We get it: if you’re just getting into digital marketing, it can feel like learning a new language. Email campaigns? Target audiences? Pay-per-what? While it can be a little daunting, the worst thing you can do is miss out on the value digital marketing can bring your business. We think the best way to plan your next move is to know, well, how people mess up theirs.

Our guide will help you identify common digital marketing pitfalls and give you more information to help build, plan and execute your campaigns.

PITFALL 1: Not knowing your digital marketing basics.

Fear not: you don’t have to know everything about digital marketing to get started. But knowing the basic terms will keep you from feeling like a fish out of water while giving you more control over your campaign—whether you’re working with an agency or flying solo.

When we talk about digital marketing, we’re usually talking about these services:

• Pay-per-Click Advertising (PPC Advertising)
• Social Media Marketing & Advertising
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Blogging / Content Marketing
• Email Marketing
• Website Development

Often, a good digital marketing campaign uses several of these strategies in tandem and allocates a specific budget for each service. For a handy resource on digital marketing terms and some pointers for planning a good digital campaign, check out this article:

Article: Your “How Does Digital Marketing Work?” Cheat Sheet

PITFALL 2: Not understanding digital marketing can help your business.

You might have a garage full of tools, but if you don’t know how to use ‘em—that bird house isn’t getting built. The same goes for digital marketing. A well-designed digital marketing campaign can do more than simply get your brand out there. Here are three important business advantages from digital marketing:

1. You’ll snag a lot of excellent data. (aka marketing gold!) That’s data you can use to inform your marketing strategies, improve and optimize your next digital marketing campaign and more.
2. You’ll reach customers when they’re ready to make a purchase. Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing lets you tap into more nuanced moments on the customer buying journey.
3. You’ll pay less for each impression. Yep, it’s pretty great.

With these three benefits, it’s hard to pass up digital marketing as an effective medium to market your company and your brand. Want more details? Check out our article here:

Article: Three critical advantages that make digital marketing important for business

PITFALL 3: Ignoring the essential parts of the campaign.

Nobody wants a digital marketing campaign that’s “skipping leg day.” What we mean is, every successful initiative has elements that work together to get results. For most campaigns, it will always boil down to collecting and analyzing your data, baking your goals into the strategy and choosing the right services to help you meet them. All are essential for moving the needle.

And speaking of services, here’s a quick guide for choosing the right services based on your goals:

Good for Increasing Sales:
Email Marketing, Pay-Per-Click Advertising, Search Engine Optimization

Good for Increasing Leads:
Email Marketing, Pay-Per-Click Advertising, Search Engine Optimization

Good for Brand Engagement:
Email Marketing, Social Media, Search Engine Optimization

Good for Brand Awareness:
Social Media, Content Marketing, Search Engine Optimization

Still curious about what goes into a good digital marketing campaign? Take a look at our article:

Article: What should a good digital marketing campaign include?

PITFALL 4: Not anticipating how digital and traditional marketing fit together.

“Will digital marketing replace traditional marketing?” We get asked this question a lot. While digital marketing has its advantages, traditional marketing strategies such as print, TV and radio still offer great ways to reach a broad audience. You can learn more right here:

Article: Will digital marketing replace traditional marketing?

Ready to bring in the pros?

If you need help coordinating your next digital marketing campaign, reach out to the experts at MDR. We’ve been planning digital campaigns since “digital” even became a thing, and can help you plan the right campaign with your goals in mind.