Hey you! Yeah, you! Come here…

BOO!

Did I scare you? Halloween is right around the corner, and now is the perfect time to scare your customers – as long as you intend to scare them. If your marketing is making them flee in fear, that’s probably not the response you’re hoping for.

There are some common mistakes that business owners make that breed horrifying results. If you’re not seeing results from your digital marketing, these goofs may be the killer.

Your Content is All About You, Not Your Customer

Here’s a harsh truth: your customers don’t care about you. They care about what you can do for them. Many companies make the mistake of focusing on who they are and expect customers to engage. We humans are naturally emotional creatures – we want content that speaks to our experiences and emotions. Instead of emphasizing how long you’ve been in business and what services you offer, instead think about why your current customers come to you. What concerns do they have? What do they really want? 

Your Marketing Has No Clear Plan

If your current strategy is hurling random ideas against a wall and seeing what sticks: time to take a step back. Your marketing should work as separate parts of a complete whole. Start with a clear goal (ex: “I want people to download this guide” or “I want them to request a quote”) and then build your marketing to reinforce that one goal. When your marketing has a clear strategy behind it, your customers will be more likely to take the action you want.

You Don’t Have Any Online Reviews (Or A Bad Score)

88% of consumers read reviews to determine the quality of a local business. If you don’t have any reviews, that doesn’t inspire confidence. We know how much of a challenge it can be cultivating reviews, but there are a few easy steps you can take like sending follow-up emails with links. You may also be wary of online reviews after being burned with bad reviews, but don’t despair! A bad review is an opportunity to make it right. Potential customers will be more willing to overlook a bad score if they see that you take steps to make it right with negative reviews.

All Your Eggs Are in One Basket

As we mentioned above, all you should think of your digital marketing as many parts working toward the same goal. Too often, business owners fixate on one element of digital marketing and don’t bother with any other. Because they can’t see a clear ROI on things like social media, email marketing or blogging, they let those fall by the wayside while focusing entirely on online advertising or SEO. Big mistake. Not every customer is going to be receptive to online ads. Some may be more likely to browse social media, or read an email or simply scan a blog post. Think of your digital marketing as spokes on a wheel, connecting to your website – without those spokes, your entire online strategy becomes weak.

You Aren’t Using Analytics

It’s easy to fall into a comfortable rhythm – especially when you’re busy. But online marketing isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it process. Offering the same stale call-to-action year over year isn’t going to yield stellar results. One of the most important (and most overlooked) aspects of online marketing is analytics. You need to look at how your marketing pieces are performing. Are people not converting? Why might they not convert? Do they see your ad, but don’t engage with it? Do they click to your blog, but then click away without reading? Do they not even bother to open your email? Your analytics can tell you what is and isn’t working – listen to them and adapt.

Want even more digital marketing tips? Don’t miss our special “Reach Customers this Holiday Season” webinar in partnership with the Small Business Administration, Google, Facebook, Square and Constant Contact. 

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