Online, or digital marketing, is incredibly complex. One that needs a cautious approach, rather than a foot flat on the pedal 200 kilometres an hour kind of approach. There are many things that can quickly go askew and hit you where it hurts the most- your wallet. Having been around the block, and back again, I know!
First though, let’s take a massive step back and talk about what ‘online marketing’ actually is.
You pay money for ads to give your business more exposure. And, as a result, you may see an increase in website traffic, which in turn creates leads, which in turn creates sales. Simple, right? In my twelve years at the helm of the country’s largest digital marketing firm, I’ve seen so many success stories from small companies that invested funds into their online marketing and grew substantially in a relatively short amount of time.
On the flip side, I’ve also seen companies pour money into various forms of marketing only to leave them in a worse off position than where they started. Seeing other’s have success is what tempts people to make mistakes. People want to reap the benefits of online advertising but go at it the wrong way.
So, with that said, let’s take a look at all the things you shouldn’t do when trying to advertise yourself online.
Don’t #1- Expecting Lofty Results
If you run a business and see how effective online advertising has been for the business next door, it’s natural for you to expect the same, and set unobtainable goals for your ads. You might want to increase your web traffic by a defined percentage or want a certain number of leads generated by campaigns end.
This is a bad place to start. For two reasons.
One, because you’ll end up disappointed when you fail to reach these defined goals. And two, it results in you overstretching in an effort to reach them. You’ll end up trying too hard and paying to much for something you’re unrealistically ever going to achieve.
Rather, you need to begin with goals in mind that are attainable. You need to walk before you can run. By setting goals you’re confident in achieving, you avoid overreaching and overspending. Then, once your campaign has finished and you’ve achieved what you set out for initially, you can hope for a bit more on your next campaign. It’s vital you know your limitations.
Don’t #2- Not Incorporating Visuals
I’m still amazed how many people neglect visual elements online. We’ve all seen an ad online while browsing, but, how many of you have actually clicked on one?
Not many I’m sure as no one likes clicking on any random ad.The ones that do get our attention though will entice us by having something unique about them. They’ll be eye-catching and display the right information to get us to click. If you overlook the significance of how your ad should look and focus only on what the ad offers, then you’re going to miss out.
What you need to do is create the perfect online ad. Easier said than done, I know. Your ad needs to first pull attention to itself, and then you can worry about the message it’s sending.
If you’re pushing a sale on your website than the word SALE should stand out. Let people know how much they’re saving, and how long they have to do it. Or, the main image should be of what you’re selling. The bottom line is the visual appeal of what you’re selling should never be overlooked, so ensure you put the time in to design correctly.
Don’t Number #3- Forgetting About A Landing Page
There are endless approaches to online advertising you can pursue, whether that be with Google Ads or a social media campaign, the choice is yours. One thing remains consistent though, you cannot forget about your landing page, meaning the page people arrive on after they’ve clicked on your ad. A good one makes the user stick around, a bad one the opposite.
I cannot over-emphasise how important landing pages are for converting clicks into something bigger. You can entice people to purchase your advertised product with your landing page, equally, you can make them want to click off your site. The amount of time you’ve spent on designing your ads should be half the time you’ve spent designing your landing pages. They’ll convert the clicks you get, which, essentially is how to benefit from online advertising.
So, there’s a start. At SponsoredLinX we pride ourselves on campaign setup and then management, and we follow the rules we set. However, if you’re a marketer wanting to get started, or a business owner who backs themselves to get the job done, keep these potholes on hand to ensure you avoid them.
Make no mistake about it, when run correctly, an online advertising campaign can result in some incredible growth!