Today, many people understand the value of digital marketing. However, there are still a few things that most new marketers do that hinders their initial success. Below, we’re discussing 10 of the most common marketing mistakes that people make. Let’s take a look!
1. Forgetting To Set Goals
Perhaps the biggest mistake people make when engaging in digital marketing is forgetting to set goals. When promoting a business, product, or service, it’s incredibly important to have a specific objective in mind so you can strategize and evaluate your efforts accordingly.
2. Not Being Realistic When Setting Goals
Of course, you have to be realistic when establishing your marketing goals. Saying you’ll improve sales by $10 million next year is almost comical if you’ve only ever sold $100 in products. Instead, keep your goals within reach – you can always alter them down the road.
3. Skipping The Testing Phase
When you’re excited about a new project, it’s only natural that you’ll want to jump in and get to work immediately. However, if you do so, you’ll be missing a crucial step: testing. Without evaluating your options, analyzing data, and determining which course of action will be most effective, you could waste time and money on a plan that falls flat.
4. Solely Relying On Keywords And Content
Another big mistake a lot of new digital marketers make is exclusively relying on keywords and content. While these things are still essential, you have to take other steps like off-page Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Marketing to create a solid strategy that yields results.
5. Doing Too Much Optimization
If there’s an area where you can easily do too much of a good thing, it’s Search Engine Optimization. Keyword stuffing and trying to over-optimize your website can lead to negative results – so it’s essential to know where to draw the line.
6. Not Doing Any Paid Advertising
While organic traffic is valuable, paid advertising is the fastest and easiest way to compound your efforts. If you aren’t investing in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) or social media ads, you could be doing yourself (and your marketing efforts) a disservice.
7. Forgetting The Power Of Email Marketing
Another major mistake that digital marketers often make is overlooking the power of Email Marketing. Some wrongly assume that having a solid social media or web presence is enough. Instead, you should make sure you are doing everything you can to have a lead focus and create a solid email list.
8. Not Doing Any Mobile Optimization
Let’s face it – these days, we all access the internet from our smartphone and tablet devices. Therefore, if you don’t have a strategy for mobile optimization, you could be missing out on valuable leads, traffic, and conversions.
9. Not Taking Advantage Of Partnership Opportunities
If you are in a specific niche, it’s important to reach out to others in a related category to see if there is a partnership opportunity available. Often, there is a good chance that your customers and theirs are closely linked and could benefit from working with both organizations.
10. Trying To Do Everything Yourself
While it can be great to bootstrap the process and try to handle every aspect of digital marketing on your own, there comes a time when it’s necessary to call in the professionals. Hiring a trusted agency that eats, sleeps, and breathes digital marketing is often the best way to get solid results in a short amount of time.
No matter where you are in your marketing career, knowledge is everything. By preparing yourself with the right information and guidance, you can set yourself up for long-term success.
