Let’s look at common marketing (and in particular, digital marketing) mistakes to avoid. These apply to your digital marketing strategy and in general, to any traditional marketing too. A sharp and effective marketing campaign is one of your most valuable assets when promoting your business. It’s the most important tool in your growth strategy.
Digital marketing allows you to promote your business in the best possible light. It needs to be dynamic and unique, to grab the attention of potential customers.
There are, however, certain common marketing mistakes to avoid. Here’s what to avoid to achieve successful strategic marketing.
Common digital marketing mistakes to avoid:
1. Your marketing is too generic. The point of marketing is to be engaging and interesting. Remember, although you know all about your brand and business, you want to ensure everyone else understands it too.
- You must ensure everyone you’re targeting for your product or service knows exactly what you offer. You want to make your marketing simple, effective, and clear.
- If you can’t run the expense of marketing research, ask an existing customer or two what they think of your campaign. If they can explain the concept of your marketing and what action it is that you want them to take, then your marketing is clear.
- If they struggle to understand the concept you are trying to put across, or the call to action isn’t clear, it may be time to rethink your strategy.
- Market research is important. Sometimes, it takes unique and critical eyes to challenge our ideas to improve them. Focus groups and surveys can provide you with the insights to really hone your messaging.
2. Your marketing is too complicated. Often, the point of marketing is to catch someone’s eye quickly, so they think about a product or a marketing campaign long after they initially see or hear about it.
- Pictures, billboards, television, web adverts, and signs are designed to draw in a potential audience quickly. Make sure you use catchy slogans, words, and images that will stick in your mind. Copy needs to be short and sharp. For example, you could write copy for Nike that says “Just push yourself to get outside, get into sport to be the best you can be” but they summarise this concept in three words, “Just do it.” Also, use colours and branding that people will remember.
- You don’t need to be overly complex with your marketing strategy. You need people to respond to your marketing campaign positively, understand your business’s intentions, and lead them to take action.
3. Your call to action is poor or missing. You could have the best-looking marketing campaign in the world, but if your potential customers and clients are left unsure how to contact you, then you are committing a major marketing mistake!
- Make it clear in all marketing that people can contact you. In digital channels, use buttons wisely, capture details with forms, streamline shopping carts and split-test your calls to action. Offer an email address and, ideally, a website to promote your business further.
- Remember, you are trying to draw people onto your site, and then the website does the selling by explaining the finer details when you are not there.
- Ensure you stand out and your business is simple to find. Ensure your business name is getting found on Google (we call this SEO or search engine optimisation) and on the social media platforms that are relevant to your market. If people can’t contact you easily, they will quickly grow frustrated and go elsewhere.
4. You haven’t budgeted effectively. Marketing budgets are important! Word of mouth is free, and we love it, but if that is your only source of business, you are not marketing which makes it hard to grow. You can spend as little or as much as you want on promoting your business but be realistic as you are investing in growth.
- It’s important to look at your demographics and marketing reach. Analyse exactly where your marketing is making the most impact. Ask customers how they found your business and collect data to determine what works and what isn’t so effective.
- Digital marketing offers highly measurable results to keep your campaigns accountable. Keep on top of which channels are working and distribute your budget accordingly. For example, you could spend a significant amount on social media ads. Still, most of your reach could be from Google which is highly intent-based marketing.
Be strategic and efficient when it comes to marketing. Be aware of current trends but don’t go chasing shiny objects. It is great to be bold and try something new but get the basics right first!
To find out more about digital marketing, email info@blueplatypus.com.au or contact us here.
