Many startups consider digital marketing as their principal marketing method. However, many startups end up failing miserably because of mistakes that could easily be avoided. In this article, we’re going to cover some simple mistakes budding startups makes that prevent them from gaining the visibility they deserve.
Not having clear business objectives
A lot of startups don’t have clear objectives in place when building an online marketing strategy. Not all of your leads will end up as sales, so everything you do should have a clear goal which moves towards eventually achieving revenue.
This is why you should have a sales funnel in place to achieve maximum results. Each step you take should have a clear objective, whether it’s to get your reader’s email address, encourage would-be customers to fill out an online form, or simply buy something. In all these cases, different approaches will need to be taken.
Once you’re using a sales funnel, it’s easy for you to see which methods are getting results and which ones are going nowhere. From there, you’ll be able to tweak some of the methods or ditch them altogether.
Not having a consistent message
Have you ever came across an advert for a particular company, followed through, but were unable to grasp what the business what all about? Well, that is a classic case of a business having an inconsistent message in action.
Having an inconsistent message is a sure-fire way to pour your precious marketing dollars down the drain. The principal of the elevator pitch applies online too, and not only in the world of business. Your main message should be summarized in a few words and remain consistent across all platforms for it to have an impact.
Spreading yourself too thin
Another classic mistake many startups make is trying to advertise everywhere at once. Instead of doing it right and advertising on a few channels effectively, they try as many channels as possible without mastering any channel.
What this leads to is unfocused and inconsistent efforts across the board. They end up neglecting channels that would be better served if they had been given their full attention. Consistently releasing content across multiple social media platforms can be difficult and maintaining a steady relationship with your audience even more so.
In case you want to gain maximum exposure, but don’t have the time, you could always work with a third party agency to help you manage different accounts. Digital marketing agency Single Grain, for instance, specializes in social media marketing and might help you set up a viable social media campaign. However, if you’re working alone, you’d be better off concentrating on a few platforms and mastering them before you invest any efforts elsewhere.
These are just some of the reasons so many startups fail with their online marketing efforts. However, if you manage to keep your efforts focused, have a solid sales funnel in place, and stay consistent with your message. This should improve your chances of success tenfold.