What Unexpected Challenges Have You Faced in Digital Marketing?
We asked CEOs and Directors to share their insights on the unexpected challenges they've faced in digital marketing. From maintaining consistent messaging to combatting ad fatigue with fresh content, here are eleven tips from marketing professionals on how to overcome common digital marketing dilemmas.
- Maintain Consistent Messaging
- Address Cross-Channel Attribution
- Diversify Advertising Channels
- Leverage AI for Content
- Maintain Authenticity at Scale
- Respect Client Expertise
- Stay Ahead of Trends
- Diversify Digital Strategy
- Combat Ad Fatigue With Fresh Content
- Adapt to Algorithm Updates
- Pivot During the Pandemic
Maintain Consistent Messaging
One unexpected challenge we've faced was maintaining a consistent message across all our digital channels. It's easy for things to get a bit scattered when you're juggling e-mails, social media, and more.
Our solution? We put together a detailed set of brand guidelines that everyone on our team follows—it's like having a road map for our communications. We keep everyone on track with regular workshops and check-ins to make sure we're all aligned. This way, our customers always get a seamless experience, no matter how they come into contact with our brand.
Address Cross-Channel Attribution
We encountered challenges with cross-channel attribution, where understanding the impact of multiple channels on a single conversion was not as straightforward as anticipated. With so many touchpoints—from social media to email marketing—the complexity of accurately attributing which channels drove conversions became a significant analytical challenge.
To overcome this, we implemented advanced attribution models using machine-learning algorithms that could more accurately track and credit conversions across different channels. By integrating these tools with our CRM, we were able to provide clearer insights into customer journeys and refine our marketing spend to focus on the most effective channels. This not only optimized our budgets but also improved ROI for our clients.
Diversify Advertising Channels
A surprising challenge we encountered was social media platforms shifting their policies on paid advertisements with little notice, which suddenly limited ad reach for specific clients. Overnight, we saw a significant drop in engagement and conversions for campaigns that were previously thriving. To overcome this, we diversified our advertising channels and strengthened organic outreach through influencer partnerships, successfully mitigating the loss and restoring client performance.
We immediately reallocated ad budgets, focusing on platforms like Pinterest and LinkedIn where policies remained favorable, and we launched a content-driven engagement strategy through organic posts and collaborations. This shift not only cushioned the impact but opened up new avenues for our clients, offering them diversified revenue streams and brand visibility. Flexibility and foresight in testing new platforms were key elements of our success here.
Leverage AI for Content
The rise of generative AI. Nobody could have envisaged five years ago just how advanced content creation has become, and it raised whether content could be fully automated and outsourced to AI (thus making many marketing roles redundant). Speaking specifically from an SEO standpoint, there has always been a balancing act in play between quality and quantity, and with AI able to produce quantity at almost an infinite scale, it felt like perhaps the sheer quantity could take over. Luckily, quality still matters to rank (maybe more so now), and so, whilst we do leverage AI in our day-to-day workflows to streamline our creation process, it’s still very much a human creating the quality content needed for a great search engine ranking.
Maintain Authenticity at Scale
One unexpected challenge I faced in digital marketing was maintaining authenticity as RecurPost scaled. As our content output increased to meet the growing demand, it became difficult to keep the personal touch that resonated with our audience. We overcame this by using AI to handle repetitive tasks while preserving our brand's voice, ensuring that every piece of content stayed true to our values.
We also involved our audience directly by encouraging user-generated content, which not only reduced our workload but also kept our content genuine and relatable. This approach allowed us to scale without losing the personal connection that defined our brand.
Respect Client Expertise
As CEO of ENX2 Marketing, an unexpected challenge has been clients declining seemingly obvious strategies like SEO or social media. While we know the value these tools provide, some clients have had success through other means and prefer to stick with what they know. We respect our clients' expertise in their own business and industries.
For one law firm client, we optimized their website for search, but they attributed new clients to word-of-mouth and in-person networking. Though foreign to us, their model works for them. We provide the services requested and support their proven strategies. Success looks different for every business.
When clients don't adopt our recommendations, we get creative within their parameters. For a client opposed to social media, we launched an email newsletter campaign highlighting their expertise. Open and click-through rates exceeded industry averages, showing that with the right content and targeting, any channel can be effective.
The key is understanding each client's unique needs and values. Though SEO and social media are powerful tools, they are not one-size-fits-all solutions. An open mind, creative thinking, and willingness to try new approaches lead to the best results.
Stay Ahead of Trends
As the founder of a digital-marketing agency, an unexpected challenge I faced was how quickly trends change. What worked last month may not work now. To overcome this, I make sure my team and I stay on top of the latest tools, algorithms, and strategies.
For example, when Google announced they were phasing out third-party cookies, my team immediately started testing new targeting options to keep campaigns optimized. We were able to seamlessly transition clients to first-party data targeting before the change went into effect.
Staying ahead of trends also means avoiding 'shiny-new-object syndrome.' Not every new social platform or technology will benefit my clients. I evaluate new options objectively based on client goals before investing time and resources. The key is balancing innovation with proven strategies.
When a client's campaign performance suddenly dropped, it turned out their product had been featured in an influencer's negative review. We were able to add that influencer's followers to their ad-audience exclusion lists. We also improved ad copy to focus on other key selling points not mentioned in the review. Within a month, that client's revenue and ROAS were back to normal. You have to be ready to adapt quickly to unexpected situations.
Diversify Digital Strategy
One unexpected challenge we faced in digital marketing at Right Lawyers was the rising cost of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, especially on platforms like Google Ads. Over time, the cost-per-click for highly competitive keywords like “divorce lawyer” and “family law attorney” started to increase significantly, which put pressure on our marketing budget without guaranteeing a proportionate increase in leads.
To overcome this, we had to rethink our approach by diversifying our digital-marketing strategy. Instead of relying heavily on expensive keywords, we shifted our focus toward local SEO and content marketing to drive more organic traffic. We optimized our Google My Business profile, ensuring our firm appeared prominently in local searches, and worked on building high-quality backlinks to improve our organic rankings.
Additionally, we invested in creating valuable, long-tail keyword content. Instead of targeting general terms like “divorce lawyer,” we focused on more specific, lower-cost keywords such as “uncontested divorce in Las Vegas” or “how to handle child custody in Nevada.” These terms not only had lower competition but also attracted potential clients who were further along in their decision-making process and more likely to convert.
To further offset rising PPC costs, we experimented with Facebook Ads and retargeting campaigns. We created ads that targeted individuals based on life events (such as changing relationship statuses) and those who had visited our website but hadn’t yet booked a consultation. This multi-channel approach allowed us to get more value from our advertising spend while keeping costs under control.
By adjusting our strategy and diversifying our channels, we were able to reduce our reliance on high-cost PPC campaigns and see more sustainable, cost-effective results. This experience taught us the importance of adaptability in digital marketing, especially when faced with rising costs in competitive markets.
Combat Ad Fatigue With Fresh Content
One unexpected challenge in digital marketing is ad fatigue, where target audiences become desensitized to frequently-seen ads, leading to declining engagement and conversion rates. This happens especially in campaigns with high visibility over a long period.
To overcome this, a solution is to focus on creative rotation and dynamic ad content. By regularly refreshing ad visuals, messaging, and formats, you can keep the content engaging and relevant. Using dynamic creative optimization (DCO) tools, for example, allows ads to automatically adjust based on user behavior, preferences, or location, ensuring a personalized experience.
Another approach is to diversify the content mix—switching between video, carousels, infographics, and interactive elements. Additionally, regularly analyzing performance data helps identify when and where to introduce changes, ensuring the audience remains engaged while reducing the risk of ad fatigue.
Adapt to Algorithm Updates
One unexpected challenge we faced in digital marketing at TruBridge was dealing with rapidly evolving algorithms on major platforms like Google and Facebook. We had been running successful campaigns for a while, but a sudden algorithm update caused a significant drop in visibility and engagement, particularly for our paid search and social media ads. This unexpected shift forced us to rethink our approach, as the methods that had previously delivered strong results were no longer effective.
To overcome this, we quickly pivoted by focusing on two key strategies: refining our content to be more aligned with the new algorithmic preferences and diversifying our marketing efforts. We invested heavily in understanding the changes in ranking factors and user behavior, optimizing our content for more specific, long-tail keywords and focusing on delivering high-quality, informative content that offered value to our audience. Additionally, we expanded our efforts into other digital channels such as email marketing and organic social engagement to reduce our reliance on a single platform's performance.
By embracing a more holistic, data-driven approach, we not only regained our lost visibility but also diversified our digital presence, making our overall marketing strategy more resilient to future algorithm changes. The key lesson here was the importance of adaptability and the need to constantly monitor and adjust to shifts in the digital landscape. This experience taught us to be proactive and flexible, ensuring that we had multiple strategies in place to maintain visibility and engagement across various channels.
Pivot During the Pandemic
One unexpected challenge we faced in digital marketing at LogicLeap was the rapid shift in consumer behavior at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Practically overnight, many traditional marketing strategies became less effective as people’s priorities and online habits changed dramatically.
We had a client in the hospitality sector here in Oxfordshire, and their business was hit hard by the lockdowns. Suddenly, their usual promotional campaigns, which focused on weekend getaways and holiday packages, were no longer relevant. This presented a significant challenge: how do we maintain engagement and support the client’s business when their core offerings were temporarily off the table?
To overcome this, we pivoted quickly. We focused on building community and brand loyalty rather than direct sales. We launched a content-driven strategy that included virtual experiences and engaging storytelling to keep their audience connected to the brand. For instance, we created a series of blog posts and social media content highlighting the local culture and history around their location, which resonated well with people stuck at home and dreaming of future travels.
Additionally, we developed a campaign around supporting local businesses, which involved collaborations with local artisans and suppliers. This not only helped keep the brand top-of-mind but also fostered a sense of community support and solidarity during challenging times.
To ensure the strategy was effective, we closely monitored engagement metrics and frequently gathered audience feedback. This allowed us to fine-tune our content and messaging, ensuring it remained relevant and engaging.
This experience taught us the importance of adaptability in digital marketing. It reinforced the need to be responsive to changing conditions and to think creatively about how we can add value to our clients’ audiences, even when traditional goals like sales may not be immediately achievable.
In the end, the client was able to maintain a strong brand presence and build a more loyal customer base, which was crucial for their recovery as restrictions eased. This challenge highlighted the power of community-focused marketing and the importance of resilience in the face of unexpected disruptions.
