If you're a salesperson, the last thing you want to do is make digital marketing mistakes that will cost your business time, money, and possibly even customers. Let's look at five common digital marketing mistakes salespeople make.
In many small businesses, salespeople are also tasked with marketing, which is a different beast–primarily online.
Salespeople need to understand where their strengths and weaknesses lie to sell their products and services better.
Let's face it. Salespeople are not graphic designers, coders, content creators, or copywriters.
And while most salespeople have various skills and experience, those overly focused on managing these aspects of digital marketing will risk losing sight of their primary goal: to sell.
Even a technical-minded salesperson will still need to learn and use SEO, social media, and other digital marketing tools to effectively sell a product or service.
But these endeavors will ultimately cause a salesperson to become frustrated, overworked, and ineffective.
The biggest mistake when it comes to digital marketing is trying to do all of these things on your own without any strategy behind it.
Digital Marketing Mistake #1: Not Having A Strategy
One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make when it comes to digital marketing is not having a strategy.
Without a plan, you are at the mercy of your customers' actions and trends.
Many salespeople and businesses, in general, think that digital marketing is the same as simply advertising or promotion on social media.
That is not true. Digital marketing involves much more than that – it's about creating a relationship with your customer that goes beyond advertising and pushing sales copy at them to get them to buy from you.
A good content marketing strategy should consider your target demographics, budget, goals, and ideal customer profile.
Once you have a solid plan, you can create effective digital marketing campaigns.
Make sure your digital marketing strategy is executed professionally and consistently.
This means creating high-quality content, developing effective ads, and monitoring results closely.
A professional digital marketing strategy can help to increase your current sales pipeline and lead conversion rates, which is precisely what you want.
When planning your digital marketing campaigns, remember that the most effective strategies use a variety of tactics.
You can't just spend money on advertising and wait for results.
Mistake #2: Paying Too Much Money For A Bad Ad Campaign
When it comes to digital marketing, one of the key ingredients is a cost-effective strategy.
One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make in digital marketing is paying too much for ads without a plan or resources.
This is never a good idea, as spending more than you should when starting is easy.
Consider the following ideas if you're trying to figure out how much money your company should spend on ad campaigns.
1. Start with the number of leads your company expects to acquire.
Your digital marketing budget will be small if those leads are more than your company can afford to acquire.
The budget should also include a contingency fund.
This amount doesn't have to be spent but can be used if needed.
2. Consider your goals and how much return you want on each investment.
For example, do you want immediate results? That may require spending more money on ads right away.
Or do you want to spend less later on as you ramp up? If you're doing things right, you may have a better ROI by investing even less at first.
3. Concentrate your efforts and ad budget on one or two channels at a time.
The money that you spend on one track can be directed to others.
Don't get caught up in the hype of all the social media platforms, and focus on what's most important for your business.
4. Finally, have optimized landing pages, lead-capture and follow-up systems, and content to engage your target audience.
These aspects of your business should mesh together cohesively.
Wherever you can optimize your digital marketing and get more sales, do it.
If any other elements will help you drive up sales, back them up with more money, such as boosting your most popular social media content.
Mistake #3: Overdoing It On Social Media
Social media marketing is a great way to reach and turn potential customers into loyal clients.
The most effective social media marketing tactics are those that utilize interpersonal relationships.
For example, salespeople should use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to create social media communities to ask questions and provide advice.
They should also interact with their existing client base on these networks.
This will help them generate more leads and strengthen existing relationships.
Salespeople often concentrate their digital marketing efforts on social media to get more customers.
However, this can backfire if the salesperson isn't using social media correctly.
Instead of spending hours on social media daily, focusing on a few key channels and investing time in those areas is better.
This will help you to connect with potential customers in a more personal way and make sure that your messages are being received.
Staying true to your brand and voice on social media is also essential.
Salespeople who overdo it by trying to be too clever or sporadic with topics often alienate their audience.
Instead, stick to the basics, be professional, and focus on delivering quality content.
If you want to increase your social media presence, it is essential to understand how digital marketing works and how to apply it to your business.
If you make mistakes along the way, don't worry – the way to improve your digital marketing strategy is through relationship building.
Mistake #4: Using Cold Calls And Cold Emails
Salespeople often make the mistake of using cold calls and cold emails to market their products or services.
Cold calls are sales pitches made without first getting to know the customer. Cold emails are not personalized emails that come out of the blue.
Instead, these emails are designed to get the recipient to act immediately. They may also be spammy or promotional.
Salespeople should instead focus on building relationships with their customers through email.
This can be done by sending thoughtful emails, asking questions, and requesting time to talk to or meet them in person.
For truly impactful email marketing, consider using email marketing software.
It will not only help you send more emails, but it will also make your emails more professional and targeted.
List segmentation, personalized follow-ups, and professional email templates are just a few of the features of email marketing software that can help you leverage email marketing and improve your results.
Warning! Do not purchase leads with the intent to send cold emails.
In today's competitive market, emailing cold leads with promotional offers will likely be ignored, reported, and can negatively affect your reputation.
Instead, capture your tips with the intent of building a relationship.
Sending regular newsletters or engaging your customers on social media will help to develop relationships and increase your conversion rates.
Every time you engage your customers, you improve their chances of doing business with you again.
Implementing email marketing that engages and educates customers is the key to getting more sales.
Don't just sell them a product. If you want to increase your sales, start with content marketing that educates your readers about a topic of interest so they're more likely to respond.
Mistake #5: Focusing on Promotion over Conversion
One of salespeople's most common digital marketing mistakes is promoting their product over converting leads into customers.
Too often, salespeople focus on generating leads rather than converting them into customers.
This puts them at a disadvantage because converting a pointer takes much more effort than developing one.
To succeed in digital marketing, you need to focus on conversion rates as your primary goal.
This means you should focus on ensuring each lead becomes a paying customer.
You need to focus on three critical elements regarding conversion rates in digital marketing: content, design, and copywriting. Each of these elements plays a vital role in driving conversions.
If you combine these three elements correctly, you can increase your conversion rate significantly.
1. Focus on Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).
CRO is a process that helps to improve the effectiveness of your digital marketing campaigns by measuring how many people convert from your website or email campaign.
2. Creating calls-to-action (CTAs) is integral to Conversion Rate Optimization.
When you have a CTA, you ask your customers to take action.
For example, if you want someone to buy something from your website or email list, then make sure that they must click on your CTA.
3. Effective CTAs are attached to engaging content that will be remembered.
The better the content your audience sees, the more likely they will take some action.
Ensure that the CTA you choose is relevant to what your audience would be interested in.
Make them aware of precisely the steps to take and what the results will be. The CTA process should flow easily.
Updated! Mistake #6: Lack of Cohesive Branding
Salespeople often make the mistake of not branding their digital marketing efforts according to company guidelines.
Cohesive branding is critical to success in digital marketing and can help you stand out from your competition.
A cohesive brand will help to create a unified message and make it easier for customers to find your products and services.
There are many different ways to go about branding your business, but some of the most common methods include creating a logo, developing a slogan, and creating an online presence.
It's also essential for salespeople to ensure their digital marketing is consistent across all channels.
This means using the same messaging and visuals across all your online platforms, such as your website, social media pages, and email campaigns.
Doing this will help you create a unified message and improve brand awareness.
If you want to improve your digital marketing efforts, brand your efforts correctly!
If you are unsure how to brand your business, consider hiring an expert to help you develop a cohesive brand strategy.
They can help you to create a positive reputation for your business, which will help attract more customers.
Key Takeaways: Digital Marketing Mistakes Salespeople Make
If you make any of the five mistakes listed above, start working on correcting them now!
It will help you to build better relationships with your customers and improve your chances of success in digital marketing.
For starters, salespeople need to be careful not to over-promote their products.
If customers see too much hype or advertisement in your content, they may become cynical and less likely to buy your product.
Instead, focus on providing valuable information and insights about your product.
Finally, salespeople need to be aware of the latest digital marketing trends.
Keeping up with the latest trends will help you create more effective campaigns that resonate with your target audience.
But know your limits! Employing an effective digital marketing strategy without the proper training could lead to disastrous results.
We understand that digital marketing can be overwhelming and complicated.
As a result, we offer customized services for every type of company: small businesses to startup brands.
Work with a Trusted Digital Marketing Agency
Salespeople should work with a trusted digital marketing agency to ensure their online marketing campaigns are effective.
There are a lot of pitfalls that salespeople can encounter when working on their own, and it's essential to have a team of experts working on your behalf to avoid these mistakes.
Are you a salesperson looking for a digital marketing company that can help you generate leads and boost sales?
Binary Glyph Media understands the digital marketing process and how small strategy changes can significantly impact your brand.
We work with sales teams, marketing teams, and business owners to ensure your digital marketing efforts are fast-paced, measurable, and effective.