Getting positive attention from the right crowd is hard in today’s swarming online scene. With so many businesses vying for attention, your marketing efforts might be going right out the window. If you feel like your marketing campaign is getting a less-than-lackluster response, you might be making these five mistakes.
You Don’t Have a Subscription Goal
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Brand awareness is great, quality content is important, but reaching out and gaining subscribers is vital to the rest of your marketing efforts. However, the Content Marketing Institute found less than a third of organizations have plans for their subscription growth as a clearly defined marketing goal, and the Association of National Advertisers findings didn’t find it ranked as a possible metric for measuring campaign success among marketers. Building your audience through subscribers is important for finding the crowd who trusts you and is ready to see more content from you.
Your Digital Budget Is Not Large Enough
Let’s just be honest: you get what you pay for. Too many businesses want to take a do-it-yourself approach to website design and marketing, and it is hurting their efforts. Would you try to paint your own billboard sign? Would you hand-letter your business cards just to save a few bucks?
Not only does your digital marketing need to be professional and impressive, but getting it there is incredibly time-consuming when done correctly. You will need someone fixing technical bugs, watching online security, branding, analyzing results, monitoring social media, sending emails, and crafting content. Can you add all of that to your full plate? You will likely need to hire outside help if you are to find success.
Your Content Is Not Diverse
Diversify your content to reach an audience that is not right at your doorstep. Home Depot and Lowes attract more of their target audience by writing about DIY projects and great home design ideas, not the nuts and bolts they carry.
Don’t be afraid to bypass what your company offers to focus your content on something your audience cares about and is likely looking for. There are plenty of ways to find unique content. Craft every article around a keyword or keyword phrase your audience is looking up.
Your Focus is on Interruptive Advertising
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Millennials aren’t moved by the interruptive ads that they have grown up seeing (and ignoring). Direct mailers are going straight in the trash, TV ads are being skipped, and cold-callers are ignored or hung up on. Marketing has transformed, and it has recognized that consumers are demanding more and tuning out the extra noise. Stop interrupting people from what they are interested in and become interesting yourself!
You Aren’t in the Right Places
Where is your audience? Get a social media page and work on building content that will come up with search queries. Dedicate yourself to building an audience with personalized PPC ads, social media, forums, podcasts, great email newsletters, and more.
At the end of the day, you will find that marketing has shifted towards value for the consumer. With so many options out there, it’s no wonder the average customer is seeking out the company that offers them the best deal and the most pleasant face.