We entrepreneurs, we’re fearless, motivated, actionable. We crave for new possibilities, technologies, projects.
We chase innovation after innovation, goal after goal. The first thing that pops into my head when thinking of entrepreneurs is adrenaline. Running. Jumping. Racing.
Usually, these are great characteristics and it’s what makes us unique.
However, entrepreneurial mindset is a two-edged sword. Our desperate need to do more is what got us into business, but is also what can hurt it badly. Especially when it comes to using online marketing to grow your business.
There are 4.66 billion active internet users in 2021.
The internet is now a cornerstone of what a company is to customers. It goes way beyond just having a website, or creating a Facebook page. To be honest, using digital marketing to grow your business is anything but easy.
‘What is SEO?’
‘Do I need a blog?’
‘Should I buy an email list?’
‘How to track my results?’
There are so many details that we have to think about that sometimes we can’t see the big picture.
We’ve met hundreds of business owners falling to 3 common mistakes, just because they are in constant race with time and trends. Hell, I used to make the same mistakes as well.
Keep reading to find out if you haven’t even been aware of doing this.
This article will help you uncover those mistakes, as well as fix them and get back on the path of growth. Even if you feel like you have fallen way behind.
Everyone is on TikTok. They get millions of followers in just 2 months. We have to start making TikTok videos.
Instagram is a must. Everyone is on Instagram. Do we even exist if we are not on Instagram?
Twitter is dead. Let’s switch to Clubhouse.
It’s hard to resist jumping on every new social media, especially if everyone is talking about it, and it seems that we are missing big time if we are not there. However, social media platforms can be shiny objects. It seems shiny, new and perfect, till you get there and realize you’ve wasted both your time and money.
How to fix it:
Identify your audience and find a platform or two where your audience is most likely to look for a solution your business offers.
Do you offer tow truck services? In the best scenario, your clients call you when they are stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire, no jack and a wife screaming ‘How, for the love of God, could you forget the jack?!’
What are the chances they will go to TikTok to search for roadside assistance?
Slim to none, if you ask me.
Instead, they will go straight to Google and type: Roadside assistance near me.
No matter what business you are in, choose one or two platforms that you are sure your audience is on, and focus on it. You’ll start getting results almost immediately.
We’re not saying that website traffic is bad. It’s far from that.
More traffic means more people, and that means more customers. Only in case that your article has a clear goal, and it’s leading them to your product. Even the biggest ones make the mistake of blurring their article’s goal, and becoming blindfolded with vanity metrics.
Here’s an example.
If you search for ‘how to make a gif in Photoshop’, the first result is a Hubspot’s article.
The same article gets close to 18mil organic views each month ( 17.925.485, to be more precise). Which is beyond amazing.
But how many of those 18mil people will wish to purchase a Hubspot marketing software that costs $800 per month?
If you take a look at the second search result on the same topic, you’ll see that it comes from 99design – a platform for designers.
It’s more likely that people searching for Photoshop tutorials will be more interested in design, then an expensive marketing tool.
As a result, 99designs might be getting less traffic, but the conversion rate is significantly higher.
What to do about it:
Running a Facebook ad campaign can be so damn confusing.
Should I narrow the audience down, or leave it broad?
Should I bid manually, or let Facebook bid for me?
Am I targeting the right people?
We know that Facebook is still one of the most effective advertising platforms. I mean, it’s not a coincidence that 92% of marketers are using Facebook for promoting their products and services. That’s why as soon as we find out how many options Mr. Zuckerberg has enabled us to have, we decide to ignore them.
Yep.
We ignore taking the learning curve, and just increase the budget.
It’s easier to spend a little bit more money, and save our time and nerves in return.
We get a few sales here and there, just to get our hopes up. We don’t even realize how much money we’ve wasted, because we don’t know how much we should be spending. On the other side, running a Facebook ad campaign can be the most profitable marketing tactic ever. In average, businesses get $4 on every $1 spent.
If you hoped that Facebook would be a breakout opportunity for your business, you are not wrong.
It just takes the right strategy. To be honest, it took us years of trial and error before we defined what works best for which industry, and how to get the highest ROI. We have plenty of resources for you that can help you craft your own approach, and choose the right strategy.
In case you are considering getting help with Facebook advertising, we’d be happy to help. Feel free to reach out.
That’s all for today. Thank you for reading this article, and we hope you find it useful. Feel free to share it with your fellow entrepreneurs, and let us know if there’s anything you would like to add.
Cheers!
Daniel M
