Avoid These Top Five Digital Marketing Mistakes

Marketing is time consuming and expensive. Every business needs to spend their marketing dollars wisely, so make sure to avoid these marketing mistakes when launching your next digital campaign:

Having No Plan Does Get You Somewhere

But, does it get you to where you want to be? Marketing plans do not have to be complex. Here’s a simple marketing plan: Define your goals, Outline the benefits to the consumer, Determine your audience, Choose your marketing weapons wisely, Know your company’s niche, Define your company’s personality and Allocate a realistic budget.

Know Your Ideal Prospect

The web is a vast expanse. Your ideal prospects could be anywhere. You need to know what characteristics identify them best and where they gather on the web before you can develop strategies to have visibility in those venues. First come up with a half dozen specific characteristics of your prospect. Then scout out where they gather on the web: look at blogs, forums, social channels, etc. Next, develop and execute your visibility strategies to be noticed.

Metrics and Analytics: Are We There Yet?

Meaningful metrics need to be developed before the marketing effort gets underway; metrics such as the monthly-ad-spend, cost-per-lead, or cost-per-new-customer-acquisition. Metrics will be our marketing goals. Analytics will help us grind through the numbers to see if our goals are realistic and if we have a chance in reaching them. Analytics will show us the number of new visitors to our website and how many of those people stay, leave, or look around.

Going in Too Many Directions at One Time

Every business knows they need to have several marketing irons in the fire at the same time. Potential customers will come from a variety of sources. The problem comes when we have so many things going on that we dilute our efforts and effectiveness. Start a marketing campaign, make sure everything is under control and that positive results are happening. Then begin the next campaign and follow the same process. Only take on what you can handle well.

Not Outsourcing Your Weaknesses

Everyone does some things well and others not so acceptable. When starting a new venture, money and resources are limited. It’s the nature of the beast. It’s your job as the business owner to find a way to be successful. There’s more online learning than anyone could ever take advantage of in a lifetime. Learn what you can, ask for help from colleagues or other business professionals. Trade services if the opportunity presents itself.