Internet marketing should be a part of any company's marketing strategy. The Internet is where business is done these days and where your clients and potential clients go for information, products and services. But the same marketing strategies that work for print and other media don't always translate to online marketing. Here are the three most common errors when it comes to Internet marketing and how you can avoid them
Failure to Assess
Just having an Internet presence doesn't mean you have developed an Internet marketing strategy. You have to know if anyone is actually looking at your content and engaging with it. Are customers sharing your content on social media? Are you building backlinks with other sites? Have you analyzed who comes to your site and why? Marketing managers must constantly evaluate the efficacy of their marketing strategies. Track and analyze web statistics on a regular basis so you can make adjustments to your message. Without this information, you won't be able to respond to your customer's needs and will have an Internet marketing strategy at risk of failure.
Irrelevancy
The Internet moves at an incredibly fast pace and so must your marketing strategy. If you fail to keep up with the shifting trends online, then you'll miss out on valuable marketing opportunities. Maintain relevancy by offering high-quality content and by updating content to reflect what's going on in your industry, current trends and how those trends apply to your business.
You can also increase your relevancy by engaging your customers in your company's online conversations. Customers don't want to sit back passively in today's collaborative social media culture. They want to participate and feel that they are an integral part of your company. If you don't offer opportunities to connect and engage, potential clients will quickly jump to the competitor who does. You can engage customers through social media, special offers and calls to action.
Lack of Commitment
When you plan your online marketing strategy, make the decision to commit to the process. Too often, online marketing serves as an afterthought instead of as a key piece to an overall marketing picture. Maintaining relevancy, engaging customers and assessing your strategy all take time and personnel. If you fail to commit these resources to your online marketing strategy, then you're strategy will fail.
Internet marketing is not a portion of your marketing strategy that will go away anytime soon. In fact, your online marketing will more than likely become the biggest part of your overall marketing plan. Avoid the most basic mistakes and keep your marketing plan on track.
