The top ten digital marketing mistakes are: 1) focusing too much on self-promotion instead of engagement and conversation; 2) assuming a one-size-fits-all approach without considering local markets; 3) failing to analyze results to understand customers; 4) prioritizing tools over strategy; 5) expecting to go viral with the first post without setting realistic goals; 6) not investing properly and treating social media as "free"; 7) ignoring the growth of mobile users; 8) ignoring traditional marketing channels; 9) relying solely on online translation services; and 10) getting website traffic but failing to manage customer data and preferences.

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Top Ten
Digital Marketing Mistakes

2. #1. It’s All About Me
Businesses of all sizes often make the same mistake –
particularly early on in their social media marketing strategy
– they forget the SOCIAL in their social marketing.
It is a 2 way process, not a channel for you to continually push
sales messages through. It is about engagements and
conversation – remember PULL don’t PUSH.
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3. #2. Assume one size fits all
Often the local market is best served by a search engine
that is local to that market too, it is not necessarily the UK
search engines that are the most popular overseas – do
your home work and take action appropriate for the market.
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4. #3. Failing to analyse results
Many businesses fail to use Analytics and fail to understand
therefore their customers- when they engage, what they are
interested in, what their likes and dislikes are and when they
are actually online.
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5. #4. Putting the tools before the strategy
“I must be on Facebook/ Twitter / LinkedIn everyone else
is…”
The reality is you must know your audience and be where
they are. Some businesses put the tools first and then build
the strategy around them but this is a waste of resources.
Be realistic and plan resources effectively based on the
tools you need not necessarily the tools everyone else uses.
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6. #5. Wanting to go viral with first post
Be realistic. Set goals and make them achievable. It is not a
“one size fits all” situation – many strategies will have to be
tweaked and adapted as you go.
Don’t give up if you don’t get the results you want because
it’s “not working”, analyse and amend your plans.
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7. #6. Failing to invest properly
Many businesses see social media as “free” marketing and
therefore fail to invest properly in it. It takes resources – so
be prepared to pay for appropriate advertising or platforms
to manage your media and it takes time – so be prepared to
allocate staff resources to the strategy. Find an “expert” and
use their time effectively.
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8. #7.Ignoring the growth in mobile
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Globally, mobile users now exceed desk top users – but
many businesses still fail to optimise their web and
marketing messages for phone users.

9. #8.Ignoring traditional marketing
There is still a place for traditional marketing – as well as
digital in the marketing plan.
Ensure your marketing strategy is built around the needs of
your audience and can mean traditional marketing such as
Events and Exhibitions is still as effective as online
marketing for the right audience.
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10. #9. Using google translate and nothing else
Always get your marketing collateral checked by a
translation expert - a company or individual with a proven
track record in translating for businesses.
Never assume that free online translation services will do
the job just as well.
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11. #10.Getting the traffic but failing to manage it
Create a good CRM system from the start – manage the
data, ensure it is recorded appropriately and can be
accessed appropriately by everyone in the organisation.
CRM and data handling is key to the success of the
marketing strategy but failure to implement a good data
handling system and record customers preferences and
other information effectively leads to poor services and loss
of sales.
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