Don't Let Digital Marketing Mistakes Derail Your Business In this online-consumer age, it can make or break growth and survival.

By Chris Porteous

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

everythingpossible | Getty Images

Let's face it: We live in a technology-driven world, and digital marketing has in many ways surpassed traditional channels. With consumers now turning to the internet for every question they have, it's easy to understand why thoughtful digital marketing can make or break a business. Without it, any company is as good as dead in the water.

This necessitates not only the implementation of savvy tactics, but a knowledge of what pitfalls to avoid ahead of time. Here's how to avoid the kinds of digital marketing mistakes that can derail your brand faster than a mouse click.

You'll Never Reach Your Goals You Don't Set

This might seem obvious, but it's amazing how many brands out there look at digital marketing as something to just dip their toes into. Setting up a bunch of social media accounts and throwing a few hashtags out there with the hopes they'll catch fire won't provide much benefit if there's not a clearly defined goal behind it.

Maybe that goal is increased traffic to the brand's website or generating more potential leads through mobile. Whatever the case may be, measurable goals will help to establish a common connection with your audience and drive all future strategy.

Related: How to Land the Digital Marketing Job of Your Dreams

Understand Your Audience's Needs

It goes without saying that your customers are the lifeblood of your business, so failing to understand what they want will make any digital marketing efforts pointless. Even the most well-thought out and catchy campaign will fall flat if it doesn't resonate with the intended consumer, or worse, misses the target audience altogether. Everything from use of language in content to assessing how the hypothetical customer uses digital media should factor into your brand's marketing approach. Take the time to dig into your audience analysis and find out what motivates them.

Churn Out Content With a Purpose

Internet users are constantly eating up content, but the content that gets shared and earns rankings love from Google has a real identity. Search-engine algorithms are constantly evolving, and it's imperative that content be distinctive if it's going to benefit a brand's digital marketing efforts. Well-crafted content should say something that touches on your goals and offers something valuable to your intended audience.

Staying on top of trends and the competition is equally vital. Ask yourself, "Is now the right time to use this tactic to connect with my audience?" The answer may not always be yes. Keeping all this in mind as you craft content will result in more lead conversions, rather than it falling flat.

Related: Top 5 Digital Marketing Strategies of 2019

Track the ROI of Your Marketing Efforts

What your digital marketing ROI looks like is going to be different from other brands. What all businesses have in common, though, is the need to track their efforts to maximize yield. Refining your SEO approach and using utilizing an AdWords strategy similar to PPC Pro may translate to actual leads, but understanding the data is key to maintaining that success.

What you don't want to do is apply a "set it and forget it" approach to your digital campaigns. This doesn't mean that everything must be checked and monitored every hour of the day, but regular observation and maintenance is necessary. There's no shortage of analytics tools out their to help, so don't be scared to try different ones and determine what helps your business accrue maximum ROI.

Wavy Line
Chris Porteous

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor

High Performance Growth Marketer

Chris Porteous is CEO of SearchEye, which offers unbundled digital marketing projects for clients and agencies across the globe.

Editor's Pick

'Catastrophic': Here's What You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling Crisis — And How a Default Could Impact Your Business
Lock
I Helped Grow 4 Unicorns Over 10 Years That Generated $18 Billion in Online Revenues. Here's What I've Learned.
Lock
Want to Break Bad Habits and Supercharge Your Business? Use This Technique.
Lock
Don't Have Any Clients But Need Customer Testimonials? Follow These 3 Tricks To Boost Your Rep.
Why Are Some Wines More Expensive Than Others? A Top Winemaker Gives a Full-Bodied Explanation.

Related Topics

Business News

'All Hell Is Going to Break Loose': Barbara Corcoran Issues Warning About Real Estate Market, Interest Rates

The "Shark Tank" star appeared on FOX Business' "The Clayman Countdown" this week.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Science & Technology

How to Make a QR Code in 5 Simple Steps

Need to know how to make a QR code for your business but not sure where to start? Check out this step-by-step breakdown for more info.

Money & Finance

3 Ways to Create Multiple (Big) Streams of Income

Here are three ways to create multiple streams of income. These strategies require effort and resources but offer significant financial potential.

Starting a Business

What Is an LLC? Here's How It Works.

Deciding whether or not your business should be an LLC is a big decision. Continue reading to learn the pros and cons of starting your own LLC.