What are some of the common mistakes and pitfalls that you avoid in your digital advertising practice?

-Define objectives: Clarify what you want to achieve with your campaign. -Align with business: Ensure goals match your larger business strategy. -Be specific: Make objectives clear and precise. -Measure results: Create goals you can track. -Stay realistic: Set achievable targets. -Stay relevant: Make goals fit your industry and audience. -Set deadlines: Establish timeframes for achieving goals. -Use SMART: Apply the SMART framework for practical objectives.

In digital advertising, common mistakes can lurk like banana peels on a Mario Kart track. One such slip-up is the 'one-size-fits-all' approach - treating all platforms and audiences as if they're just mirrored versions of each other. This could have you sliding off track in no time. Another pitfall is the 'set it and forget it' mindset. Ignoring performance metrics is like driving blindfolded - sooner or later, you're going to crash. Lastly, being all sell and no show can exhaust your audience. Too many promotional messages without valuable content is akin to a monologue on a first date. It's a quick way to guarantee there won't be a second one. So, buckle up, keep your eyes on the road, and enjoy the race!

Every successful business on this planet solves a specific problem for a specific type of person. You wouldn't target men if you were selling a new version of the pantyhose... BUT, you also wouldn't target the entire Female gender just because it's known that ONLY women wear pantyhose (mostly) There is always a specific demographic for a specific product and/or service The more you can niche down and be as specific as possible....the more success you will have.

Not only should you test your adverts before launching them, you can also test whilst they are running.. With Google Ads for example, you can have multiple ads running and set to even rotate. Then you can compare, impressions, CTR, CVR and whatever other metric you want to measure.

Remember to scrutinize your attribution model. If a channel seems unproductive in reports, don't disregard it. Many reports use last-click attribution, so the final touchpoint gets full credit. Embrace the omnichannel approach: Display drives cost-effective website traffic, which can be retargeted via social media, propelling users to search your brand on Google. Google Ads can then close the deal. Don't miss the larger, interconnected marketing picture.

In my experience, managing digital advertising campaigns across multiple platforms can be complex, especially for large advertisers juggling numerous brands and markets. Teams (including agencies) are often overwhelmed with responsibilities, making it challenging to ensure optimal setup for every campaign. This can result in suboptimal outcomes. However, there are technology solutions that empower advertisers with essential control and complete transparency over their campaigns, enabling them to conduct thorough and automated audits. Advertisers can easily identify gaps in their campaign setups vs. the best practices established by each digital platform, streamlining operations, enhancing campaign efficiency, and maximizing effectiveness.

Embracing change and challenging conventional wisdom often leads to innovative solutions. I believe in the fluidity of progress, acknowledging that what was considered best yesterday may not hold true today. Our constant evolution is happening faster than we might realize, urging us to stay open-minded and hungry for growth, as Steve Jobs wisely advised: 'Stay foolish, stay hungry.’

Also ensure you have given your campaigns a sufficient amount of time to run before you start to try and learn from the data. Also have in mind that in external factors can have a big impact on your results. If you for example check the success of your campaigns to your ecommerce brands during peak buying periods (such black Friday/cyber Monday/Pre Christmas) The data is always going to look great.

Poor Targeting: Failing to define a specific and relevant target audience can lead to wasted ad spend. Ignoring Mobile Optimization: With the prevalence of mobile users, not optimizing ads for mobile can be a significant mistake. Neglecting A/B Testing: Not testing ad variations can result in missed opportunities for improvement. Overlooking Ad Quality: Low-quality ad design or copy can drive potential customers away. Ignoring Analytics: Failing to track and analyze ad performance data can lead to ineffective campaigns. Overlooking Ad Fatigue: Showing the same ad to the same audience repeatedly can diminish its effectiveness. Budget Mismanagement: Not setting a reasonable budget or not monitoring ad spend can result in overspending.

One common mistake I made in my early days of working in the digital marketing world was not conducting a post-mortem on campaigns that didn't perform well. There's a wealth of learning there. Did you choose the wrong audience? Compare the demographics performance report with metrics from successful campaigns. Was the creative not grabbing enough attention? Compare the click-through rate. Or perhaps it was a poor landing page? Compare the conversion rate. Take these insights and apply them to your next campaign. Don't worry if one campaign doesn't go as planned – it happens to everyone in marketing. Only a few accept it and learn from it.

Not using negative keywords: Introducing negative keywords helps to minimize cost. Not A/B testing creatives: Not every creative is appealing to every audience. For instance, creatives that appeal to a 16 year old might not appeal to an older audience.