If you want to survive, you need to go digital. Catching up with the latest online marketing trends is now a necessity for every business. Even those that cater to seemingly very traditional or doesn’t-really-fit-the-digital-age industries like good ol’ toiletries, customized home improvements, or even laundry detergents, are not exempted. But transitioning from age-old practices is not always easy. If you don’t do it right, your company is bound to have a hard time. You can often make mistakes without even knowing it. The most common of which are regrettably those that matter most. To help you make a smoother, less bumpy transition, here’s a list of practices to avoid.
1. Letting your website gather dust
You finally have a website up. It’s time to sit back and relax, right? Wrong. Creating an online presence is not enough. A website will not work for you unless you make it. Websites that do the job are those that can convert visits into actual leads. If not, you just spent a lot of money recreating your company’s brochure online.
To drive people, make your website interesting. Start with the design. This is your chance to do some branding. The point is to stand out. Be memorable. Do not blend in.
Building your site with a content management system is also a must. This will allow you to make changes without having to always call in an expert.
2. Rushing into things
Creating a social media account is easy. All you need is to register. But before you do, it’s important to know your market – how they behave, what they want. Do you even know who your target market is? Who do you want to reach? How?
Remember that different social media platform reach different types of people. What then is the best social media platform to reach your market? Is it Facebook, Twitter or perhaps Instagram?
Creating multiple accounts may seem clever but it may also be that you’re spreading yourself too thin. If your market is more active on Twitter than Facebook, then concentrate on making quality “tweets”.
Additionally, you should be aware of what time your target audience is most likely to be online. Posting quality content, even when using the right platform, won’t mean much if they don’t get to read it. So, maximize your window of opportunity.
3. Constantly talking about yourself
Content that only concentrates on your company and your products is a big no-no. It comes across as egocentric. Content should be client-focused. Don’t just bombard your readers with product information. Give them something that is relevant to both of you.
The content is for establishing your brand and at the same time getting people to pay attention and like you. For instance, providing a unique service such as giving helpful tips encourages visitors to keep coming back.
4. Thinking that posting every day is enough
Consistent posting on your social media accounts is good. But don’t stop there. The point is to build a relationship with your “friends” and “followers”. Try to engage them. Make them comment by asking questions.
If they have an inquiry of their own, make sure to respond as soon as you can. Just be sure that you’re really listening to them. Your readers will know it if you’re just giving a generic answer. Personalize your answers but still maintain your brand’s identity.
5. SEO spamming
Keywords are important. They are the little crumbs that lead the reader to you. Leaving too many crumbs, however, can leave a bad taste in the mouth. This is another case of less sometimes being more.
Using too many keywords or key phrases in your content won’t get you to the top of the search engine results. It may even get you listed as spam.
To increases your ranking as well as the odds of your content actually getting read, concentrate on making great, high quality content. Google keeps on giving emphasis that this is what they’re looking for.
Indeed, the internet continues to shape how things are done. Getting noticed in the vast virtual world, however, requires a combination of both technology and creativity. To succeed in digital marketing does not mean abandoning traditional practices. On the contrary, digital marketing can still learn a thing or two from the traditional.
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