Why Is Your Internet Marketing Strategy Failing? (And How to Fix It). It is important to break away from the heard and make your own way
Post by Peter hanley coachhanley.com
Let’s be honest – if you’re reading this, something isn’t quite clicking with your internet marketing efforts. Maybe your website traffic has plateaued, your conversion rates are disappointing, or you’re simply not seeing the results you expected after months of hard work. Don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone in this struggle.
The truth is, most internet marketing strategies fail for surprisingly common reasons. The good news? Once you identify these pitfalls, they’re often easier to fix than you might think. Let’s dive into the most frequent culprits behind struggling marketing campaigns and explore practical solutions that can turn things around.
You’re Trying to Appeal to Everyone
One of the biggest mistakes internet marketers make is casting too wide a net. When you try to speak to everyone, you end up connecting with no one. This scattershot approach dilutes your message and makes it nearly impossible to create content that truly resonates.
The Fix: Get crystal clear about your ideal customer. Create detailed buyer personas that go beyond basic demographics. What keeps your ideal customer awake at night? What are their biggest frustrations? What language do they use when describing their problems?
Once you understand your audience deeply, craft your messaging specifically for them. Yes, this means some people won’t be interested – and that’s perfectly fine. It’s better to have 1,000 highly engaged followers who love what you do than 10,000 lukewarm subscribers who barely pay attention.
Your Content Lacks Consistency and Quality
Here’s a reality check: publishing sporadically or creating content just for the sake of having something to post is actually worse than not posting at all. Inconsistent, low-quality content trains your audience to expect mediocrity from your brand.
The Fix: Develop a sustainable content calendar that prioritizes quality over quantity. Whether that means publishing one outstanding piece per week or three solid posts, choose a schedule you can realistically maintain long-term.
Moreover, focus on creating content that genuinely helps your audience solve problems. Instead of asking “What should I post today?” start asking “What challenge is my audience facing that I can help them overcome?” This shift in perspective naturally leads to more valuable, engaging content.
You’re Ignoring the Customer Journey
Many marketers make the mistake of jumping straight to the sale without considering where their audience is in the buying process. Someone who just discovered they have a problem needs different content than someone who’s comparing solutions or ready to make a purchase.
The Fix: Map out your customer journey and create content for each stage. At the awareness stage, focus on educational content that helps people identify and understand their problems. During the consideration phase, provide comparison guides and deeper insights. Finally, for the decision stage, offer clear calls-to-action and remove any remaining barriers to purchase.
Additionally, use different content formats for different stages. Blog posts and videos work well for awareness, while case studies and detailed guides are perfect for consideration. Email sequences and product demos shine during the decision phase.
Your SEO Strategy Is Outdated or Non-Existent
If you’re still stuffing keywords into every sentence or ignoring search engine optimization altogether, you’re missing out on massive opportunities. Modern SEO isn’t about gaming the system – it’s about creating genuinely helpful content that search engines want to recommend.
The Fix: Start with keyword research, but focus on search intent rather than just search volume. What are people really trying to accomplish when they search for your target keywords? Create content that fully addresses those needs.
Furthermore, optimize for topics, not just individual keywords. Search engines now understand context and related concepts, so comprehensive, well-structured content on a specific topic often outperforms multiple thin pages targeting individual keywords.
You’re Not Building Real Relationships
Social media follower counts and email subscriber numbers are vanity metrics if those people aren’t genuinely engaged with your brand. Many marketers focus so heavily on growing their audience that they forget to nurture the relationships they already have.
The Fix: Shift your focus from broadcasting to conversing. Respond to comments on your posts, engage with your followers’ content, and show genuine interest in your community. When someone takes time to interact with your brand, acknowledge them personally whenever possible.
Also, segment your email list based on interests and behavior, then send targeted content that speaks directly to each group’s specific needs and preferences. A smaller, highly engaged email list will always outperform a large, disinterested one.
You’re Not Measuring What Actually Matters
Too many marketers get caught up in surface-level metrics like page views and social media likes while ignoring the numbers that actually impact their bottom line. If you can’t clearly connect your marketing activities to revenue or other meaningful business outcomes, you’re essentially flying blind.
The Fix: Identify your key performance indicators based on your actual business goals. If you’re trying to generate leads, track conversion rates and lead quality, not just website traffic. If you’re building brand awareness, measure engagement rates and share of voice in your industry.
Most importantly, set up proper tracking systems so you can see which marketing channels and campaigns are actually driving results. This data will help you double down on what’s working and eliminate what isn’t.
Moving Forward with Confidence
The beauty of internet marketing is that it’s incredibly measurable and adjustable. Once you identify which of these issues is holding you back, you can start making targeted improvements immediately. Remember, successful internet marketing isn’t about perfection – it’s about consistent improvement and genuine value creation.
Start by addressing the issue that resonates most strongly with your current situation. Small, focused changes often yield better results than trying to overhaul everything at once.