Your digital marketing strategy has a huge impact on website traffic, your ROI for both organic content and paid advertising and your search engine ranking. With so many tools, techniques and platforms to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know which strategies to pursue to make the most out of your efforts. Along the way, it’s easy to make missteps that actually end up harming your results.
If you find your efforts lacking desirable results, you may be guilty of one or more of these common digital marketing mistakes:
You’re Doing Too Much
Sometimes it seems that you’re either not doing enough or doing too much. It’s actually easy to fall into the latter trap nowadays with so many social media platforms, software applications and information readily available. If you try to do a little bit of everything, you can’t put your full focus on the most effective tactics. Here are some clues that you might be spreading yourself too thin:
Are you on every single social media platform? We get it, you probably need a Facebook page. If you do B2B sales, you definitely need a strong presence on LinkedIn. However, you don’t need to be on every single site, especially if your marketing team is small and you are just starting out. Snapchat, for example, is mainly used by millennials and Gen-Zers, and you probably don’t need it if you’re a financial services company. Visual platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are only relevant if you have products that lend themselves to visual marketing.
When you find yourself being spread too thin, it is likely that none of your efforts will make much of a difference. The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule applies here. Identify what is working best for you and put most of your energy there.
You’re Trying to Rush Progress
Everyone wants to succeed as quickly as possible. Wanting instant results is common in the age of text messaging and real-time news. However, even with the very best automation tools, results take time. If you try to rush things, you end up delaying rather than accelerating your success. One symptom of this problem is acquiring every new software and service that promises to increase your traffic or boost sales.
Instead, try the following:
You’re Not Testing
Testing is crucial for digital marketing. While you should test everything, including social media and content marketing campaigns, it’s especially crucial to test paid advertising. Some marketers test one or two variables but overlook other significant factors. Here are some of the most important metrics to test with your campaigns:
You’re Misinterpreting Analytics
Analytics are crucial for any marketing campaign. As noted, not testing is one of the worst mistakes you can make. However, it’s equally important to interpret your data correctly. If you look at the wrong numbers or draw incorrect conclusions from them, they won’t help you. Here are some analytics guidelines to help you avoid this pitfall.
You’re Misallocating Resources
It’s important that your marketing budget is allocated in a sensible and results-oriented manner. Sometimes businesses overspend on products and services without adequately researching the options. For example, is there a free or low-cost tool that accomplishes the same results as a more expensive one? Are you still paying for a monthly service that you no longer use? Miscommunication from the top down can cause overspending or purchasing unnecessary or redundant services. Regular auditing of your marketing budget, as well as clear communication, will help you avoid such expensive mistakes.
You’re Creating Content for the Sake of Content
Content is integral to a successful digital marketing strategy. At the same time, your content marketing needs to be focused. If you fall into the trap of valuing content for its own sake, you’ll be wasting time and valuable resources.
Marketing, technology and consumer trends are always changing, and so too must we adapt. If you set clear goals and consistently measure your results along the way, you can avoid some of the more costly errors mentioned above.
We understand that it’s not always easy to identify all of your digital marketing mistakes, much less identify the best way to correct them. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone. RedShift has a unique approach to marketing that will transform the way you operate, and help you uncover measurable results. To find out how we can help you create a customized and effective digital marketing strategy, contact us.
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