What You’re Doing Right (And Wrong) with Your Online Marketing

Every business today – and we mean, every – is online. Now, whether your company just launched a website or you’re an established brand with all kinds of digital profiles, online presence, and inbox tactics, the key to reaching people online is effective marketing. As mystifying and challenging as it is to figure out just what combination of online marketing efforts works best, there are some do’s and don’ts to know.

Today, we’re outlining all the right and wrong digital marketing strategies you might be using. Based on reliable data and proven results, knowing what to do and what not to do is about to get a whole lot easier. And you have plenty of time to make the necessary changes to your existing plans now, so you’re positioned for BIG marketing results in 2024.

Website Presence

Your online window to the world and storefront is your website and, within it, your subsequent landing pages. But they won’t generate leads for your business if you’re not routinely updating and improving your web game. Having a website and having an effective, lead-generating website are two entirely different concepts.

What You’re Doing Right

• If you’re copywriting and sharing original content, you’re doing your messaging right.
• If you’re mindful of SEO, with strong keywords and linking strategies throughout your site, Google searches will find you.
• If you’re leveraging great graphics with user-friendly designs, your site visitors will stay longer.
• If you’re continuously using site metrics to analyze your website’s efficacy, you’re doing it right.

What You’re Doing Wrong

• If your website feels too spammy for salesy, it will be a turnoff to new visitors.
• If you’re not keeping up with website design trends and user experience preferences, you’re losing visitors.
• If your website takes too long to load or doesn’t appear well on mobile, you’re losing engagement.
• If you’re trying to manage the upkeep and visibility of your website without outside help, you’re likely missing out on improvement opportunities.

Landing Pages

Dedicated landing pages are great funnel tools. Here, information lives that outlines precise offers or announcements. And these landing pages can live embedded in your website but are only visible to those who click the landing page link. That’s why they’re incredible for email campaigns and clickfunnels. See what you’re doing right and not-so-right with your landing pages.

What You’re Doing Right:

• If you’re using landing pages as part of your sales funnels, click funnels, and email campaigns, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re using amazing headings and graphics for your landing pages, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re keeping your landing page content simple and easy to follow, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re creating new landing pages for each specific offer, you’re doing it right.

What You’re Doing Wrong:

• If you’re not optimizing your landing pages for mobile devices, you’re losing your audiences.
• If you’re using links on your dedicated landing pages that take visitors away from your page, you’re losing engagement.
• If your landing pages are too complicated or make the users feel like you’re asking too much of them, they’ll stop engaging.
• If your landing pages are missing CTAs, your audience won’t take the next steps.

Content Marketing

All of your online marketing strategies and efforts have one thing in common – content. What you say to your audience and the message you send them should enlighten, entertain, educate, empower, and engage. And because there is so much content bombarding your target audience, you’ll need a dedicated strategy behind your content to break through the noise and make an impact.

What You’re Doing Right:

• If you’re engaging your target audience with relevant and valuable content regularly, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re keeping up with a consistent blog or newsletter, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re sharing industry news, company fun, behind-the-scenes content, and purchasing advice, you’re doing it right.

What You’re Doing Wrong:

• If you don’t have a content strategy or road map, posting and uploading random content, you’re not building momentum or engaging your audience.
• If your content sells too hard, asks too much, or manipulates, your audience is going to venture elsewhere.
• If you’re approaching your content marketing with a one-size-fits-all method, you’re doing it wrong.

Email Marketing

Another online marketing strategy you should be using is email. And today’s email campaigns are far more sophisticated than ever before. Before you go buying all the software solutions and platform applications to start sending mass email campaigns, there are a few things you should know.

What You’re Doing Right:

• If you’re using sign-up forms and opt-ins to grow your email list, you’re doing it right.
• You’re using poignant, brief subject lines that grab the attention of the recipient without overselling.
• You’re segmenting your email lists and sending sequences of emails that speak to each of those segments.
• You’re customizing your email campaigns to conversationally connect with each recipient.

What You’re Doing Wrong:

• If you’re buying email lists, you’re risking poor bounce rates, spam folders, and non-target audiences.
• Don’t send the same cookie-cutter email message to all your recipients without personalization.
• Don’t send any emails without first polishing your content for broken links, grammar, and spelling.
• If you’re using the same graphics, content, and subject lines without A/B testing and customizing, you’re burning through your email lists without engaging.

Paid Ads and PPC

There’s a misconception that if you spend money on digital marketing advertising methods, like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and Pay Per Click, you’re going to see results. Unfortunately, with so many vying for visibility and positioning, there’s no guarantee your ads are going to turn into clicks, purchases, or leads. If you want to invest in online marketing ads, there’s a right and wrong way to develop your strategy, especially if you want conversions.

What You’re Doing Right:

• Do target your paid ads to a specific target audience.
• If you’re including brief and transparent calls to action, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re using quality graphics and mobile-friendly content with your paid ads, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re following a consistent approach and strategic messaging with your paid ads, you’re doing it right.

What You’re Doing Wrong:

• Don’t blow your budget on paid ads with expectations of instantaneous results.
• Don’t blindly pay for digital marketing ads without monitoring the metrics and analytics.
• If you’re over-cramming content into your paid ads, they won’t have the same impact as brief, precise content.
• If you’re paying for online ads without testing concepts first, you’re likely overspending in the wrong direction.

Social Media Marketing

There’s social media for your personal circles, and then there’s social media for business. And that’s just half the battle. Then you have to decide if you need a presence on Facebook, X (Twitter,) Instagram, or TikTok. Stop chasing the hottest “do this” and “be here” advice. Instead, stick with the pillar do’s and don’ts of social media marketing.

What You’re Doing Right:

• If you’re routinely updating your social media business profiles, you’re doing it right and demonstrating an active presence.
• If you’re sticking to a social media strategy that includes a regular posting/sharing schedule, you’re building visibility, momentum, and trust with your audience.
• If you’re engaging, responding, and following your audience quickly and responsibly, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re using your social media platforms to provide value, fun, and informative content, you’re delivering precisely what your audience wants.

What You’re Doing Wrong:

• If you’re trying to be on all the social media platforms without narrowing your focus on those channels that work best, you’re spreading yourself too thin.
• If you’re not setting social media goals and following engagement metrics, you’re flying blind.
• If you’re spamming your followers online or in their DMs, you’re turning buyers away.
• If you’re overusing hashtags, it’s working against you.

Search Engine Optimization

How visible your brand is online, especially when potential clients browse for things you offer, depends on your ability to master search engine optimization. If you’re struggling to know what you need to know about keyword strategies, local SEO, and Google’s latest algorithm changes, keep reading. Here’s what your business SEO strategy needs and doesn’t need.

What You’re Doing Right:

• You’re conducting keyword research for your specific niche business and including those keywords throughout your website.
• You’re crafting impactful meta descriptions that represent the page content well.
• You’re tying in local city/region information with your keywords to improve local SEO.
• You’re linking to other pages and blogs within your site as well as to reputable external sites, anchoring specific keywords.

What You’re Doing Wrong:

• If you’re over-stuffing your content with keywords, fitting them in where they don’t naturally fit, it can backfire in SEO.
• If you’re constantly changing your SEO strategy to chase trends, the inconsistency could harm your site’s performance.
• If you’re ignoring the search intent or motivations of your target audience, you’re not boosting keywords and SEO properly.
• If you’re not prioritizing mobile formats and responsive design, you’re missing out on Google’s favor.

Video Marketing

Video marketing isn’t just reserved for social media. A brilliant video can cut through the content noise wherever you’re engaging your target audience. From YouTube followings and influencer marketing to boosted engagement with email campaigns and social, video marketing deserves its own strategy. And there are do’s and don’ts to consider to ensure your video campaigns and efforts are driving results.

What You’re Doing Right

• If you’re planning a video content calendar with a strategy, you’re doing it right and will be primed to engage your audience well.
• If you’re sampling various video marketing platforms and channels testing for the best-fit channels for the message, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re keeping your videos short and value-packed with educational, inspirational, and valuable information, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re creating attractive and appealing thumbnails for your videos, you’re doing it right.

What You’re Doing Wrong

• Don’t use your video content as an infomercial, overselling your brand or offerings all the time.
• Don’t make videos with the goal of going viral only since they will lose their efficacy among your target audience.
• If you’re making lengthy intro statements for your video, viewers will tune out quickly.
• If you’re rushing video content without spending time on editing, aesthetics, and branding, your audience will recognize the careless delivery and not follow.

Hashtag Marketing

What used to be a simplistic pound sign has since turned into a wildly popular digital marketing method. Clicking on a hashtag (on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others) will take you to a feed of posts and content related to that hashtag. And there are brilliant ways businesses can boost awareness and visibility with a well-planned hashtag strategy. Consider these do’s and don’ts to make sure your hashtag marketing strategy is working for your brand and not against it.

What You’re Doing Right

• If you’re being creative and strategic with choosing what hashtag phrases you’re using, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re aligning your content with relevant, existing hashtag communities, you’re doing it right.
• If you’re verifying that your social accounts are public, your hashtags will be available and visible to non-followers.
• If you’re including the same few key hashtags with each of your posts, you’ll be building a growing community of posts associated with your brand and business.

What You’re Doing Wrong

• If you’re using too many hashtags within your posts, it can count against you in the visibility algorithms.
• Don’t string too many words together because they won’t be easily remembered or found by those who encounter them.
• Don’t forget to include a brand-specific, event-specific, or sale-specific hashtag to showcase your core message.
• If you’re only using single-word, popular hashtags, your message will get lost in the noisy space and hashtag community.

Keep this online marketing roster of do’s and don’ts handy as you evaluate which channels, strategies, and tactics are best for your business model. And when you’re ready to make a BIG impact with your content marketing, from email campaigns to ongoing blog series, let the copywriting masters at Ghost Blog Writers be your go-to team!