending, covering tactics like Social Media Marketing (SMM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC), banner advertising, content marketing, and other online-delivered advertising techniques.
Its importance is highlighted by this increase, which is driven by the increasing desire for online engagement and the widespread availability of internet access. However, as digital advertising grows, frauds that prey on gullible companies and people also expand.
Regretfully, there are a number of instances where a supposed “marketing agency” may take advantage of gullible or ignorant managers and owners of businesses.
Google handles an estimated 13.7 billion searches per day, according to resources. This translates to roughly 158,500 searches per second. Globally, Google processes over 5 trillion searches annually. While Google does not reveal precise search volume statistics for particular inquiries, every day, about 15% of these queries are new, with the estimated average user conducting three to four searches daily.
We use Google for everything, including deciding what pet food to buy and where to have dinner. Because of this, digital marketing is primarily Google-based, which means it particularly optimizes your website for Google. Why is this important?
Let’s say you work with a reputable digital marketing firm. Establishing your company on Google may take some time, but once it happens, you’ll notice great outcomes and rapid expansion. Social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and PPC can put your company in front of more prospective clients who are actively looking for your goods or services.
In addition to doing amazing work, many digital marketing organizations sincerely care about their clients and their businesses. Regretfully, there are some less trustworthy digital marketing companies that want to steal your money for little to no effort.
When researching digital marketing agencies, use caution and take your time if you’re looking for their services. Above all, review these typical frauds from fraudulent marketing firms.
There are organizations out there that say they can quickly triple your social media following. Even if it sounds appealing, you will only get fake followers. They won’t give a damn about your business or service. It may damage you by giving the impression that your profile is bogus and spammy. But social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are working hard to eliminate these fake accounts.
SEO is an ongoing process that takes time, which is a universal truth, and suggesting otherwise is like saying the sun rises in the west. You can’t actually get well-known on Google overnight by organic means. It simply isn’t there. It may take months or even years to notice a significant change after you make the decision to optimize your website for Google.
No reputable firm will ever claim that they can rank you as No. 1 on Google’s search page, and if they do, don’t trust them. Most likely, they will employ some dishonest and unlawful methods to do that, which will lead to Google penalizing or completely blacklisting your website.
Make sure to check the costs of the digital marketing agency you want to work with for content marketing against those of other reputable marketing companies. They are not necessarily offering you a decent deal if their prices are much lower.
Indeed, it could also mean that they are hiring foreign copywriters who are not fluent in English or are completely relying on some AI tools for generating content without any human interference. To be clear, outsourcing copywriting or using AI tools is perfectly acceptable as long as quality is maintained. We advise requesting writing samples.
If you’re trying to find a digital firm to assist you with your marketing, the first question you will ask them, like any other client, is for their portfolio. Sadly, some scammers may even create whole advertising campaigns to attract you with a fake portfolio, even if they lack any professional background.
This is why it’s crucial to thoroughly examine digital marketers’ work, read client recommendations, and check online ratings and reviews on third-party platforms like Upwork, Trustpilot, Business Bureau, etc, as part of your verification process. You don’t want to be forced to pay a shady business that doesn’t fulfill its commitments.
Nowadays, a website is a must for every business. If you don’t have one, that should be one of your top priorities. However, don’t trust low website-building prices; it’s likely that the website will have poor design.
Another common scam that often tricks business owners is convincing the client that creating a whole new website for the same business will increase their company’s traffic or lead production by double. An extra website is acceptable only if you are the lawful owner of another practice or independent business.
Online directories provide value and increased visibility only if they are reliable, high-quality lists. HomeAdvisor, Yelp, Houzz, and Angie’s List are a few directories that consumers generally trust. Avvo, Justia, and lawyers.com are important for lawyers in particular. Online directories can assist your company model, connect with clients, and drive conversions, depending on your industry.
There are, however, many directories that will never provide results or provide you with leads. Some of these agencies will submit your business details to hundreds of pointless directories, which might do you harm instead of benefits. If your agency mentions submissions to directories, make sure you understand which directories your marketing agency is referring to.
Many people are employed by social media click farms, which are frequently found in underdeveloped nations, to click on material, inflate social media followers, or create bogus engagement. The clicks, likes, and following are from fake profiles or people who aren’t interested in your offering.
In order to identify fraudulent behavior, social media companies adopt complex algorithms. They may suspend your account or make you less visible in users’ feeds if they discover that you are using a click farm.
A reputable digital marketing company that wants the best for its customers will be open and honest about the services it provides. Above all, top-performing digital marketing firms will never double-sell or upsell their customers on unnecessary goods or services.
Let’s say you are spending money on PPC (pay-per-click) and SEO (search engine optimization) services. In most cases, any SEM services they are attempting to sell you are probably already services you are currently using. The identical packages you are presently receiving will be rebranded by agencies that are not concerned with the best interests of their clients in an attempt to sell them to you for more money.
Before accepting a vague proposal, always ask your agency to discuss their marketing experience and objectives.
Clients should carefully go over contracts to steer clear of long-term arrangements that are hard to break or have unstated costs. It is wise to look for contracts with fair exit clauses and explicit deliverables. Digital marketing firms have the ability to strip you of your whole marketing budget and even require a 12-month service agreement.
For the first month, these fraudulent marketing firms will provide you with actual results until you sign up for a year. During the second month, the agency will probably stop working, wasting your marketing spend. They will, of course, increase their marketing efforts to prove enough progress to get you to sign another long-term contract when it comes to contract renewal.
All this might have made you feel overwhelmed or scared. Don’t worry, you are not exactly helpless here. There are certain things for which you need to keep an eye out for, and you can make sure that your money is spent well.
Prior to hiring any marketing firm, respectfully ask for their past work experience, references, recommendations from previous customers, and contact information, if possible. You may still receive “references” from scammers, but if you follow up on those references, you will find that they are fraudulent. Scammers use the fact that most people don’t request references.
Make a list of some key questions you want to ask the references before you speak with them. Questions such as:
If the reference responds positively rather than with a simple “yes” or “no,” you’re probably not being conned. You can never be too cautious, though. Check with multiple references rather than just one if at all possible.
We strongly suggest that you ask the firm for at least monthly/semi-monthly or even weekly reports if possible. When they send the first report, ask questions if you’re uncertain about anything. If it is an organic marketing like SEO, despite the fact that it is a lengthy game, you should receive weekly reports on their activities and how they are impacting your SEO, even if it is only slightly.
Since you’ll likely be working with a digital marketing agency for a long time, you want a trustworthy business relationship. You want them to let you know if something is wrong, and vice versa. You can be the victim of fraud if the agency fails to respond to your inquiry or does not respond to you promptly.
If you want to work with a new company that doesn’t have many references, you can always go check them on customer feedback platforms like Trustpilot, Better Business Bureau, etc. LinkedIn is also a great option to look up each team member’s employment history. New doesn’t necessarily equal negative; it just means you might need to conduct more study to make sure the company can handle your assignment.
In case your instincts sense something fishy, make sure you have an “emergency exit strategy” in place in case things turn problematic before committing to working with a firm. You can include a clause in your contract that states you have the right to end it if any of the following situations arise (for example, excessive expenditure, missing deadlines, or poor communication).
We assure you that this is a matter of safety, not disrespect. Spending time and money on a dishonest marketing firm is not something you deserve.
Digital marketing is a legit and very successful online business promotion strategy. It’s an innovative marketing strategy that uses digital platforms to connect with local or worldwide consumers who are interested in your products.
The ever-evolving sector of digital marketing invites companies to take advantage of new opportunities. However, it is essential to approach this field with reasonable expectations and a critical perspective. It takes time and effort to find success with digital advertising campaigns. An online empire cannot be built in a day or even a few months. In some cases, building your web presence and using it to generate sales and profit could take years.
Some people promise speedy results with little work, taking advantage of people’s and businesses’ desires and inexperience. To avoid falling into these traps, it’s essential that you follow the safety guidelines provided by Digital BTI as much as possible. Organizations can create a route to success through strategic planning, ongoing learning, and adaptable actions.
If a company lacks references, you can verify its credibility on platforms like Trustpilot or BBB, and review team members’ backgrounds on LinkedIn.
Paying for digital marketing is worth it when done strategically, it boosts visibility, drives targeted traffic, and increases conversions. However, success depends on choosing the right platforms, setting clear goals, and working with credible professionals or agencies.
Yes, Digital marketing undoubtedly has the potential to have a big impact on your company in 2025. With Google getting 158,500 searches per second, global digital marketing spend is projected to reach $700 billion in 2025.
Feel free to get in touch with us using the contact form below, or you can also call us direclty using the phone numnber below.
(972) 256-8100