Have you published a fabulous blog but no-one’s responded? Maybe you’ve checked your website analytics and no-one’s visited it for a month. Hmm, what could you be doing wrong?
The biggest mistakes are probably:
Not really understanding why you’re doing it
Lack of proper planning. A “blast it out and wait and see” approach rarely works. I’ve gone on about this for years and I’ve seen some of the most creative ideas fail simply because there was no thought put into its purpose.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, just consider:
Your aim. This is usually your broad longer-term need, hope or dream for your business. Maybe it’s to increase your client base, boost the number of visitors to your website or it could be to improve or reshape your clients’ attitudes about your brand.
Your objectives: These are your statements that explain what needs to happen so you can meet your aim. Ideally, they need to be expressed in measurable terms. So, an example could be something like: to secure 10 guest posts on UK-based blogs within three months, or to increase your database from 20 to 50 by the end of the year.
Your tactics: Your reasons (your aim and objectives) will go a long way in deciding which activities will be best for you. This could be social media, media engagement or sending out a monthly newsletter. It should also include your content and key messages and a schedule.
Please don’t forget accountability. By that I mean one person (probably you!) should be assigned to the given task so there’s no confusion whatsoever!
Not getting your audience
All too often we jump on an idea because our competitors are doing it, or it looks cool. But do you ever think: “Hang on a minute! Why am I doing this? What is my clients’ point of view?”
What reaction will your content provoke? Will your potential client chuckle, complain, or click on the link to visit your website?
You know your business offer inside out so now it’s time to identify and understand your audience. It’s an important step in growing and improving not only your digital marketing efforts but your business overall as well.
Do some customer research and ask existing clients what they like about your business. Then gather feedback and learn from it.
It’s a worthwhile process to go through – after all, the more you know, the more powerful you’ll be!
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