What you don’t know is hurting your ability to get leads, close sales, and gain market share. The good news is with awareness comes the opportunity for change and growth.
Do what you’ve always done, and you’ll get the same results. This is often true in digital marketing because many companies do what they know, stay in their comfort zone and many fail to implement key digital marketing tactics needed to grow their company.
In this blog post, I will review why this is happening, identify five blindspots, and provide recommendations so you can start making improvements and maximize your return from your website and digital marketing strategies.
Let’s look at five digital marketing blindsides you must correct to drive growth.
1. The “Lack of Digital Marketing and Website Awareness” Blindspot
Many marketers have seen digital marketing flourish in the past few years, but have yet to understand what was happening and how to take advantage of it. These business leaders rarely visit their company website and review digital marketing metrics and data.
Although this group has dwindled in size over the years, they are still prevalent, and their lack of attention results in missed opportunities for growth and, in some cases, a shrinking company.
Action Plan: Get access to Google Analytics 4 and have the data shared with you every month. Look at total monthly visitors, the pages they visit, and the website traffic sources to gauge your digital marketing effectiveness. Focus on specific pages that provide conversion opportunities, optimizing high-performing ones and refining others.
Identify where website traffic originates (organic search, social media, etc.) to focus and fine-tune your efforts strategically. Make sure to track people who make contact with your company and other online conversions.
Also, visit your company website at least once a week to see what the world is seeing. Question your team about the data and strive for improvements.
2. The “Know-It-All” Blindspot
A closed mind is a beautiful thing to lose. Success in digital marketing requires an open mind and the ability to test new approaches and learn.
This blindside is growing as younger demographics come into the workforce. These people were part of the digital revolution and grew up with the Internet, but lack a comprehensive view of what really works in digital marketing. They tend to focus on handling digital marketing themselves and focus on what they know.
Digital marketing requires a variety of skill-sets, and it is nearly impossible to know it all. The result of this blindside is trying something and then giving up when it does not work as expected. We often hear that a particular digital marketing tactic has never worked. Today, things have changed, and we see a variety of marketing tactics working together in harmony is the key to driving the best results.
Action Plan: Embrace a comprehensive digital marketing plan. Don’t rely on just one or two tactics to get results. Explore new digital channels and cover the essentials:
- A great website that meets the needs of users
- Optimization to get found in Google search
- Social media posts and a content calendar
- Great content loaded with benefits for readers
- Email marketing and monthly newsletters
3. The “Do-it-Yourself (DIY) Digital Marketing” Blindspot
Marketing is a discipline and requires a team, a comprehensive approach, and the attention of experts. A DIY approach will dilute your ability to focus on what you do really well. You most likely don’t do your own taxes or legal work. Marketing requires the same input and attention from experts. Build a digital marketing team and leverage experts to get results and complement your in-house marketing team.
Action Plan: Talk to experts and get feedback. You can book a time with an expert at IW and get an assessment of your current team and tactics.
4. The “Sample Size of One” Blindspot
Many marketers and business leaders fall victim to the sample-size-of-one dilemma. They have a mindset that how they use the Internet is how everyone else uses it. This is a significant blindspot in digital marketing. They need to get out of their head and into the heads of their prospective customers. This is how the best marketers on the planet approach digital marketing.
People buy for their reasons. Find out why and how people buy from your company and meet them where they are on the Internet.
Action Plan: Talk to your customers and prospects about how they use your website, Google, social media, and email to research and make buying decisions. Ask customers why they buy from you and share those perceived benefits on your website.
5. The “Ignoring AI in Digital Marketing” Blindspot
Using AI to enhance your digital marketing is a must. Many markets are yet to embrace ChatGPT and how it can be used in marketing. This is a major blindspot as their competitors who use AI will save time and better communicate to their prospects using this fantastic tool.
Action Plan: Get access to ChatGPT 4 and use it to write personas, get key benefits, write blogs and other digital content, analyze data, and much more. Watch our recent webinar on Digital Marketing in the Age of AI.
A New Generation of Digital Marketers
What’s needed is a new generation of digital marketers who focus on strategic intent and the translation of value with great content. They build a team of experts to leverage inbound marketing with great results in Google, social media, email marketing, and other channels.
They understand websites are now the centerpiece of marketing for most companies, and digital marketing is essential to attract new customers. This new generation is great with data, and they use metrics to drive tactics and make informed decisions. They embrace learning and the constant changes happening in digital marketing. They are open to testing ideas and leveraging AI tools to improve their work.
Finally, they build a team and leverage the expertise of experts. This removes blindspots and generates a flow of ideas to leverage the potential of digital marketing.
Get rid of blindsides to build your awareness and reach higher success with your marketing. Reach out to us for a free 30 minute consultation and we’ll show you how.
FAQs
How can I improve my digital marketing and website awareness?
To improve your digital marketing and website awareness, you can follow these steps:
- Get access to Google Analytics 4 and review the data every month. Look at metrics like total monthly visitors, pages visited, and traffic sources to gauge your digital marketing effectiveness.
- Focus on specific pages that provide conversion opportunities and optimize them. Refine other underperforming pages.
- Identify where your website traffic originates from (organic search, social media, etc.) to strategically fine-tune your efforts.
- Track online conversions and people who make contact with your company.
- Visit your company website at least once a week to see what the visitors are experiencing. Discuss the data with your team and work towards improvements.
What are the best social media channels for my company to use?
Determining the best social media channel for your company depends on your target market and where they are most likely to engage. It’s best to consider the types of content each channel is known for and see how it aligns with your marketing content and needs of your prospective customers:
- Facebook is great for connection with a fairly wide audience but is used most for making personal connections with friends, family, and communities of similar interests.
- LinkedIn tends to be more B2B focused where professionals connect, share insights, and use sponsored content. Outreach is best when tailored to businesses through InMail and industry groups.
- Instagram is a platform with a more visual appeal, best for reraching younger demographics with images, stories, and reels. Leverage influencers and hashtags for creative promotion in this channel.
- Twitter/X is ideal for quick interactions, customer service, and trend participation, and also utilizes hashtags and influencers for broader engagement.
- YouTube is known for videos – perfect for tutorials, webinars, product demonstrations, and other types of branded video content.
- Pinterest is best for lifestyle and product brands. Create visually appealing pins, use keywords, and engage with group boards for increased brand visibility.
Should I outsource my digital marketing?
Instead of trying to DIY your digital marketing, seek out experts for a holistic marketing strategy. Identify what areas of digital marketing they can do well, and supplement tactics where their skillset isn’t as strong. The right agency will collaborate with your team and help them grow their skills to become a better digital marketer.
