5 signs your digital marketing strategy needs an overhaul

For many business owners, marketing is nothing more than a pain in the neck. It’s time-consuming when you’re not sure what to do, and campaigns that you run lead to little more than a cloud of smoke in the sauna that is the marketplace. Digital marketing works when you work it right, and that requires a keen understanding of digital marketing practices. With the understanding of what works and what doesn’t (like you’ll see below), you can turn your digital marketing strategies around and start receiving the leads you’ve been waiting for.

1. Social media campaigns don’t work

Too many brands go about social media content with a post-and-pray approach. This involves posting whatever looks good on social media, then praying that it will turn into business. Social media should be looked at as a communication tool first, and a lead generation tool second. Instead of focusing on the sale, social media campaigns should seek to add value to the lives of those who are shown it. So, if you’re all about getting people to spend their money on social media, your campaigns are destined to fall flat.

2. Website traffic is a trickle at best

Did you know that most business website owners don’t know what Google Analytics is? Strange as it may seem, many brands see websites as online presence tools that can just be made live and then left to generate business automatically. In reality, with so many competitors in every single industry, merely having a website is not enough. Brands should be marketing their website pages, especially things like blog articles, which will help drive traffic and add another active lead-generation stream to the marketing mix.

3. Paid advertising results in failure

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising has always been the go-to advertising tool brands deploy for quick results. While PPC is great for generating interest quickly, campaigns cannot be set and left to generate leads over time. With Google and other PPC providers changing their algorithms constantly – sometimes on a daily basis – PPC campaigns need to be monitored and tweaked as time passes. So, if your pay-per-click adverts are bringing you nothing but a hefty bill at the end of each campaign, it might be time to hit the reset button.

4. You can’t find your website on Google

When last have you searched for your own brand on Google, Bing, Yahoo or any other search engine? IF you have Googled yourself, where did you find your website? You know what search engine optimisation professionals say: the best place to hide a dead body is on page 2 of Google. SEO is one way to make sure a brand’s website comes up high on the search engine results pages (SERPs), and if your website isn’t coming up after people search the internet for the products and services you offer – you can bet your bottom dollar that your competitors’ websites are.

5. You’re only using one marketing channel

Ever heard of omni-channel marketing? It’s a relatively new school of thought postulating that the more marketing channels a brand utilises the better campaign results they will yield. The truth is that a single promotional channel, which for many is still word of mouth, is not enough to engage digital customers sufficiently. Brands should aim to have a web presence (website), a social presence (Facebook, Twitter), and direct marketing tool (email, SMS). The trick is to find a blend of marketing channels that work for the brand, and not necessarily to promote content through every channel possible.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

With an accredited Basic Digital Marketing Course from DSM, you’ll learn the fundamentals of digital marketing success. Each module offers a look at a specialised area and teaches practical skills that are required to perform digital content production and marketing. Contact us for additional information about any of our accredited digital marketing qualifications.