The Worst Tips for Digital Marketing

There’s no shortage of advice on the internet that claims it will guide you to success with digital marketing or purport to provide a silver bullet: but a “word to the wise” if you’ve read a few then you’ll know they can’t all be right. 

Half the time they’re completely contradictory: 

• “make a plan” versus “be spontaneous”;
• “use humour” versus “avoid causing anyone offence” 

Who to believe, that’s the dilemma?

Well, gut instinct is generally a good guide, and being true to your brand proposition and target audience is always essential – so it’s fine for Irn Bru to use humour, even when some might find it quite edgy; because they are targeting younger followers who like and understand their brand. That humour wouldn’t work for Marks and Spencer. It’s not authentic.

The stakes are high, online retail sales in the UK in 2019 are expected to grow by 14.9%, to almost £96bn.

To save you some time – that most valuable commodity – here’s a few tips you’ll often see promoted to make your business digitally savvy that I promise you can DEFINITELY afford to ignore. 

Don’t be rigid in mapping out absolutely every detail in the consumer journey

Don’t get me wrong. Digital marketing is an evolutionary process, and over time you’ll build up a detailed understanding of your customer touch points and what content is best at each interaction. 

It can also be very helpful to plan how you will move your customers through those touch points, from building awareness of your brand to making that first purchase and then going on to become an advocate and recommend your business to others. 

But don’t let this defer or delay you from starting for too long: while you make plans your competitors are building communities online. It’s best to begin and refine through A/B testing, reflection and evolving. 
 

Don’t believe that you can determine when customers will be ready to buy either

What you must do is be engaged, and be prepared to respond quickly and efficiently when the customer decides they are ready to buy (24/7). That is why it’s essential to get online, regardless of what line of business you’re in.
 

Don’t make your staff focus on one specific goal 

Instead, take into account how they can collaborate and how your processes will be coordinated when the customer is ready to buy, so that you can respond seamlessly. That way, you can be confident and have a good expectation of success, and you’ll be prepared to tackle problems if they arise. 
 

Don’t believe one size fits all

A lot of people advise you to focus on driving traffic to your website – and then imply that’s it, the job is done. 

But it’s not so simple. If you don’t plan and align all your social media then you’re creating unnecessary ‘noise’ that will confuse your potential customers.

Everything must be consistent in tone of voice and brand proposition, but the content must be tailored to each channel: videos work well on Instagram and Facebook, for maximum engagement; clear short text or even video steps on your website can walk customers through the ordering process or the proper care of your product. 
 

Don’t think of social media as “just” an avenue for posting

It is also perhaps the most likely way that customers can interact and influence one another, through comments. 
 

Don’t compartmentalise

It’s often tempting to do things in isolation. But while I’ve already advised you to start and evolve rather than trying to perfect the best multi-channel digital marketing plan the planet has ever seen, it is good to have a route plan mapped out. 

Think of an explorer who is arranging for supplies to be left at various points on their intended route. 

If you’re not ready to edit your own videos yet, then that shouldn’t stop you starting to blog, tweet or post on Instagram. 

But if you understand the direction of travel online, then you realise that video is already where it’s at. (Ed: more than 60% of companies say video gets them the best engagement.) So ensure your website uses an excellent HTML Editor that will allow you to integrate video as soon as you’re ready.

Finally, DO learn and “A/B Test” as you execute your digital marketing campaigns. 

You need to track performance from day one and be prepared to flex and change your plans to improve your performance, according to exactly how your campaign performs. This is best done through constant testing. 

So, make sure your plan allows for dedicated time to actually assess what is working for you, your brand voice and your customers’ needs. 

Good luck, and if it all falls over or becomes too much effort then Inspire can help through our Web Consultancy service, just use the form below.