2021 Digital Marketing Mistakes You’ve Already Made

2021 Digital Marketing Mistakes – While the majority of us are looking forward to 2021 as a year of possibilities and potential redemption, some are setting themselves up for failure, especially in business. Marketing is tricky enough without making mistakes based on inexperienced planning and lackluster execution.

A prolonged absence from reality may lead to unrealistic expectations, especially paid advertising and consumer interest. For example, a restaurant has been selling at 50% of the business it did last year. Takeout orders and delivery are up but dinning in is drastically down because of the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurant spent 25% of its projected marketing budget for the year and the belief is that going back to the full marketing budget as the pandemic slows down will help to double business at the least.

That’s theory is very logical but it’s not practical. In reality the restaurant would have lost 75% of its projected business but they offered great promotions to consumers which increased conversions while utilizing a smaller budget. Even though the restaurant is spending more money marketing, they are not offering the same promotions. The lower conversion rates are based more on the smaller discounts on food and beverages than the state of the economy, the pandemic, local restrictions for public places, and supply and demand.   

2021 Digital Marketing Mistakes You’ve Already Made

Do not underestimate the value of the data you’ve accumulated over the years and rely on that information to determine how to adjust your marketing efforts for maximum potential. Another mistake small businesses will be making is a focus on paid advertising. Building an organic presence, while a slow building strategy, will be more effective over the long-term.

Consumers will not return immediately and there will be a mad dash to reach them creating a higher CPL and reduce profit margins on sales. Focusing on organic options like SEO will help position your company to the right consumers and generate cost-effective traffic to your site. You will be anxious to dive in with both feet but this will be a marathon, not a sprint so patience will be the key to focus on.   

The right strategy will make a world of difference as you will not only out-earn more business than the competition, but you’re CPL will be low enough to keep your profit margins in the ideal area. Start working on your strategy now to ensure you have the maximum amount of time to execute it and increase its chances for successfully reviving your business in the new year and the years to come.