Digital or online marketing is quite challenging for everyone.
Yes, you read that part right. Even veteran marketers aren’t immune to the challenges inherent in an ever-changing field. There are always new things to learn, trends to try, data to analyze, and so on.
If there’s one thing veterans have over new marketers though, it’s that they know from experience, which mistakes to avoid. That being said, if you’re just starting to learn online digital marketing, here are the top 5 mistakes you need to know and steer clear of.
1. Not Preparing
Underestimating the amount of work involved in digital marketing is the number one mistake some people make. This is why some business owners think they can DIY digital marketing. They believe that as long as they have a website and set up social media pages, they’re good to go.
When they don’t see results, it’s only then that they realize they should have invested more time and effort into learning effective online marketing strategies. Don’t make the same mistake. Learn as much as you can about digital marketing before launching any campaign.
Now, if you feel like there’s too much to study, you can always hire an online marketing consultant to help you.
2. Not Being Open to New Ideas
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like trying new things, you’re going to have a hard time marketing online.
Again, the digital marketing landscape is always evolving. If you can’t keep up with the changes, you’re going to lose to your online-marketing-savvy competitors.
Take, for example, demand-side platforms or DSP. If you don’t use one, you’re going to have a difficult time managing your advertising campaigns across different real-time bidding networks. To learn more about this, you can check out this DSP basics guide.
3. Not Being Patient With Online Marketing Results
Digital marketing is a long game. You don’t write a couple of blog posts, share some content on your social media pages, do a bit of PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, etc., and expect great results.
You need to try things, track their results, and course-correct when needed to see the needle move. If you’re too impatient, you might be tempted to resort to trying shady practices like black hat SEO.
4. Not Budgeting Right
Online marketing can be an expensive endeavor if you don’t know what you’re doing. Let’s say you’re seeing a spike in the number of visitors to your website because you’re running some ads.
If you keep spending and spending without making sure those visitors get converted into paying customers, you’re going to end up using your advertising budget fast. That’s why you have to have a concrete marketing plan, detailing the specific goals you want to achieve, so you can budget for your campaigns properly.
5. Not Learning From the Best
Learning online marketing is tricky because there are tons of information available online. If you try to consume them all, you’ll burn out fast.
The easiest way to solve this is to find out industry leaders in your niche, and try to learn as much as you can from them. Maybe you’ll reach out to them or read their blogs, or perhaps you’ll subscribe to their YouTube accounts.
Also, don’t forget to tap your business network. There could be possible mentors there for you, willing to share their marketing tips and advice.
Want to Know More About Digital Marketing?
Now that you know the top online marketing mistakes to avoid, don’t stop here. Enroll in a course or find a mentor to coach you.
For more digital marketing insights, check out our other posts.