6 Common Digital Marketing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

6 Common Digital Marketing Mistakes

In today’s digital world, whether your company’s a tiny startup or a giant brand, one thing still rings true—always. The internet’s a mighty way to get your business or product seen—it links you with people scrolling on their phones or sipping a latte while tapping at their laptop.

Remember​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ that and be sure that you are not missing even a single drop of this tool, similar to a lemon where you try to get the very last bright splash of juice.

Pause for a moment and go through your online marketing plan with a fresh eye – are you following the same routine you always do, going after the most visible clicks instead of real leads who actually call or press the “sign up” ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌button?

If you are, you can fix those mistakes quickly and attract more customers—like a bright sign that flashes in your peripheral vision on a busy street.

Digital Marketing for Manufacturers: Common Mistakes

The unique challenges of manufacturing companies stem from long sales cycles, technical products, and B2B audiences. The table below lists manufacturers’ common digital marketing mistakes and shows how you can fix them.

Digital Marketing Mistakes in Manufacturing

Why Digital Marketing Fails Without Strategy

Many businesses invest in ads or social media without a structured plan. Successful digital marketing requires:

• Clear buyer personas

• Keyword-driven content strategy

• Conversion-optimized landing pages

• Consistent performance tracking

Without these, even high budgets fail to deliver measurable ROI.

How to Avoid Digital Marketing Mistakes in 2026

To stay competitive, companies—especially manufacturers—should:

• Focus on SEO-driven content marketing

• Invest in marketing automation and CRM integration

• Use data analytics to refine campaigns

• Build trust through case studies and educational content

• Align marketing goals with sales teams

You’re Missing Out If You’re Not Using SEO

While it is true that utilizing non-SEO methods to get people to your website, such as banner advertisements, is a valid and acceptable way to do so, you will be missing out on a significant portion of your prospective client base if you do not use SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Many individuals will overlook sponsored advertisements on websites and search results, preferring to browse the first two or three sites on the search result page after conducting a manual search.

Picture your ad lighting the spark for someone’s next big product idea, yet another company gets the sale because their link sits at the top of the search page while yours hides near the bottom. And that’s not even counting the people running ad blockers—those folks never saw your banner flashing at the top of the page.

You’re Still Missing Out On SEO

If​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ you are using SEO and link building to attract attention to your site, do not forget that search engines must be able to figure out your site without any difficulty. Basic keywords may truly be of great assistance! Besides that, take a look at orphan pages – they can harm your SEO.

Consider them as invisible shelves at the back that search engines simply overlook. Orphan pages are those that have no internal links leading to them. Therefore, if a person doesn’t enter the precise web address, he/she will not find them, and search engines will not locate them ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌either.

From Orphan Pages to Authority: Technical SEO Audit Checklist

An orphan page is a page that has no internal link pointing to it. As a result, if you don’t type their exact URL, you wouldn’t be able to find them and neither will any search engine. Here is a technical SEO audit checklist to turn isolated pages into authority-building assets.

Step 1: Identify Orphan Pages

Use tools like:

• Google Search Console

• Screaming Frog

• Ahrefs / SEMrush

Look for pages with:

• Zero internal links

• Low impressions despite good content

• No clear place in site hierarchy

Step 2: Fix Internal Linking Structure

• Link orphan pages from high-authority pages

• Add contextual internal links using keyword-rich anchor text

• Include pages in navigation, category pages, or topic clusters

Step 3: Improve Crawlability & Indexing

Check for:

• Broken internal links

• Redirect chains

• Incorrect canonical tags

• Noindex tags applied accidentally

Ensure:

• Clean URLs

• XML sitemap updated

• Pages included in HTML navigation

Step 4: Optimize On-Page SEO

Every rescued page should have:

• Optimized title & meta description

• Clear H1–H3 structure

• Internal links to related content

• Updated content freshness signals

Step 5: Build Topical Authority

Turn isolated pages into part of a topic cluster by:

• Creating pillar pages

• Interlinking related subtopics

• Adding FAQs and schema markup

This improves crawl depth, rankings, and user experience.

Make A Direct Appeal To Your Intended Audience.

All​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the different methods and strategies you might be using, like a sharp ad campaign, tuning up your SEO, or blending both to spread the word, all come down to one very simple fact – knowing exactly who your audience is. There is this temptation to keep on throwing every bit of your time, energy, and money into just shouting out your product’s name, as if trying to call out over the noise of a busy ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌street.

This Might Be Detrimental To Your Marketing Plan.

Instead, zeroing in on a smaller, more defined audience saves both time and money over the long haul—you won’t pour cash into ads that never turn into real sales. When you target the right audience, your conversion rate increases as you only reach those that fit. It saves money and increases your profit margin like a well-oiled machine.

A consumer who receives an irrelevant email, on the other hand, is likely to delete it without seeing past the preview. If they receive a significant amount of the latter. They will either disregard all of your emails or unsubscribe entirely, perhaps moving their business elsewhere.

Not only do you want to keep your existing consumers

It’s not only giant multinationals that give excellent incentives to attract new consumers but then ignore their existing client base; it can happen to any small company, and it’s a real turn-off for individuals who can and will go elsewhere.

An email drop offering 20% off to new customers will bring in plenty of one-time customers but will irritate those who have previously purchased from you. However, an email drop offering 10% off to all customers, sent out a few times a year. Will make your company a much more attractive place to spend money regularly. It’s all about striking a balance between attracting new consumers and providing existing customers early access to special deals. Such as by offering a one-time discount for joining up your mailing list.

Exceptional client service at all times

Business-to-business​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ consumer relations are as significant in online marketing for the continuation of business that sells physical goods. Thus, the effect of a helpful email can be as comforting as a friendly handshake. Currently, the first step to picking out a business or service is reading through the online reviews of that business or service. In this way they have become indispensable as one used to check the cleanliness of a restaurant before going ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌in.

Applying the 70-20-10 Rule: A Quarterly Content & Experimentation Plan

One of the most commonly used examples in the fashion industry is the 70-20-10 model. By looking around us, we can understand what it means. Probably every one of us has a favourite brand, and for years, these brands have been capable of delivering to us.

What the 70-20-10 Rule Means in Content Marketing

• 70% – Proven Content
  Focus on high-performing content formats and topics that already drive traffic, leads, or conversions.

• 20% – Optimization & Expansion
  Improve, repurpose, or expand existing content to reach new audiences or keywords.

• 10% – Experimental Content
  Test bold ideas, new platforms, formats, or emerging SEO trends.

Quarterly Content Plan Using the 70-20-10 Model

70%: Core Performing Content

This portion supports predictable growth.

Examples:

• Updating high-ranking blog posts

• Optimizing top landing pages for conversions

• Publishing proven formats (how-to guides, listicles, comparisons)

• Refreshing SEO content with new data and internal links

Goal: Maximize ROI from content that already works.

20%: Growth & Optimization Content

This category expands reach and improves engagement.

Examples:

• Repurposing blogs into videos or LinkedIn posts

• Expanding existing content with FAQs and schema

• Updating outdated posts for new keywords

• Improving internal linking and UX

Goal: Increase visibility and authority without high risk.

10%: Experimental & Innovative Content

This is where creativity and innovation live.

Examples:

• AI-generated content tests

• Interactive tools or calculators

• Thought leadership articles

• New platforms (e.g., Reddit SEO, community content)

Goal: Discover new traffic channels and future growth opportunities.

Sample Quarterly Breakdown Table

What is the biggest problem in digital marketing?

The biggest problem in digital marketing is reaching the right audience at the right time.

Explanation:

• There is too much competition online.

• People see many ads every day, so they ignore most of them.

• If the message is not useful or relevant, users skip or block ads.

• Wrong targeting leads to low engagement and wasted money.

In short:

Getting attention and trust from the correct audience is the biggest challenge in digital marketing.

Final Thoughts