Who this article is for:
- Business owners
- Branding specialists
- Marketing specialists
- Digital Marketing specialists
Key takeaways:
- How can I avoid common mistakes and pitfalls of digital marketing?
- How can I make my digital marketing work effective?
- How can I best reach my audience with content?
- Are there types of content more effective than others?
- What are some simple concepts that can elevate my company’s marketing?
- And more!
Digital Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
In an age where marketing has become primarily on a screen, it has become even more important that our digital marketing strategies are optimized fully. Many businesses fall into the same marketing mistakes, repeatedly making some of the top digital marketing mistakes that can seriously impact results. But there’s a lot of pitfalls that you can find yourself in as a marketer–– and those pitfalls could be the difference between a flopping campaign and a whopping success. So, what are those digital marketing mistakes to avoid, and what else can we do?
Having a solid strategy and a clear digital marketing strategy is essential to avoid common digital marketing mistakes and ensure your efforts are effective. Today we’ll dive into three aspects of digital marketing: Audience, Branding, and Content.
Not Knowing Who is Buying
The reality of marketing–– of any kind–– is that you’re catering to an audience. This means that demographics, pain-points, and your ideal customer matter a lot. It’s crucial to identify your target audience and target market to ensure your efforts are focused on those most likely to engage with your product or service. Some advice that Zach Webber, master Strategist and COO of Big Red Jelly, gave at recent events was to, “Know who is buying your product”. For example, if you are running a preschool, you should not gear your marketing toward the actual preschoolers, but rather their parents. Market research and creating buyer personas can help clarify exactly who your marketing should be aimed at, ensuring your messaging resonates with the right people.
This advice translates over to the digital marketing realm extremely well when it comes to knowing your audience. If you’re familiar with who is researching (and what exactly they’re looking for), you’re much more likely to have your messaging land with them. A mistake many might make in digital marketing is not identifying in advance who they’re trying to reach. This is a huge aspect of strategy, and it affects all other aspects of your marketing.
Your audience can change all aspects of your marketing, from what medium you use (ads on social media, email marketing, mobile marketing, SEO content…) to how you portray your brand.
Vague Branding and Brand Messaging
Your brand is what you want your audience to see when they think of you. If your branding across your ad is vague, confusing, or off from other content you’ve put out before, it can affect the trust that your audience has in your brand.
Let’s say you avoided the previous pitfall, and your messaging is reaching the correct audience. You know who’s buying, and you got on a potential client’s “For You” page. Your ad is bright and colorful, with a few fun slogans and interactive notes. However, the site your potential customer now sees is full of modern grays. The messaging is very formal, and reads a little more bluntly than the colorful playfulness of your site. When this potential customer decided to click your ad, it might be because the light fun resonated with them. But when they see your site, they are confused by the sudden shift. They might feel a little misled.
This client isn’t likely to buy. One of the most essential things you can do–– not just for your marketing, but for your business–– is branding work. Make yourself sets of rules, not just for fonts and colors, but for messaging, types of marketing, and forums that will align with your brand identity. Keep in mind this question: “What do I want my audience to think, feel, and experience?” when you create any form of digital marketing materials.
These questions help you to build brand trust. According to Raymond A Mason School of Business, your potential clients want to see that your values are solid, and your desire to meet expectations exceeds others. If you allow for each interaction a potential client has with you to be consistent, they’ll see that you are trustworthy! Consistent branding also enhances customer engagement, helping you connect with your audience and build lasting relationships.
Want some help with your branding? Reach out here.
Ineffective Content and Media Use
The actual content of your digital marketing can also be a problem for your business. Some content creators love to hop onto trends, using viral sounds on social media or catchy slang in blog posts. Some creators and well-intentioned marketers are not only off-brand in their trends, but also overlooking goals that ought to have been set before the content was even created.
When creating content, it is crucial to align your messaging with your audience’s interests. Producing quality content and high quality content that provides real value helps boost audience engagement, builds trust, and establishes your authority in your niche. Focusing on what your audience cares about ensures your digital marketing efforts are more effective and impactful.
By this, the intention is not to say that all trends are bad, or that content cannot be fun and exciting. Content should be engaging to the audience, but strategically. It is important that content of any kind is created with a goal in mind. Some questions worth asking as you create digital marketing content are, “Will this content resonate with our audience?”, “How will this reach farther than our current circle of clients?”, “Will the time it takes to create this content be worth the reach it has?”, and “Would I want to keep watching/reading/engaging if I saw this content unprompted?” Ensure that your text, images, etc. are all relevant and worthwhile if you want them to pay off! Proper keyword research, thorough keyword research, and the use of keyword research tools are essential for identifying relevant keywords that will help your content reach the right audience and improve its effectiveness.
Following SEO best practices and focusing on search engine optimization are key to improving your search engine rankings and helping your content attract organic traffic. Optimizing your content for search engines and increasing your online visibility can significantly boost your web traffic and help you attract more organic traffic to your site.
Content marketing and social media marketing play a vital role in a successful digital marketing strategy. Consistent social media posts, maintaining a strong social media presence across various social media platforms and social media channels, and engaging with your audience are all essential for building relationships and driving audience engagement. Neglecting these areas can result in missed opportunities and falling behind industry trends, ultimately impacting your brand’s growth and visibility.
Digital Marketing is for YOU
While there are no guaranteed ways to ensure digital marketing success, there are these essential aspects to keep in mind. The truth is, you know your company, your world, and your people the best. If you keep away from the three pitfalls, you are sure to find success.
You might still have questions about your current strategies–– are they effective? Can they really boost your numbers in a significant way? It’s always helpful to consult with someone on the matter. Reach out to a Big Red Jelly associate today to see what we can do to boost your numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Digital Marketing
What are the technical differences between digital marketing and other forms of marketing?
Digital marketing work typically entails using SEO, social, email, and other online channels to reach an audience. Digital marketing campaigns often use different ad formats, including paid ads and platforms like Google Ad Words, to target specific audiences and achieve measurable results. These digital campaigns can be tailored and adjusted in real time, unlike traditional marketing. The benefits of digital marketing include that the campaigns can be more interactive and reach a different audience. It’s also easier to track and target customers. Other, traditional marketing often uses what are considered “offline” channels like television, printed material, and radio/podcast stations. These can reach a broader audience, but make tracking a bit more difficult.
What are the benefits of digital marketing?
Digital marketing can be beneficial for many reasons, especially in respect of building a growing business. It can help increase brand awareness and build a strong online presence, which are essential for long-term success. Small businesses can particularly benefit from digital marketing due to its cost-effectiveness and targeted reach. Utilizing digital marketing tactics is often a more cost-effective choice, as traditional marketing options can often be extremely expensive. Additionally, marketing through online channels like social media, blog posts, and emails can create two-way interaction, which allows for unique feedback and engagement. It’s also easier to track your numbers.
Mobile optimization is crucial to ensure a seamless user experience across all mobile devices and for mobile users, which can significantly impact engagement and conversion rates.
Why should I utilize digital marketing tactics?
Digital marketing allows for precise tracking of your audience. To maximize results, it’s essential to have a clear strategy and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of your digital marketing efforts. It also can be effective in generating leads because it’s easier to target specific audiences. Digital marketers play a crucial role in managing paid advertising and online marketing, helping to avoid common marketing errors by analyzing campaign data and optimizing performance. These methods of marketing to potential customers also allow you to compete with larger brands because of these targeting and tracking benefits. For businesses aiming to reach local customers, focusing on local SEO—such as optimizing Google My Business and encouraging customer reviews—is vital for improving local search visibility. It also typically offers higher ROI.
