So what do we mean by this? It’s fairly straight-forward really; essentially Mistake #2 occurs when a campaign lacks a coherent SEM strategy that connects goals with the execution plan.
Why does this happen? First, the blame falls on the strategic planning process (or lack thereof). Most often, if Mistake #2 is plaguing a SEM campaign, it’s because the strategic planning process is absent or inadequate. One may question how a strategic planning process could be nonexistent within a company, yet in our experience this problem occurs in about 70% of SEM campaigns. Similarly to Mistake #1, this problem usually emerges when there is a lack of communication amongst an organization.
In many companies, the approach to managing SEM programs is still extremely tactical. Therefore, when the right people aren’t delegated to the proper tasks, and there is little communication amongst each party involved in the planning process, it is difficult to execute properly in order to achieve any company goal. Also, it can be challenging to get everyone on the same page because the SEM space is constantly maturing. Thus, not every member of the team has the proper skills to be actively involved in the strategic planning process. So in order for Mistake #2 to be avoided, your company and its employees must be willing to grow with the maturing SEM space.
As we know, SEM has become an integral part of every marketing plan. As mentioned above, the SEM space is growing at an extremely rapid pace. As this process occurs, the talent levels are destined to increase. After all, they must. If any online marketing campaign wishes to be successful it has to keep pace with its environment. One way to ensure that your company stays ahead of the curve is to appropriately train your SEM managers on strategic models and approaches. This can be done internally or with the help of an expert external training. Either way, training your employees on the most innovative models and approaches is imperative to campaign success.
Lastly, it is important to embed the strategic planning process within your company culture. That is, it must be introduced and actively encouraged by the Executive Team. It is important, so make sure each employee realizes that. Again, communication plays a huge role in the success of a campaign, so it is crucial that the strategic planning process is discussed frequently. If you are going to spend the time and resources training your employees, make sure you allow those efforts to pay off by continually working on improving the strategic planning process.
In short, you can avoid Mistake #2 by training your employees so that their skills can grow alongside the maturing SEM space and working every day to actively encourage the entire strategic planning process. By doing so, your company will be more suited to attack and achieve your goals. With the proper skills and company mindset, the disconnect between having a goal and being able to reach it will be eliminated.
-The NetElixir Team
