The right tactics can lead you to success, especially when it comes to digital marketing. So whether you’re running a LinkedIn marketing agency or working as a lone SEO freelancer, you need to start every new year by assessing the techniques you developed during the previous one. Then you keep the methods that helped you move forward and let go of the ones that are pulling you down.
So what are the bad digital marketing tactics you should get rid of? Read on below to find out!
Aggressive Data Consumer Collection
A lot of digital marketers have resorted to aggressive data consumer collection tactics in recent years. If you’re one of these guys, then you need to stop doing it this year.
People don’t like it when their privacy is invaded, and aggressive data consumer collection feels very intrusive. If you don’t want your target audience to get put off by your brand, then you’d better tone down your data gathering efforts.
A simple way to tone things down is by sending less emails asking people to subscribe. Another is to tweak your email marketing campaigns so it doesn’t come off as too assertive.
Guilt-Trip Marketing
Guilt-trip marketing involves tactics that make people feel bad for not choosing your brand. Say you’re running a fitness website for example. And in an effort to get your target audience to subscribe to your weekly newsletter, you added a pop-up ad. But instead of gently asking viewers to sign up, you aggressively give them two options:
- Enter their name, email, and contact number to receive the newsletters.
- Click on the button that says, “No, Thanks! I Don’t Want to Be Fit!” if they’re uninterested.
That’s basically what guilt-trip marketing is all about: shaming people into choosing your brand. And it’s something you shouldn’t ever do.
If you want to become a better digital marketer this year, then you need to ditch this tactic as soon as possible. If your product or service is as good as you say it is, then you won’t need to resort to such rude tactics.
Phony Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs aren’t exactly new in the digital marketing sphere. Even today, it’s not uncommon for a decent LinkedIn marketing agency to get people to subscribe to their newsletters by promising some special deal or what-not.
The problem is, it has also opened the door for scammers to offer dodgy loyalty programs. And instead of giving people something useful, they end up spamming their mailboxes with crappy content and empty promises.
Don’t be like these people! If you intend to include loyalty programs in your digital marketing campaigns, then make sure it delivers on its promises.
Launching Goal-Less Campaigns
Speaking of digital marketing campaigns, make sure you create and launch one with a goal in mind. After all, no business can succeed without setting well-defined goals first.
One of the best ways to set goals in your campaigns is by employing the SMART model. As you probably know already, SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.
Make sure your goals are aligned with the SMART model before finalizing them. Then center your digital marketing campaigns around these goals. That way, you’ll have an easier time achieving them.
Using Outdated Case Studies
Case studies are great for digital marketing, helping buyers make well-informed decisions and providing time-and-tested techniques to ensure your success. However, you need to make sure the case studies you rely on are updated and relevant.
When choosing which case study to use, check the year when it first came out. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t use case studies that are more than 5 years old. Some digital marketers even take this up a notch, considering papers published for less than 2 years.
At the same time, you should keep an eye out for emerging digital marketing trends. If you’re having trouble doing that,then you can rely on various trend tracking tools.
Over-Reliance on Paid Ads
Paid advertisements are a great way to quickly create brand awareness. Plus, it’s relatively easy to set up. With a set budget and a list of choice keywords, you’re basically good to go.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t rely on paid ads too often. Succeeding in digital marketing is no mean feat. And while paid ads can indeed play a huge role, there are other factors and techniques to consider as well.
So better use organic promotions instead of paid advertisements as the backbone of your digital marketing campaigns. Organic growth may be slower, but the results that come with it is definitely well worth the wait.
Analyzing Useless Metrics
As a digital marketer, it’s your responsibility to monitor your progress on a regular basis. That usually means keeping track of several metrics.
But while some of these metrics can help you monitor your business’ growth and measure your ROI, others are just there to waste your time. So you’d better learn how to tell these two apart, before ditching the useless ones.
Some of the useless metrics you can ignore include social media likes, page views and traffic, and time spent by users on your site. Meanwhile, great metrics you should focus on include conversion rates, brand sentiments, and user demographics.
Offering Useless Products or Services
Marketing is all about providing solutions to people’s problems. If your product or service doesn’t do that, then it’s guaranteed to fail. After all, why should you bother getting them if you won’t gain anything from it?
It doesn’t matter if you’re already an established LinkedIn marketing agency or just a freelancer starting out. If you can’t convince people how a product or service can help them, then you’d be better off considering another career.
So before marketing a product or service, you should get to know it first. Find out if it’s truly worth selling to customers, and take note of all its pros and cons.
Ditch Bad Digital Marketing Tactics
The New Year is always a great time to turn a new leaf, and this is especially the case for digital marketers. If you want your SEO start up or LinkedIn marketing agency to reach new heights this year, then you’d better get rid of the bad tactics that pulled you down previously. Start with the ones above, and you’re good to go.
