Digital marketing is a fast-paced industry where new ideas and trends emerge every day. On top of that, it can be challenging to implement these new initiatives successfully while minimizing mistakes along the way. Sure, you can search Google on best practices for digital marketing strategies, but there is no secret sauce on how to prevent mistakes from recurring in the future. After all, if all us marketers had the formula in hand, we’d be practicing it daily.
There are, however, some common mistakes that have been proven to negatively affect the outcome of your marketing strategy — and minimize your ROI. Here we highlight some common pitfalls that many marketers tend to fall into and recommendations on how to avoid them next time.
Outdated Website
When a client seeks a website redesign, staying up-to-date about the latest developments in the field is key. This not only highlights your expertise but helps build trust with your clients. However, there are several mistakes commonly made by digital marketers when redesigning websites.
First, don’t automatically redesign a website to match the latest trends in graphic design or technology. You want to stay true to the brand and business goals by keeping the website design simple and easy to navigate for your customers. Secondly, you should focus on the content on your website. This is where you’ll find your most valuable assets, such as your products and services, sales process, and more. If your website is outdated or its difficult to find information, your customers might be unclear about what your business actually offers. More importantly, outdated websites will score lower with Google, making it harder to rank well in search.
No Video Content
In today’s digital landscape, a successful marketing strategy relies heavily on video content. Luckily, video content has become easier to produce and is a versatile tool for social media posts and email campaigns.
However, many businesses make the mistake of producing videos that are either too short or too long. Videos that are too brief may not deliver enough information to your audience, while a lengthy video may cause audiences to lose interest. To avoid this pitfall, aim for a video length of one to three minutes. This duration strikes a balance, allowing you to convey essential information effectively without exceeding your target length. The exception to this is video content for more technical information, product reviews or how tos that are meant as explainer videos or tutorials, where more in-depth information may be required.
Too Many Co-Branded Pages
Many businesses are creating multiple websites and landing pages with little to no synergy between them. To maintain a streamlined and goal-oriented digital marketing strategy, focus on creating a few key co-branded pages for your primary digital assets.
For instance, you might develop a co-branded site highlighting your marketing services and a separate landing page for an ebook about one of these services. These co-branded pages can enhance your SEO and link equity, while also ensuring a cohesive appearance across your digital platforms. However, be cautious not to overextend by creating too many co-branded pages, as this can negatively impact your search ranking as the sites will start to compete against one another.
Not Using Social Media Ads
You can’t ignore social media advertising, even if you’re an established brand with a large marketing budget. Similar to other digital marketing channels, leveraging paid social media ads is essential for driving traffic to your website.
Many businesses overlook this strategy, which is a significant missed opportunity. Paid social media ads are effective for pre-qualifying leads and attracting new customers. By not utilizing them, you’re potentially losing out on a valuable tool for generating leads and boosting sales. Though there is an expenditure involved in running ads, luckily you can set budgets and fine-tune the target audience to ensure your campaign is on track and will reach the right people.
Poor or No Content Marketing
It’s important to remember that while you may have a carefully crafted strategy in place, not every campaign will be successful. But one thing remains consistent and proven: content is king! Therefore, be sure to focus your efforts on creating content that’s relevant to your audience and contains valuable information.
You should also use your digital properties to drive traffic to your website and generate leads. If you’re not regularly creating content for your company blog and relevant social media channels, you’re missing a crucial aspect of your marketing strategy. Generating leads and building your email list are key objectives of content marketing, and neglecting these areas can significantly undermine your efforts.
In the end, many digital marketing pitfalls can be avoided with careful planning and preparation. By ensuring your website is current, making videos the right length, and using paid social media ads to generate leads and build your email list, you can steer clear of these common mistakes and develop a more effective digital marketing strategy that drives increased leads and sales.