Creating Effective Digital Marketing Campaigns
by Devon Osborne
Read it to me! Click the video below.
Marketing your home services business is more than putting up a billboard or sending out postcards. With customers searching online before making a decision, digital marketing is the best way to put your business in front of potential clients. But here's the problem: digital marketing isn't easy. Too many contractors jump in without a plan, throwing money at Google Ads or social media campaigns, only to see little return.
What you need is a strategy. A system that ensures your marketing dollars are working hard, bringing in leads, and converting them into paying clients. Let’s break down how you can do just that.
The Cost of Winging It
According to a survey by WordStream, about 32% of small businesses feel that their paid search efforts are not very effective. Why? They didn’t start with a strategy. If your digital marketing campaign is a collection of random ads, social posts, and email blasts, you're probably wasting money, or worse, you might be missing out on the kind of leads that can grow your business.
Where Do Most Campaigns Go Wrong?
Even contractors who understand the basics of digital marketing can struggle. Here are some common mistakes:
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No Clear Goals: Running a campaign without knowing exactly what you want to achieve is like driving without a destination. Are you looking to get more leads? Increase brand awareness? Generate more calls? You need a clear goal.
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Poor Targeting: Ads that show up in front of the wrong audience are a waste. If you're targeting everyone, you're targeting no one. Your campaign needs to be laser-focused on the people most likely to hire you.
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Ignoring Mobile: It’s 2024—everyone’s on their phone. If your ads or website aren’t optimized for mobile, you’re leaving money on the table. Google reports that 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site if they had trouble accessing it, and 40% visit a competitor’s site instead.
Creating an Effective Digital Marketing Campaign
- Set Specific, Measurable Goals: Start by knowing exactly what you want to achieve. Are you trying to get 20 new leads this month? Boost your website traffic by 50%? Whatever your goals are, make them specific and measurable.
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Target the Right Audience: You can’t sell to everyone. Focus your campaigns on specific groups of people. For instance, if you're a plumber, your ideal clients might be homeowners in a certain age range or income bracket. Tools like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow you to target specific demographics, ensuring your ads reach the right people.
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Optimize for Mobile: Mobile-friendly sites are no longer optional. If your site takes more than three seconds to load, people will bounce. Tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help ensure your site looks great and loads fast on all devices.
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Leverage Multiple Channels: Successful campaigns don’t just rely on one platform. You need to diversify your efforts. Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, email campaigns, and even your Google Business Profile (GBP) should all work together.
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Monitor, Test, and Adjust: Digital marketing isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it solution. You need to constantly monitor performance and make adjustments. Test different ad copies, landing pages, or targeting strategies to see what works best.
Your Blueprint for Digital Marketing Success
Your digital marketing campaign can be the key to taking your business to the next level. But you can’t just throw money at ads and hope for the best. You need a strategy.
Here's your action plan:
- Define your goals.
- Focus on the right audience.
- Ensure your website and ads are mobile-friendly.
- Use multiple marketing channels.
- Monitor your results and tweak as needed.
By following these steps, you'll start seeing better results from your marketing efforts. And when you do, you'll wonder how you ever survived without a solid digital strategy.
