Digital. Data. Conversions. These are some of our favorite words here at 8THIRTYFOUR (so are “dogs,” “wine,” and “heels,” but those aren’t as applicable to this blog). And what do those three (relevant) words have in common? Crushing it in the digital space.
Digital marketing drives pretty much everything in both B2C and B2B markets, which means there are countless opportunities for your brand to use it to your advantage.
As great as digital marketing is for your bottom line and goals, it can be pretty easy to mess up. That’s why we came up with the six digital marketing mistakes that we see all the time. Pass these on to your marketing team to make sure you’ve got all of your bases covered.
1. NOT DEFINING GOALS & OBJECTIVES
So you want to leverage digital ads, or maybe you want to improve the performance of your website. What about if you want to launch a new email newsletter? Great! These are all good ideas, but at the end of the day, what are you hoping to achieve?
Before diving into any communications tactic, ask yourself what success looks like for you in the next 6, 12, or 18 months. Are you hoping to increase customer satisfaction? Generate sales? Penetrate a new market? Increase brand awareness? Lower cart abandonment rates?
Make sure your digital marketing goals align with your larger business strategy, and put SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based) objectives behind them. Otherwise, whether or not your campaign works is a total crapshoot.
2. IGNORING YOUR AUDIENCE
Your audience is more than a bunch of people who fall into a certain age range and income bracket. They have hopes, dreams, and desires. They have passions, hobbies, beliefs, and strong opinions on which season of Parks and Rec is the best (spoiler: it’s season 3).
Your digital marketing campaigns need to be fully aware of these traits. Use messaging that taps into their deepest dreams (or nightmares, if you need to). Use creative that captures who they want to be. Think like the Fab 5 and target their “elevated” selves. By engaging with people on this level, you lay the groundwork for a strong, emotional connection between your target and your brand.
3. NOT OFFERING VALUE
People are busy, and they move quickly online. They won’t waste their time with your content if they don’t think your brand is valuable in their lives. Figure out how you’re helping your audience and make sure this is front-and-center throughout your messaging.
If you find that you’re not adding value through your campaigns and that your team is only talking about aspects of your brand, it’s time to circle back to the drawing board.
Get a hold of us. We’ll talk you through it and give you a pep talk.
