The Costs of Outdated Web Design
Is your website design working for you or against you?
We’ll discuss how to effectively assess your website for performance.
Join us, June 22nd @ 10 am PST.
Let’s face it. Audits have a scary reputation. Say the word “audit” in a room full of business owners and they will start nervously eyeing each other while casually looking for an exit. Most people like them about as much as a tooth being pulled.
Before you run away screaming just take a moment and breathe. Ok. Feel better now? We have some good news — a digital marketing audit is an opportunity. Forging full steam ahead in your marketing without a backward glance may seem tempting but that isn’t how your business will get stronger. You need to know what is happening so you can make better decisions.
Now that the panic has passed let’s dig into successful strategies for a digital marketing audit.
A digital marketing audit let’s you get a big picture view of your current digital marketing efforts and pinpoint how to improve results. At the end of your work, you’ll have a strategy plan that tells you what you have going for you, what is working against you and next steps to take. That doesn’t sound bad does it?
So you think you are mentally ready to build a successful digital marketing plan? Then it’s time to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes and follow the clues:
Not knowing what is going on in your marketing means you are probably missing leads and customers = stunted business growth. Embracing a system will mean less anxiety about your digital marketing and more sustainability = more profits. Uh, yes, please.
A good detective knows that the big-picture is just as important as the details. You can’t skip a step. And knowing your marketing goals is always the first place to start. Goals keep you off the hamster wheel of unfocused work and get you into hyper focused growth. We all know we should be SMART but do we practice it? (We see you. Be honest.)
So let’s say you have a marketing goal to build brand awareness through Instagram over the next 6 months. Pretty specific. How are you going to do that? Do you have an Instagram account? What are you doing on it now? What is working? What isn’t? How does this goal work together with your other digital marketing campaigns?
Your digital marketing strategy is your north star, keeping you from straying off the path and helping you know what your ROI is every step of the way.
Break out your magnifying glass (metaphorically speaking) and let’s put a big eye onto your current strategy. Every good detective worth their deerstalker hat really scrutinizes the data. You can use a digital marketing checklist to make sure you don’t miss any details.
Pro tip: this isn’t the time to find things out by accident –> you need a method to keep from going crazy. And really, you should expect to do an audit more than just once in your business life. It is very important that you make this a regular thing. We all know that having a method tames the madness (translation: makes your life easier – win!)
Asking good questions is the best way to find out what’s what. Here are a few to get you started:
This means whittling down your questions to key things you need to know at a glance:
Letting your digital marketing channels figure themselves out is a recipe for sure disaster. You need to be paying regular attention to:
It is time to get past the awkward teen years of digital marketing and become a mature adult. Crazy as it might seem, only 41% of B2B brands have a documented content marketing strategy. You should be one of them.
And don’t forget these important questions:
If your digital content isn’t delighting readers (and the proof is in the data, isn’t it?) then it is time to level up your game.
Download Our Digital Marketing Checklist
Every job needs the right tools and a digital marketing audit is no different. We got you.
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You did it – your comprehensive digital marketing audit is done — well, almost. Your work isn’t quite done yet. We think this is the fun part. Pull your team together, grab a whiteboard and brainstorm. You know what your business goals are and have discovered what works (and what doesn’t). Now it is time for you to eliminate weaknesses, build on your strengths and work on fresh ideas.
Smart business owners are constantly checking in on their digital marketing and making tweaks along the way to improve. Taking the time to make a comprehensive digital marketing audit will help you keep little problems from becoming big ones. And that equals business success.
Struggling with your digital marketing? Drop us a line. We’re here to help walk you through all of this so that you don’t have to do it alone.