Marketing Mistakes
Simple Mistakes Frequently Made by B2B Marketers
Today’s B2B industry practices are increasingly focused on the online experience potential clients may have when interacting with a company’s website or marketing materials. Twenty years ago, only the largest businesses had a website and a robust online marketing strategy. Now it’s more common for a business to have the majority of its engagement with clients through online channels, including email marketing, social media, and a well designed, interactive website. It seems simple, right? But despite how common these practices are, many small businesses make small mistakes that, if fixed, could make a big difference in converting casual website visitors into paying clients. Here are some common mistakes to look out for and improve your digital marketing strategy.
Underestimating the Power of SEO
Search engine optimization seems like a made-up term used by people who spend to much time on the internet and not enough time IRL (in real life). But SEO is the way that people find your website via search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Search engines aren’t explicit with how they generate their lists from a person’s search query, but over time SEO specialists have figured out how to work with the system to implement successful digital marketing strategies. One of the many tactics used includes having content-rich, keyword laden pages associated with your business and industry. To utilize this approach, many small businesses blog about their work, positioning themselves as thought leaders in their industry while simultaneously reaching their digital marketing goals. Speaking of digital marketing goals...
Not setting marketing goals
It’s difficult to measure your marketing strategy’s success if no goals have been set. Ideally, your digital marketing strategy should reflect the goals you have for your business at large. Do you need to attract more clients? Are you introducing a new product or service to your already existing client base? Or are you looking to limit your business costs and want a digital strategy that maximizes your ROI? It is imperative to have a clear idea of what you want your marketing to achieve and measure its success based on those goals. Ultimately, marketing forms a conduit between you and potential customers and clients. Making that path efficient based on your business needs will have an immediate effect on your business’s success.
Using low-quality images
Understanding image resolution and quality may seem like it should only be the concern of photographers and graphic designers who need high-quality images to do their best work. However, people notice when you’ve gone cheap on your photos and there is no excuse for having bad pictures on your marketing materials. It is easier than ever to take, purchase, or access high-quality images. Websites like Upsplash, Flickr, and iStock offer free and affordable stock photos that pair well with a variety of content. If original images are more your speed, then invest in a good camera, like a DSLR, or upgrades to the camera on your mobile device.
Ignoring analytics
So you have a dynamic, high quality, engaging website. How can you measure the worth of your efforts without accessing the analytics associated with your web content? Measuring site visits and clicks per minute may seem like a fruitless endeavor, especially since the math is notoriously inaccurate. However, focusing your marketing efforts on the areas your customers find most appealing is a way to maintain their interest and attract others like them. It may be tempting to try to specialize and improve your content in all areas, but finding your marketing niche is just as important as finding your business’s niche.
Letting your branding go stale
If the fonts, color scheme, and taglines associated with your branding look like they’re unironically from 1955 then potential clients may assume that you don’t put much effort into your business the same way you haven’t put effort into your branding. Much like low-resolution images, consumers notice these quality differences whether or not they can identify them. One way to avoid outdated branding is to keep in touch with a skilled graphic designer who can assess and touch up the visual elements of your brand. These elements are the first interaction future clients will have with your business. A brand refresh doesn’t have to be drastic--subtle changes are key to keeping your marketing consistent across channels. Keep your branding relevant by going beyond purchasing a logo and allow it to evolve along with your business.