If there is one thing that a business needs to succeed and thrive, it’s a solid digital marketing plan. It’s a vital part of the sustainability of your business today, and that means that you will be quickly seeing a shift in the number of businesses that rely on digital marketing services. You’ll also see a lot of businesses doing this component of their marketing wrong.
Yep, you read that right. Marketing is one of the most delicate areas of business and you have to get it right from the beginning if you want to ensure that you are able to maintain your business. There is a big spotlight over the top of your digital marketing strategy, and if you don't know where you’re going wrong, it’s going to suffer and so will you. The most frustrating thing about digital marketing is the number of businesses that just don't get it. Business owners aren't always educated enough about marketing, which is why they outsource to an SEO service and to experts who know exactly what they’re doing. The problem with this is that if you are a business owner who doesn't try to understand it, you’re going to struggle with your marketing and you will continue to do it wrong. So, instead of digging yourself a hole about it, why not check out the signs that you are doing things wrong with your marketing strategy?
You find yourself obsessing over social media. Are the likes bothering you? How about those shares you are looking for? If you’re obsessing over the numbers on your social media posts, then you’ll start padding out your social media with more and more posts - and no direction or reason for them. It’s easy to become enamored with what’s happening on social media and worry about social views, but going viral doesn't mean your business is necessarily doing well or particularly liked. It’s always impressive on the surface when you have high numbers and a lot of shares. However, it’s not always an indication that you are doing well. Stop looking at the like count and focus on putting out good quality content, and you will be halfway there already.
You’ve decided email marketing isn't enough. Oh, this is one of the worst things that you can do! Email marketing is very much alive and if you are not getting involved in it, then you have to take a look at what you’re doing! Over half of all customers will sign up with e-newsletters and they will sign up to your business and your offers if you put out good content via email. It feels personal and you can increase your audience simply by having a strong email strategy. You can increase your engagement, widen your audience and reach out to people in a way unlike any other!
You’re resharing - over and over again. That article you tweeted? You don't need to add it to Facebook. You don't need to add it to Instagram. There is no reason for people to follow you on all platforms, and you’ll find that most of your audience settles on choosing one way to follow you and that’s it. The range of social media apps out there makes it tempting to put the same content over every platform you can think of. When you do this, you look lazy - really. You look like you haven't decided whether you have chosen just one social media string to your bow, and you are doing it wrong if you do that. Pick a platform and stick with it, and once you do, you’ll feel as if you have a handle on where your audience truly lies.
You’re sweating the small stuff. If you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself to be perfect in every aspect of your marketing strategy, you’re going to fail. When you focus on the smaller things, you are going to lose sight of the things that really matter. Everything that you produce should have a reason behind it, a purpose. Make a plan and stick to it - you’d be shocked how often you end up creating meaningless content if you don't.
You’re invisible. If your customers cannot find you online, then you’re going to have a very big problem. Your SEO service should be ensuring that you are at the top of the search engine results pages, and if they’re not, you’re doing it wrong. You need more web traffic and you need to ensure that you are generating the right content for it, too. Get your brand and your business out there because when you miss out on this bit, you are going to find that no one can find you!
There’s no team. Whether you outsource or go in-house, you need a digital team to help you to manage your entire digital marketing strategy. With the right people, you can ensure that your marketing strategies are kept up with. Marketing isn't something you should ever wait around on - you need it working ASAP if you want your business to thrive. Without a decent plan, you will fail.
You’re unable to see where the money is going. There are some very basic things that you need to know in your marketing, and that’s your costs and revenues, how many visitors you get per month, and how your business is working to stay current. Once you know these things, you’ll be able to stay ahead of the game.
Your website sucks. Lastly, you need an up-to-date website that is going to enthrall and entice you. If you have an old and outdated website, people are not going to want to come to you and sign up with your business. There are so many ways that you can do better with your business, and updating and upgrading your website is the way forward. Investing in your digital marketing is an investment in your future, so ensure that you are on top of this now and you will be doing your marketing right!
