Rarely will a marketing agency or consultant tell you that marketing is a waste of time and money, but I’m not afraid to say it like it is. There is a very good chance that you’re wasting money on marketing by pursuing the wrong efforts. You may even suspect the same, but before you give up on marketing entirely, let’s see if we can fix it.
Does this sound like you?
- Profiles on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, SnapChat, and any other social platform in existence?
- Do you blog every day, regardless of how long or short the content may be?
- Have you provided an ebook, white paper, checklist, or other long-form content more than once per month?
- Do you spend hours obsessing over your SEO?
If you answered yes to one or all of these questions, you probably think you’re doing pretty well. The problem is, this kind of frantic, throw-everything-and-see-what-sticks marketing is the perfect way to lose a lot of money.
1. Slow Your Social Roll
Believe it or not, you don’t need to have a profile on every social platform out there. Your industry may not perform as well on some platforms as it does on others. For instance, entertainment companies that market directly to customers probably won’t see a lot of traction on LinkedIn, which is primarily for business-to-business marketing.
Where is your target buyer engaging? Those are the platforms you should focus on. Why waste hours each day on social channels that will never gain traction? You’re already throwing away good money for that wasted time and labor. Instead, take a step back and evaluate the best platforms for your business.
2. Back the Blog Up
A blog is a great way to keep your customers and prospects educated on topics that interest them and influence their decisions to make purchases. It’s also true that a regularly updated blog helps boost your credibility and your results in internet searches. If, however, you’re not carefully planning your blog to follow a specific campaign, you could be spinning your wheels.
Fewer blogs with better, more quality content will serve you much better than slapped together articles posted once per day. Focus on the marketing funnel and sales cycle, and then tailor your content to match the buyer’s journey. You’ll get a lot more traction with even half the blogs.
3. Chill With the Ebooks
Lead generation ebooks and white papers are a great idea, and they can be used to great effect. The problem occurs when you’re cranking out ebooks and white papers with no real focus. Did you know only 1 in 10 marketers feel their marketing ebooks have been effective lead generation tools? These long-form content pieces should fit well within a campaign, with blog articles, social media posts, and email workflows to support the content. If they don’t, you’ll be part of the 90% that’s unhappy with your lead generation content. Stop spinning your wheels and find some direction first.
4. Give Your SEO a Rest
Yes, concentrating on your SEO is important, but probably not nearly as important as you’ve made it out to be. You may be scrolling through lists of search terms and figuring out how you can cram them all in your blogs and website content. What Google really wants you to do is create quality content, whether for your blogs, social media, or website copy. Doesn’t that sound easier?
If you’re writing excellent content, those keywords and search phrases you’re struggling with will simply fall into place the way they should. You can focus less on lists and more on your marketing campaigns. You will notice a difference.
5. Check Your Metrics
To be sure you need to realign your marketing goals, take a look at your metrics. If you’re not seeing the performance numbers you expect in any of the above categories, figure out what needs to change. Do you need to focus on the social media platforms that benefit your industry, customer, or both? Should you concentrate less on the quantity of your blogs and more on the quality?
When you reallocate your budget to those places that need the additional attention, don’t forget to test like crazy. Watch the readership of your blogs to see if the meatier articles are drawing more attention. Check your friends and follows on social to see if you’re hooking new prospects with your streamlined approach. If things still aren’t working, take another look at your technique and make some more changes.
The only way you’re wasting money with your marketing is if you’re doing the same thing over and over without new results. Ready to make a change? We’re here to help.
