Mistakes are inevitable, and frankly, I do believe in mistakes. I mean, mistakes are what make everything right eventually. Right?! I suppose so. As much as I like to see things set straight, I still would like you to avoid some deadly sins that might cost you your whole business. So, you see, you don’t have to make mistakes yourself to learn the lessons. All you need is to see and hear what others have gone through to avoid collateral damage.
Because digital marketing is now wider than ever, with numerous strategies extending along countless channels, businesses should be aware of the risks and threats. Digital marketing mistakes cost substantial amounts of money and time, and businesses take so much time to recover afterward if it’s possible at all.

Here are the seven deadly sins in digital marketing you should avoid to keep your marketing strategies outstanding:

1. Not personalizing products and services

I’m one of the people who are extremely discouraged from purchasing a service or product if I learned that everyone is getting the same offer. What I mean is that, how would I believe that they are genuine about what they’re offering when my case and needs are different from that of my friend’s and we both still get the same services/products? There must be something wrong, that’s for sure. This way businesses lose their credibility, and indeed with words-of-mouth, they will soon go down the drain.
When businesses personalize offers according to each individual’s needs, they are building a unique relationship with every customer. Every customer will feel like they matter and that will eventually end up in loyalty and trust.
So, in digital marketing you must personalize, personalize, personalize to stay ahead in the competition.

2. Overlooking the 80/20 rule of marketing

I would say that you must have heard about the 80/20 rule. If that’s not the case, then “the 80/20 of marketing is derived from the broader Pareto Principle concept introduced by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto in 1906.” It states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In digital marketing, this could translate to 20% of marketing efforts produce 80% of the campaign’s outcome.

Fully understanding the impact of correctly following this rule will help you eliminate unnecessary costs and unproductive techniques. When following this rule, you will enhance your digital marketing efficiency as well as your profits. It’s noteworthy when talking about digital marketing that one should greatly consider social media in the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule states that “80% of your social media posts should inform, educate, and entertain your audience, while only 20% should directly promote your business.” With that being said, businesses should attempt to utilize 80% of the efforts to provide valuable content to the audience while deploying 20% of the efforts for promotional campaigns. Focusing on 80/20 rule will help keep your audience active, which in return will build long-term relationships with your customers.

3. Carelessly/thoughtlessly creating messages for customers

Customers are your most valuable assets, and you should give them the best. You should thoroughly think it through and create worthy, valuable and well-structured messages. Think of how you would like to receive messages, how and in what ways you’d be conveyed to make a purchase, how would you be reached, etc. when you answer these questions, you will be able to craft unique messages that will push customers to make an action.

4. Mal-use of Emails

Let’s imagine this scenario: you walk into a store to buy a piece of clothing, and then an assistant comes along and asks you if you need any help, and you clearly state that you don’t need any help. When you thought that you’re finally free, you realize that you’re wrong. That assistant is following you from one place to another, uncomfortably close, distributing unsettling smiles. You feel like she’s on your back and eventually ruins your shopping experience as you hustle, empty-handed, for the exit door.  Do you like customers running away from you for being too pushy? Do you want customers to snap at you as you shove your products/services in their faces? No. No, you don’t.

Emails shouldn’t be used solely for promotional purposes. Emails can be a way to communicate with customers, to educate them about things, to assure them and not to be a pain in their butts. Most of the time, I get irritated due to getting huge amounts of promotional emails, so I end up unsubscribing or blocking the page altogether. However, some emails teach me things that I so eagerly wait to read them every single day. I look forward to receiving such beneficial emails.
Use emails as an engagement tool to build a beautiful relationship with customers, not as a way to push them further.

5. Ignoring loyalty marketing …. retention marketing

How do you keep your girlfriend happy?! You never stop doing what you did to try to get her when you first met. That’s it. That’s all it takes. Keep getting her those Shawarma sandwiches with EXTRA GARLIC!!
It is very crucial to apply this in digital marketing to generate profits. Acquiring customers is very hard, to begin with, so when you do acquire some, you might as well work to keep them. It’s always easier to communicate with customers that you’ve already dealt with as you now know what they like and how they like it. Focusing on customer acquisition and overlooking customer retention is not in your favor as it will compromise your consumer base that will eventually lead to revenue losses.
You should never stop marketing to your customers even if they are loyal to your brand. Make them feel appreciated. Trust me it will certainly show in the outcomes of your bottom line.

6. Underestimating content-marketing

Today, content is very important for businesses. The way I see it is that it is the future of digital marketing due to its positive impact. Mind you; content should actually serve a purpose and not just be sequence of words put there purposelessly. If you are providing content to lead generation, improve engagement or raise brand awareness, it should contain call-to-actions. Write content that results in audience engagement, social recognition, increased audience and number of clicks.

SEO in content marketing is CRUCIAL!! So while you’re writing good content, you should also delicately handle the SEO. SEO will help people find you easier which will increase the traffic to your website. More traffic means more potential customers.

7. Overlooking new digital marketing channels and platforms

Businesses should give up their old fashioned channels and consider digital marketing on new channels and platforms that are in trend. Using multiple channels are more profitable than sticking to only one.
However, you don’t have to promote your content on every channel out there. You have to promote content on channels where your audience gathers. That’s where you would benefit the most. Since the digital world is rapidly and continuously evolving, adapting to the rapid changes is a must. Promoting content on newly emerged digital marketing channels is a certain way to reach your audience.

In an ever-evolving marketing world, only those who are willing to adapt to the changes will be able to stand out and grant customers exquisite experiences. Avoiding the above mistakes will definitely put you on the right path to success.