Not everyone can be a master at digital marketing. But understanding it and recognizing mistakes can go a long way when running your business. Get the jump on potential errors with this comprehensive guide.
- Overlooking Mobile Marketing
Now that the smartphone is the primary device for browsing the internet, businesses must ensure that company webpages are optimized for mobile viewing, and that opportunities to explore the full potential of the many forms of mobile marketing, including apps and emojis, are not overlooked.
- Skipping A/B Testing
One of the best ways to decide what works and doesn’t work on a website is to do an A/B test, comparing two sections of a webpage to see which performs better. These test results provide insights into the audience and opportunities to optimize to suit target audience needs and wants.
- Ignoring Social Media
Today’s consumers want to hear of the company they are dealing with, so, it is important to be active on social media. Infrequent posting cause followers to lose interest. Live posts as a form of brand awareness are preferable to automated messages on social platforms to bolster a convincing online presence, promote and spread the word about your products, and reach customers directly. Be aware that social media provides an outlet for customers to air their opinions, both positive and negative.
- Purchasing Social Media Followers
When selling or promoting products or services on digital media, focus on how the audience interacts with the company’s content. For instance, do people ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ the content so that it appears in their followers’ ‘News Feeds?’ Purchasing social media followers will boost a company’s follower count. However, purchased followers are less likely to engage with the company’s content, and engagement is key in digital marketing. Posts with low engagement are often hidden from users timelines on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Also, note that the companies that sell followers often have no privacy policy, meaning they may also sell email addresses and spam accounts with ads for their own services.
- Limiting Interactivity
Digital marketing is interactive. Make it easy and fun for consumers to participate. Take advantage of all tools available to digital media. A few creative examples: ordering a Domino’s Pizza by texting or tweeting a pizza emoji. Being able to choose up to three Steve Madden shoe styles for one’s personal Bitmoji avatar.
- Ignoring Search Engine Marketing
Rather than waiting for search engine rankings to build organically, companies can get a head start by employing Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Paid services such as Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Ads, and Bing Ads can help speed the ascent to the top of the search results page. It has been found that sites using SEM have a 50 percent click-through rate, making it a sure bet for increasing website traffic.
- Shunning Email Marketing
The introduction of Canada’s Anti-Spam Law (CASL) on July 1, 2014, has led many businesses to assume they can no longer use emails as a marketing tool, but that’s not the case. Companies can still send promotional emails, if they have first obtained express consent from the intended message recipient. This can be done by asking customers for email addresses at the cash register, or asking website visitors to complete their consent form on the company’s website. Email notifications continue to be an effective way to reach customers.
- Avoiding Partnerships
A well-matched partnership can be an effective marketing tool for a company and its business partner.
- Focusing on Quantity not Quality
Take time and effort to create a quality digital marketing campaign that consumers and audiences find engaging and memorable. Don’t bombard them with repetitive messages that drive them to hit the ‘Unsubscribe’ button, or that cause social media platforms to tag your content as spam.
- Ignoring Traditional Marketing
It is tempting to ignore old forms of marketing, such as print and television ads, but maintaining a balance between traditional marketing and digital marketing can help ensure that a company reaches all its target markets and audiences.
The PAL Team
