As we step into 2023, we can see a significant shift in the way marketers are approaching campaigns and reaching their target audience.
With the evolution and advancements in technology, there has been a lot of trial and error for marketers concerning campaign strategy, messaging, and audience targeting.
In this blog post, we're going to highlight the top seven mistakes that campaign managers are making in 2023 (and give you an idea of how Kinetic319 may be able to help!).
By understanding and avoiding these mistakes, marketers can ensure that they are getting the most out of their campaigns.
1. Underestimating the Power of Digital Media
Digital media has taken over traditional marketing channels, and to stay ahead in today's fast-paced digital world, you've got to devote yourself to understanding its power.
Digital media has an enormous reach and can deliver your message to customers all around the world. With the evolution of social media platforms, businesses can directly target their audience and build a strong online presence.
Today, around 60% of the world's population uses social media, and this number is increasing every day. Because of this, marketers need to leverage digital media to reach their target audience where it matters most.
Despite the growing importance of digital media, marketers are still making a huge mistake in not acknowledging its power. Many businesses still believe that print advertisements and traditional marketing channels are sufficient to reach their target audience.
However, data shows otherwise. According to a survey by Opera Mediaworks and Censuswide, around 65% of marketers don't believe that mobile digital advertising can drive ROI. This mindset needs to change if businesses want to stay ahead of their competition.
You need to create a strong online presence through content marketing, social media, email marketing, and search engine optimization.
Start by identifying their target audience and tailor their marketing strategies to reach them. Take the time to understand the importance of well-written blogs, engaging social media content, and personalized emails. These can help you build a strong relationship with your customers.
2. Avoiding Analytics and A/B Testing When It Comes to Gaining Insights on Campaign Performance
Analytics and A/B Testing are essential tools that digital marketing campaign managers should use to understand their campaigns. Analytics helps you track the effectiveness of your campaigns, allowing you to see which strategies are working and which aren't.
A/B testing is another crucial tool that helps you improve your campaigns' performance by comparing two different approaches.
Unfortunately, many campaign managers overlook the importance of analytics and A/B testing, leading to poor campaign performance over time.
One significant reason for the oversight is that many campaign managers view the vast volumes of data extracted from analytics platforms as overwhelming. Managing several digital channels and reviewing vast amounts of data can be overwhelming.
But ignoring analytics can hurt your campaigns in the long run. And you don't have to do it all yourself - smart managers employ the services of data analysts, which takes the burden off their shoulders, giving them ample time to strategize adequately and to improve their digital campaigns.
Remember, too, that analytics has more to do with data interpretation than it does collection. You can have all the data in the world and not have any clue what to do with it. Make sure you're collecting data and also have a plan in place to regularly analyze the information and develop insights you can put into action.
3. Not Having a Unified Messaging Strategy Across Platforms and Channels
In today's fast-paced world, consumers are interacting with brands and businesses through a variety of platforms and channels. A customer isn't just on Facebook. They're also on Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
From social media to email to SMS and beyond, each platform and channel offers unique opportunities to reach, engage, and convert your audience.
However, if your marketing messages are not consistent across these channels, you risk losing potential customers, confusing them, or, even worse, driving them away. This is where a unified messaging strategy plays a crucial role in your digital marketing campaigns.
A unified messaging strategy means that regardless of the channel or platform, your brand's messaging remains consistent, clear, and aligned with your goals. This strategy should not only cover the content and language used in your campaigns, but also the overall tone and brand voice.
When executed correctly, a unified messaging strategy can increase brand recognition, improve the customer experience, and ultimately lead to more conversions and sales.
However, many campaign managers make the mistake of solely focusing on one channel or platform.
For instance, they may put all their efforts into social media marketing without realizing that there are other channels that could be just as effective, or even more effective, for their brand.
By limiting your marketing efforts to just one channel, you miss out on potential customers that may not be active on that platform. As such, it's important to research and test different channels and platforms to determine where your audience is most active.
4. Failing to Optimize Campaigns for Mobile Devices
With the majority of internet users accessing websites and apps on their mobile devices, it's essential that all digital marketing campaigns are optimized for mobile.
This means making sure that websites and landing pages are mobile-friendly, emails and social media posts are optimized for mobile viewing, and ads are designed with mobile devices in mind.
A failure to do so could mean missing out on a huge portion of your potential audience.
5. Not Using Influencers to Spread Your Message
Influencer marketing has exploded in recent years, with brands using social media influencers to promote their products and services to their followers.
However, many businesses still underestimate the power of influencer marketing and fail to incorporate it into their digital marketing strategies.
Influencers can help your brand reach a wider audience, build trust and credibility with your target market, and increase engagement and conversions.
6. Not Focusing Enough on Personalization
Personalization is absolutely essential in the digital marketing world, especially when it comes to reaching your goal audience. Inaccurate or irrelevant content may be counterproductive, leading to an increase in bounce rates and reduced conversion rates.
Using the power of personalization, you can lower bounce and unsubscribe rates by improving the relevance of your marketing messages and increasing your audience's engagement levels. This approach enables you to build a more profound relationship with your audience, allowing you to communicate on a more personal level - which will help to facilitate long-term loyalty and trust.
Personalization is also a critical aspect of digital marketing campaigns when it comes to creating a seamless customer journey. Marketing campaigns require a clear path that guides customers from one stage to the next, and the delivery of personalized content can improve the customer journey significantly.
By offering personalized content at each point of the marketing funnel, digital campaign managers can ensure that all target audiences receive an individualized experience that is tailored to their needs and desires.
Remember, with so many companies vying for digital attention, personalization is a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition. It enables you to engage with your target audience on a deeper level, which will make it more challenging for your competitors to replicate.
Personalization can help you create a unique voice and tone, enabling you to foster an emotional relationship with your audience and keep them coming back for more.
It's time for digital marketing campaign managers to understand that targeting everyone won't give their campaign the desired results. Focusing your efforts on your goal audience is crucial, but personalization takes targeting to a whole new level.
By leveraging personalization, you can create a marketing campaign that speaks directly to your target audience in a way that is relevant, engaging, and memorable.
7. Using SEO Poorly (or Not at All)
The primary goal of SEO is to improve your website's page ranking in search engine results such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. One way to achieve that is by having high-quality content.
Digital marketers must understand the importance of crafting useful and informative content that meets the needs of their target audience. It's not enough to stuff your website with keywords and expect to rank high on search engines.
Engaging your audience through compelling content builds your website's credibility and enhances your ranking - but many marketers still aren't doing this (or aren't doing it well).
Before you employ any SEO technique, you must first analyze the specific keywords and phrases that your target audience uses when searching for your product or service.
Remember, too, that local SEO is an essential aspect of digital marketing if you target a specific geographical location. For instance, if you run a business that provides home cleaning services in Dallas, you should incorporate Dallas in your keyword phrases.
Implementing local SEO strategies such as Google My Business Listing, backlinks from local websites, and relevant local directories will help to improve your website's ranking.
And don't forget that some of the strategies already discussed in this post - like optimizing for mobile and incorporating a variety of social media channels - also play a role in increasing engagement and boosting SEO.
Look at the big picture - zoom out - to be as effective as possible in your approach.
The Takeaway
By avoiding the seven mistakes mentioned above, marketers can get the most out of their campaigns and improve their campaign performance.
Remember - campaigns are not just about promoting products or services; they are about connecting with your audience on a deeper level, resonating with their emotions and values, and creating a meaningful interaction.
At Kinetic319, we know how important it is to look at the past while planning for tomorrow. If you're making any or all of these mistakes in 2023, don't worry - we can help you navigate the changes you need to make and seize the opportunities that come your way.
We believe in building close partnerships with our clients, allowing us to understand their brands better than any other agency team.
With these insights - and with Kinetic319 by your side - you can go into the rest of 2023 (and 2024!) with the right attitude and goals.
Authored by: Adam Ortman, Kinetic319 | Founder & President