Digital advertising can be a game-changer if it is done correctly. It is fast, measurable, and scalable. Yet countless businesses jump into the digital advertising waters excitedly, only to swim away disappointed with the belief that ‘ads don’t work.’ The truth is that it is not a failure of the platforms; it is a failure in strategy.
In this blog, experts at Light Buzz Media explain what businesses most often fail to understand about digital ads and how to fix that:
1. Thinking of Ads as a Silver Bullet
One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about ads (especially digital ads) is that they are a quick fix to drive quick sales. Ads can drive quick sales, but they are not a magic pill. If your brand, messaging, or offer has no value to the customer, no advertising will save that brand.
The solution: Build a strong foundation first, a good value proposition, a good website design, and a product or service that people actually want. Ads should amplify what is working, and not try to make up for what is broken.
2. Failure to Set Clear Objectives
‘Get more clicks’ is not an actual goal. ‘Get more traffic’ is not an actual goal. Businesses frequently promote advertisements with no clear end goal and subsequently receive unclear results.
The solution: Establish goals that are specific and measurable before beginning anything. Are you looking for leads? Are you looking for sales? Are you looking for app downloads? Are you looking to get booked on calls? As per the experts at LBM, a leading digital marketing service provider, every advertisement should have one goal and a corresponding metric that measures that goal.
3. Focusing on the Wrong Metrics
It is easy to get excited over likes, shares, and impressions, but vanity metrics don’t help you earn money. Many businesses get stuck in the recognition game and neglect what actually matters: conversion and ROI.
The solution: Track the right performance metrics. Make sure you are using conversion tracking. Integrate your CRM with ad platforms. Start measuring metrics that measure your revenue, not just the visibility of your brand.
4. Bad Targeting (or No Targeting)
Many businesses end up spending extra money by showing ads to the wrong audience. When you don't have defined audience segments, even the best creative will go to waste.
The solution: Use detailed targeting based on each individual buyer persona, behaviours, interests, and past engagement.
5. Ignoring the Funnel
Not every prospect is ready to buy the first time they see your ad! Too many companies race straight to ‘Buy Now’ ads without warming up the potential prospects, running ads targeting the middle of the funnel, a strategic campaign, and get crushed by the cost and conversion rates.
The solution: Create a full funnel- awareness ads to attract, consideration ads to educate, and conversion ads to close the sale. Take a prospective customer through the prospective journey with content suited to that stage.
6. Set it and Forget it
Digital ads are not a one-and-done deal. You should be testing and optimising your campaign regularly, based on performance.
The solution: Check your campaigns weekly. Test creatives, offer, audience and even headline. Cancel what is not working, and scale what is.
Digital advertising works, but only when we treat it with the right mindset, strategy and execution! Avoid these mistakes, and your ads can go from money-losing ventures to drivers of growth.
At Light Buzz Media, a creative digital marketing agency, we don't run ads to ‘check a box’, we run them to achieve tangible results! Let's talk if you are ready to make real revenue from your ad money!