It might seem like a funny question … but do you know if your digital marketing is actually working? While clicks and traffic show measurable outcomes, the true impact lies in whether your audience is engaging with and building a meaningful connection with your brand. If you’re adhering to industry best practices and still not seeing a tangible growth in leads, it’s time to rethink your strategy.
How can you tell if your campaigns are actually bringing in quality leads?
- Look beyond metrics — remember web traffic isn’t the same as quality leads or visitor engagement.
- Decide what “conversion” means for you — is it a phone call, email submission or social media engagement — and make sure that’s what you’re measuring.
- Invest in quality content that makes your audience stop scrolling and pay attention.
- Innovate innovate innovate!
Look Beyond Metrics
Does the increase in traffic you’re reporting mean you’re really reaching your target audiences? If your social post went viral and your email got a high open rate, how many leads did they generate?
Remember that site visitors aren’t the same as qualified leads. Even though people are seeing your ads, those views don’t always lead to engagement. You should be tracking metrics that are tied to brand trust, clear positioning, and authentic audience connection. These can include:
- Conversion rates
- Customer acquisition costs
- Return on ad spending
- Qualified leads generated
- Actual revenue attributed to marketing efforts
Determine What is Actually Converting
You know what gets attention, but what is inspiring action? Your audience might not be connecting with your brand for these reasons:
- Ads are not reaching your target audience
- Landing pages don’t match the promises made on your ads or content
- Calls to Action (CTAs) are unclear, buried, or hidden
- The user experience is confusing or frustrating
- Messaging does not explain value to your audience
Here are some actions you can take to encourage conversions.
Simplify the user journey – The user experience throughout your brand’s interactions should be simple and intuitive. Make your audience’s experience convenient from their first click until well after conversion.
Create compelling CTAs – How does your brand add value for your audience? Your messaging should clearly state why your audience should engage in addition to how.
Add testimonials strategically – Real testimonials from real people builds trust. Testimonials should be used throughout your digital efforts.
Improve website’s health often – Your website requires as much maintenance as your car. Check in on load speeds, accessibility, and SEO to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Mobile-friendly website – If your marketing efforts aren’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a giant scale. 54% of global web traffic is generated from mobile devices, and 70% of the world’s population owns and uses a mobile phone.
Invest in Quality Content
Is maintaining a frequent posting schedule an efficient use of your time? In the quantity vs. quality debate, quality wins when it comes to content marketing.
A single educational video or well-written blog can go further than ten small social posts, especially when it keeps EEAT in mind—Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trustworthiness. Showing your audience that you have something meaningful to say invites your audience to pause and listen.
TIP: Up to 20% of your ad budget should be sourcing engaging photos and video.
Innovate Innovate Innovate
Your marketing strategy should be agile and capable of adapting with emerging trends. Treat it like an evolving system.
Maintaining an old workflow because that’s how it’s always been done is not the ticket to growth. If the only constant is change, embrace the change.
- Test New Approaches. Embrace experimentation and conduct A/B tests to keep your marketing fresh and innovative.
- Learn from the Data. Track performance using SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely). Your data is a compass for how to best adjust your efforts.
- Stay Current with Industry Trends. Follow brands that you think are doing good work. Subscribe to industry-specific publications to stay on top of what’s new. Track your competitors’ efforts.
- Don’t be Afraid to Mimic Other Organizations. New ideas aren’t created in a vacuum. If you like what someone else has done, recreate it for your brand.
Greenleaf Media is Here to Help
We have 25+ years of experience helping organizations create meaningful connections with their audience. If you need help getting out of a marketing rut, Greenleaf Media is here to pull you out. We work alongside you to determine a digital marketing strategy that is fresh, meaningful and engaging. Start the conversation by giving us a call at 608-240-9611 or sending an email.