It’s very easy to get things wrong since nobody is above mistakes. As an entrepreneur, these mistakes are common in digital marketing, considering the rate at which the rules change dramatically. Lack of awareness of these digital marketing mistakes is like permitting yourself to fail. Making a mistake is inevitable. Acknowledging that mistake and avoiding it throughout other activities is the best way to move forward.
Mistakes are often confused with failure. That is very far from the truth. Digital marketing mistakes can be bad, but it’s what you do with them that counts. Do you give up at the slightest manifestation of error? Or do you let that awareness guide the next decision you make?
It is sometimes difficult to immediately identify the digital marketing mistakes that you’re making. That’s why this article points out five common digital marketing mistakes that many new Nigerian entrepreneurs make without knowing it.
Table of Contents
5 Digital Marketing Mistakes to Avoid in 2022
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Not having a plan
Failure to plan is planning to fail. You’ve heard it before, and it never gets old.
One of the most expensive digital marketing mistakes you can make is jumping into digital marketing because everyone tells you that it’s a profitable investment. Of course, it is profitable, but it takes a serious amount of caution to benefit fully from it. You don’t invest in digital marketing and expect to see results overnight. It has never worked like that, and it won’t start with you.
Successful digital marketing takes serious planning. Your plan should reflect objectives, processes, and resources. It should give you a glimpse of your future in the short, medium, and long term. Your plan should also reflect your business mission and vision.
Don’t jump into Facebook advertising because a friend of yours just made a million from it. Don’t announce a free webinar because your competitors are doing it. These reasons are somewhat reasonable, but they shouldn’t be your driving force. Have a plan for before and after any digital marketing move you make. Ask yourself, after the webinar, what next? If you don’t have an answer to that, then you’re not ready to organize a webinar.
This digital marketing mistake is at the top of the list because it is extremely dangerous and easily underestimated. The best way to avoid this mistake is to have a written digital marketing plan. If you have no idea what a standard digital marketing plan should look like, don’t even think about winging it. Get someone to create a standard one for you. You’ll be glad you did.
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Believing that you can serve everyone
It’s a very generous thought, but this is business, and you need to be realistic. You can’t serve everyone. Your products/services are not meant for all and sundry. The business goals you have cannot connect to every human on earth. It just can’t. It’s not possible. The earlier you let this sink in, the easier your digital marketing efforts will be.
It doesn’t matter what you’re selling. Even if everyone can benefit from it, not everyone will be interested. You don’t want to spend hours talking to someone with earplugs blaring loud music. That would be a colossal waste of time.
To avoid digital marketing mistakes like this, you need to sit down and identify who you want to serve. Start with a specific group of people, e.g., teenagers living in Lagos State, Nigeria. Then narrow it down to a particular person. You need to be sure that your products are needed in the market; that there’s a pain that people want to get rid of. This will save you from sloppy digital marketing mistakes and ensure that you target your efforts with a higher chance of success.
Don’t make the mistake of becoming a messiah. Define your audience, segment them, understand them, give them value, and tell them what to do next.
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Content overload
Yes, there is such a thing as content overload. Too much content is just as counterproductive as too little content. Always remember, “quality over quantity.”
There is no specific number of times to publish content per day or week. There’s no universal rule for that. It all depends on your goals and your strategies to achieve those goals.
Of course, you want to provide your audience with valuable information. The best way to do that is with content creation and marketing. What you don’t want to do is create so much content that you just dump on your marketing platforms without asking yourself why. Why should this content be published today? Why should my audience react to this content? Will it generate the number of leads I need for my brand?
Content is King; distribution is queen. However, there should be a justification for every content you make public.
You might not be able to tell if you’re making this mistake, but there are many ways to find out. You can monitor the activities on your content and see which ones are performing well and which ones aren’t. Try to see if there’s a pattern for the ones that aren’t doing well. If you published them at the same time of the day, then there’s a chance that you’re overdoing it or your timing is just wrong.
You can also ask your audience. Create a poll or send out a survey form. Ask them if they like the format and frequency of your content. In fact, asking the audience is the most authentic way of knowing why your digital marketing is failing.
The better you understand how best to use your content, the higher the return on investment.
Read also: Why you should consider remote hiring as a Nigerian entrepreneur
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Poor customer service
Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. Their satisfaction should always be at the forefront of your mind. It is not only easier to keep existing customers than to get new ones, but it also increases the possibility of generating more income.
Design your website overview and social media strategy with the customers in mind. Your customers should be able to contact you at every step of the sales process, from enquiry to purchase and follow-up. You obviously can’t be available 24/7, so you should employ automated systems that give instant response and relief to customers and assure them that they’re a priority. This reduces unnecessary confusion and customer dissatisfaction.
Never make the mistake of “moving on” from a buyer because they already gave you a part of their money. The truth is, if they’ve gotten comfortable enough to pay you for your services, they’ll require less convincing when you present a better, different, or more expensive product to them.
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Not Seeking Professional Help
There are so many videos online that encourage you to do anything yourself. They’re called DIYs (Do it Yourself). The initiative behind these videos is generally positive. There’s a part of us that blooms when someone says to us, “you can do this” or something similar. It’s good to explore your physical and mental capabilities by trying new things. It’s also good to know when you need professional help.
If you don’t know the first thing about electricity, you won’t go near an electric box of naked wires. Not for a billion dollars. You should have this same attitude towards your business growth strategies, in this case, digital marketing.
When you hear “digital marketing,” things that come to mind are websites, social media, and maybe content writing. The fact is, there is more to digital marketing than these simple terms.
For instance, your website should have appealing design elements, a memorable user experience, an easy navigation system, fast loading speed, and high mobile responsiveness. Your social media pages and posts should always communicate your brand voice and mission. The content you publish should be of the highest quality in written texts, videos, and images. They should also be valuable, entertaining, and relatable. When you post on your website, you should be conscious of SEO (search engine optimization) within your content and entire page. This is where you consider meta tags, permalinks, internal links, backlinks, etc.
These things require a substantial level of skills to make them work. One of the biggest digital marketing mistakes you can make as a business owner is to assume all the responsibilities alone. Sometimes, you have to resist the urge to do it yourself.
If you want to optimize your resources, trusting a team of professionals is your best move. They have the experience, are always aware of digital marketing trends, and are in the right position to spot hidden mistakes and make necessary corrections. These professionals are also less likely to make as many digital marketing mistakes as you would. If you’re skeptical about putting your business in the hands of strangers, then start with a relatively small project and see how they handle it. Everything in business is risky. Investing in professionals is a risk worth taking.
Read also: Stress management tips for Nigerian entrepreneurs
Conclusion
If you’ve already made one or more of these digital marketing mistakes, then congratulations.
Why?
Because now you know, and you can consciously avoid repeating them over time. Take the time to identify your goals and plan your strategies in the direction of those goals.
Are you a digital entrepreneur? What digital marketing mistakes have you made so far? Share with us in the comment section.
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About Author
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An experienced freelance SEO content writer and editor. She helps individuals and businesses communicate effectively with their audience and also improve their organic reach with relevant content.
She's an author of several short stories and a devoted lover of the paranormal and fantasy world. Asides business and lifestyle, she also writes about life science and technology.
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