How to avoid the most common mistakes in online advertising

Online advertising is essential for any business that wants to grow. However, making mistakes in the planning and execution of these campaigns can lead to significant losses and results far below expectations, which can lead to the abandonment of these strategies. In this article, we will explore the five most common mistakes in online advertising and share practical tips to avoid them.

1. Not correctly defining your buyer persona and their needs

One of the most important advantages of online advertising is the ability to segment the audience, so your resources are better focused, although it does not reach a mass audience, it reaches a more specific audience that is more interested in your products. Therefore, one of the most frequent mistakes is not clearly defining your buyer persona or target audience.

Many companies when they start in online advertising try to reach as many people as possible, thinking that the more people hear their message the easier it is to sell. Another big mistake is not knowing your target audience, so your message reaches the wrong people.

Imagine you have a sportswear store and you launch an advertising campaign on all social networks, showing high-end products and high prices, without segmenting by age, gender or level of physical activity. The campaign does not generate interest in a younger audience looking for cheaper products or in older people who prefer more classic brands. Budget is wasted and an unclear brand image is generated.

Solution: before starting any campaign, focus on defining who your buyer persona is and what their needs are. You can use tools such as Facebook Audience Insights or Google Analytics to identify the characteristics of your ideal audience. Take into account characteristics such as age, gender, location, what they do, interests and purchasing behavior to better focus your campaigns.

2. Not optimizing for mobile devices

If you want to stand out in the digital world you must understand one thing as soon as possible, today most users browse from their mobile devices, not from their desktop computers or laptops, so one of the most common mistakes is not optimizing advertising for mobile devices. Bad ad design affects, mainly, the user experience and brand perception.

On the other hand, non-adapted ads can appear cluttered, be difficult to read or navigate, which drastically reduces the conversion rate and negatively affects brand perception. Mobile device users tend to make quick purchasing decisions, so the experience must be seamless and engaging to capture their attention immediately.

Solution: design your ads with mobile devices in mind first. Make sure images, text and action buttons display correctly on any screen size. Here are a series of recommendations for optimal design:

• Adopt a mobile-first approach from the start. Make sure text, images and buttons adapt well to smaller screens and are easy to read and click.
• Test on different devices, as not all mobile devices work the same. Before launching the campaign, check how your ads look on different models and operating systems, and adjust as needed.
• Also, check the loading time, mobile users expect fast loading times. A slow loading time can cause the user to abandon before even viewing the content.

Imagine you have an online clothing store. A mobile-optimized ad could include an eye-catching product image, a good-sized “Buy Now” button and a design that allows users to scroll easily to see more options.

3. Ignoring the quality of visual content

Many companies believe that in online advertising any image or video is enough, but poor visual quality affects the credibility and appeal of the campaign, it also affects the customer experience and their first impression of a product.

Forget about using blurry images, videos with bad audio or misaligned texts, because they can significantly reduce the audience’s interest.

Solution: Invest in high-quality images and videos that reflect your brand’s message. If you are not an expert on the subject, you can use graphic design tools such as Canva, but it is always best to collaborate with a professional designer to ensure that the visual elements are clear and attractive. Also, test different visual formats to see which one connects best with your audience.

Imagine you have an online luxury goods store and you launch a social media ad campaign to promote a new collection of watches, but you use low-resolution photos that look blurry, because of these photos the ad doesn’t convey the premium quality of the product. Potential buyers lose interest. In contrast, an optimized ad would use high-resolution images, showing the watch clearly. This type of visual content will attract the right customers and reflect the value of your products, increasing the likelihood that users will click through and make a purchase.

4. Not including a clear call to action

Social networks and online advertising can be your best allies, because they are attractive, eye-catching and generate engagement. However, one of the most common and damaging mistakes is not including a clear and persuasive call to action (CTA). Without an effective CTA, the user doesn’t know what the next step to take is, which decreases the likelihood of conversion and reduces the impact of the campaign.

The CTA guides the user through the conversion process, whether it’s buying a product, subscribing to a list, downloading a resource or simply learning more about the brand. A well-formulated CTA is brief, direct and communicates the value the user will get by following the link or button, thus motivating immediate action.

Solution: Adding a CTA within your posts can be tricky, especially if you want to prioritize the user experience, but there are some strategies you can do:

• The CTA should be located in a prominent place in the ad, with colors and design that make it stand out from the rest of the content.
• Avoid vague or generic messages like “Click here.” Instead, use phrases that highlight the value of the action, such as “Shop now and save 20%” or “Download your free guide.”
• Verbs like “Explore,” “Get,” “Discover,” or “Get started” add urgency and guide the user to take the next step.
• If possible add an incentive. Offering an immediate benefit, such as “Free trial” or “Free shipping,” increases the user’s interest and motivation to act.

A well thought out CTA for an online store could be, “Buy now and receive 15% off your first purchase.” This message is not only clear but also motivates the user by offering a tangible benefit.

5. Not tracking results.

Another great advantage of online advertising and digital marketing is the amount of data and information you can obtain immediately and easily to measure the results of your campaigns. Information is power, but if you do not make use of the data resulting from your campaigns you will not be able to see clear and convincing results.}

Many companies do not carry out an exhaustive follow-up of the results of their campaigns; this mistake prevents them from knowing if they are really achieving their objectives and how they could be improved.

Solution: set up a clear and periodic analysis system to measure key metrics (KPI’s). Establish KPI’s for each campaign according to your objectives such as:

• Impressions
• Clicks
• Conversions
• Interactions
• Cost per acquisition (CPA)
• Subscriptions

Use the same tools provided by social media platforms, specialized platforms such as Google Analytics or the ad dashboard itself to do this tracking.

Review results on a regular basis to quickly detect which ads are generating better results and which ones need optimization. Be sure not to wait until the end of the campaign to make adjustments; a reactive strategy is less effective than a proactive strategy.

As data is collected, adapt elements such as budget, ad placements or calls to action. This continuous optimization allows you to keep your campaign relevant and maximize its performance.

Online advertising is a powerful tool, but to get optimal results it is important to avoid these common mistakes. By defining your audience well, optimizing for mobile devices, taking care of the quality of the content, including clear calls to action and closely monitoring the results, you will be more likely to achieve your goals and get a higher return on investment. Tell us, what do you think is the most important mistake to avoid in online advertising?