In the Wizard of Oz the good witch wears white and the bad witch wears black. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has similar good vs evil definitions. White hat SEO is the good, optimizing your website the correct way, following Google rules. The Black hat SEO is the wicked witch of digital marketing where users try to optimize their sites with hidden keywords, sneaky backlinks and poor content. Luckily for the good witch, Google has come to the rescue and will actually penalize websites for engaging in Black hat tactics, not to say it doesn’t happen – but it’s harder to benefit from it.
So thinking along the Halloween theme – what other Digital Marketing faux pas could haunt us in the middle of the night…
Ifs, Buts and Maybes
We have discussed at length the importance of having a clearly defined Digital Marketing Strategy. Knowing what you want to achieve, who you want to target and how you plan to do it are key foundations for success. Going blindly into the dark without a clear end game will not only result in failure, it will most likely be a huge waste of valuable budget. When planning a Digital Marketing campaign you should know the audience you plan to target, who are they, what are their lifestyles, where do they shop, what do they buy? To be successful it is no good assuming or guessing what your audience will do next, you always want to be one step ahead. Buyer personas, customer research, targeted campaigns and good analysis will all help.
In for the long haul
Rome wasn’t built in a day…and Digital Marketing doesn’t happen overnight. Effective Marketing takes time, research, planning and execution. Pay per click campaigns are a prime example, the campaign must be monitored, maybe tweaked here and there to make sure the budget is being optimized, removing negative keywords and adjusting bids.
Defeat the weak
Poor content, irrelevant content, un-optimized content, useless content and just plain BAD content will damage a brand. In many situations content connects a business to the customer. If you purchased a product your interaction is likely limited to the purchase whether online or in a shop. Content could have been the factor to encourage the purchase, good content may have pushed that particular product above competitors. Good content would cultivate repeat purchases, positive feedback and perhaps public recommendations via reviews and social media.
With so much content online it is important to make sure that your content stands out and is something that appeals to the audience.
Collaborate and Integrate
When we think of a brand such as McDonald’s fast food the first thing that likely comes to mind is the “golden arches” of the M. This logo is known worldwide. The yellow and red colours are used in everything from packaging, marketing, websites, social media, merchandise – even the straws! Keeping your brand consistent is a key Digital Marketing factor especially with so many online platforms and social media applications. Keep the colours, the logo, the styling – even the tone of content the same across all mediums.
Dissection
Finishing off our “Halloween” Digital scare fest, one of the most important aspects of Digital Marketing is making sure everything is evaluated and scrutinized to get the best possible results.
Rather than be terrified at the thought of making these Digital Marketing mishaps – get in touch with the team at Eppiq today, we can help with all your Digital Marketing requirements…..and we don’t bite!
