5 Do’s and Dont’s of Digital Marketing

In our social media and internet-obsessed world, online marketing is an absolute necessity. Instead of television ads, we do dances on TikTok. Instead of billboards, we have Instagram posts. And instead of letters, pamphlets, or flyers, we have e-mail newsletters. (Cue trees celebrating in the background.) However, just like other forms of marketing, digital marketing has its own set of rules; and failing to follow these rules can result in low conversion rates, a decrease in leads, and a small return on investment. Thankfully, TechArk is here to help teach you the dos and don’ts of digital marketing.

The Five Don’ts

First, let’s talk about the Don’ts. These are the most common mistakes that businesses make when they begin their digital marketing journey.

Don’t:

1. Target the Wrong Audience
2. Place Quantity over Quality
3. Ignore Your Website
4. Forget E-Mail
5. Forget to Optimize for Mobile

1—Target the Wrong Audience

If you are advertising for a car dealership, are you going to advertise to children under 16? Of course not! They can’t drive, can’t buy a car, and they probably can’t reach the pedals. Instead, you need to focus on the audience that purchases your vehicles. Before you even start advertising, take the time to research your audience. What do they like? What do they dislike? What are their demographics, behaviors, budgets, etc.? Once you have a better understanding of them, create content they would be interested in.

2—Place Quantity over Quality

How many emails, tweets, posts, and videos do you see in a day? I bet you don’t even count it anymore. That’s because we are constantly bombarded with advertisements, content, and entertainment. Instead of annoying your customers, create a quality piece of content that will make them stop and interact. Don’t just push out content for the sake of getting more content out there, take the time to really craft something that is valuable to your audience.

3—Ignore Your Website

Ok, so you are creating quality content for the right audience, but all of it is linking to an outdated, unsecure website. (Sigh.) We have seen it time and time again. Even if your digital marketing efforts are working, an outdated website can make the audience lose interest. Take the time to thoroughly review and update your website and make it dynamic. A pleasing, easy-to-navigate website can earn the customer’s trust and business.

4—Forget E-Mail

I check my inbox on a daily basis, what about you? Email marketing is a great way to reach directly to your customers. They feel more personalized and with a great subject line, you can capture your reader’s attention.

5—Forget to Optimize For Mobile

Most of your audience will access your website and social media through their phones. If you are not optimizing them for mobile, this can make the screen look funky and weird. Instead of seeing one coherent website, they might be zoomed into your header photo; or if they go to the checkout cart, they may not be able to find the purchase button. This can lead to lost business and upset customers.

The Five Do’s

Now, let’s talk about the thing you should be doing.

Do:

1. Be Consistent
2. Create Engaging Content
3. Set Realistic Goals
4. Optimize for Local
5. Ask for Help

1—Be Consistent

Be consistent with your digital marketing schedule! This way your audience can regularly find your content and engage with it. It also helps your consumers know that you are active. Note: Being consistent does not equal spamming. You can release a newsletter once a month and that is considered consistent. Just choose a schedule that is realistic and doesn’t take up too much of your time.

2—Create Engaging Content

As we mentioned above, creating quality and engaging content is necessary if you want to stand out. Make sure you are using high-quality photos, selecting pleasing fonts and colors, and making them useful to your audience.

3—Set Realistic Goals

Set realistic goals for your business. If you are a small business with 300 followers on Instagram, it is unrealistic to expect it to get to 500 followers in a month. Instead, create attainable goals that push your team. Maybe this means increasing by 50 followers at the end of the month. Base these goals on the overall digital marketing strategy you have created.

4—Optimize for Local

A lot of businesses make the mistake of starting too broad. Narrow down your audience to your immediate area first before taking on a larger geographic region. Choose a market that you want to explore, like the city you are located in, and work it into your digital marketing techniques. For example, TechArk is located in Norfolk, so we optimize our digital marketing strategy for areas by including phrases such as digital marketing services in Norfolk.

5—Ask for Help

Creating and maintaining a digital presence takes a lot of effort. It is a full-time job (one that pays for my mortgage every month). So, if you find yourself struggling to keep up, not getting the results you want, or just don’t feel prepared to take it all on, ask for help. There are professional companies that can help you achieve your goals and manage your digital marketing strategy for you. (Cough, Cough, Cue sales pitch.)

Digital Marketing Services in Hampton Roads

With all of these rules for digital marketing, you can see how easy it is to lose your client’s attention. Even something as simple as an outdated website can lose your customer’s trust. Take the time to recognize the importance of digital marketing and craft a digital marketing strategy that works for you. If you would rather trust the professionals, TechArk offers digital marketing services in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and the surrounding areas. Contact our experts today to find out more about these new services, and how we can maximize your business potential!