But of course behind the strong statement is frustration.
The frustrated business owner knows that everyone is spending more and more of their time on phones and laptops. They know that if they want to be visible to their market they have to be online. And yet their digital campaigns keep failing, and they keep burning cash.
Get it right and it works
Done right digital marketing delivers spectacular results in terms of quality leads and business growth. At Brilliant Digital we have many of clients across multiple sectors getting massive returns on their digital marketing investment.
So why are some businesses getting results while others scream in frustration? Here are three most common reasons that digital marketing fails.
1. Paying money to send traffic to a useless website.
This is by far the commonest mistake companies make. They pay for Google Ads or Facebook Ads or tele sales or a social media person to send traffic to a useless website.
A useless website fails to connect with the visitor. It fails to build trust. It fails to communicate the value of the service or product to the prospect.
The visitor goes back to Google to look for your competitor. And the advertising dollar is money down the drain.
A useless website is easy to spot (and there are a lot of them around). Here are a few clues.
It’s full of boring content about the history of the business, boring bios about the team and lists of services and products using technical terms. The language is old fashioned and long winded. Instead of focusing on the client, videos instead focus on the company and how wonderful they are. Images are the same stock photos everyone uses…
Nowhere does the useless website concentrate on the customer. Nowhere does it mention the transformative benefits of the product or service offering. Detailed case studies and success stories are noted by their absence.
Sending traffic to useless website just burns money. STOP doing it.
Do yourself a favour. Keep advertising and marketing dollars your pocket until you are 100% sure your website effectively converts traffic to qualified leads.
2. Failing to have a strategic approach.
The next most common mistake is trying to market without a strategic approach. The classic is to a bit of this and a bit of that, measure nothing and burn through a lot of cash.
“I’ve tried Google Ads.” they tell me. “I’ve done video. We do Facebook and LinkedIn. We’re getting someone on board to do Twitter.”
“STOP!” I say. “Just stop!”
Doing random things here and there is like trying to build a bridge across a river by throwing the steel and concrete in the water. Very expensive and inefficient and likely to fail.
To build an effective bridge and get the leads you want to walk across it you need a strategic plan.
For most businesses, the most effective strategies involve driving traffic to an effective website and then remarketing to them using Google, Facebook and email. Measuring everything allows the marketing team to refine the campaign by doing more of what works
3. Hiring a team with inadequate skill and knowledge.
To get digital marketing to deliver educated, qualified leads and a return on investment requires a skilled team with specialist knowledge. These are some of the key skills you need for success:
Digital Marketing Strategist will find the target market and then put the resultant marketing material in front of the right prospects. Their work has delivered a measured return on investment for many clients.
Digital Content Writer. A skilled copywriter with a proven track record of writing digital content that converts website visitors into warm, qualified leads. Ideally someone with a track record in and enthusiasm for your industry.
Digital Designer. A person who knows digital design and how people use websites inside out. A track record of working with your target market. Understands that content not design leads the project.
Website Programmer. An experienced programmer who writes beautiful code following the Google Guide to Search Engine Optimisation. Creates websites that work and are easy to use (both for the end user and the content manager).
Search Engine Optimisation Specialist. An ethical specialist who knows that content and user experience are the answer (not keyword tweaking). They should also be able analyse all your marketing results for you.
Digital Advertising Specialist. A specialist who knows the various platforms inside out and knows how to get the very best return on investment and optimise campaigns based on results. They must understand what kinds of digital content on which platforms work for best which markets. They should have a track record of success in your industry.
Social Media Specialist. Choose a social media expert who has experience building a community of useful followers around individuals and brands and who understands the importance of driving those followers to an effective website.
Deb Jeffreys is principal at www.bbim.com.au
