Tipical Mistakes in Marketing
Mistake #1: Faulty Research
Many companies take shortcuts by not doing the appropriate research before launching a marketing campaign. The result is that they clutter their advertisements with irrelevant or outdated information, wasting money and time and driving potential customers away. Marketers should conduct research to create an audience persona, identify target audiences, map out key words to use in online marketing efforts and determine what type of pitching works best for those audiences.
Mistake #2: Skipping the Design Phase
Designing a print ad is an important part of successfully implementing a marketing plan because it can make or break how people respond to your message. If the design is boring or unclear, customers will be turned off and won't bother reading the message. If you're a small business that doesn't have a marketing staff or design team, hire a graphic designer or work with a freelance graphic artist to create professional-looking ad designs.
Mistake #3: Not Defining an Effective Call-to-Action
When you're creating an advertisement, make sure to include one main call-to-action that emphasizes the benefits of your product or service and encourages readers to take action. A call-to-action could be something as simple as "click here" or "see why these products are better than ours.
Mistake #4: Failing to Measure Your Marketing Efforts
As the mission statement for any company states, your company's marketing objective is to gain new customers and increase revenue. This can only be accomplished by tracking the results of your marketing efforts and producing measurable results, such as increased revenue or a 20% increase in traffic to a website. Make sure you keep track of all the different marketing campaigns you're running and how many people viewed each of them. Any data that can be tracked should be used to determine whether or not successful strategies are being implemented.
Mistake #5: Not Using the Right Technology
Traditional mass marketing is expensive and time-consuming to use. Instead of hiring glossy print campaigns or TV commercials, small business owners should utilize the latest technology to reach their customers. Graphic designers and internet marketing experts can help you create a website that will increase your site's exposure in search engine indexes. Online media placement services can help you reach your target audience and increase traffic to your website. A professional blog can show off your business expertise and inspire potential customers to contact you for more information.
Mistake #6: Not Testing Ads in Different Media
While online marketing and online media placement services are an important part of any business's marketing plan, they should be matched with traditional advertising efforts. TV commercials and radio ads are still very effective at reaching large audiences. If you're not sure where to start, hire a marketing company to help you develop a comprehensive marketing campaign that works for your company's budget.
Mistake #7: Not Applying the "80-20 Rule" to Your Marketing Efforts
The 80-20 rule, which is also known as the Pareto principle, states that 20% of the customers bring in 80% of the revenue. It's important to understand that not all of your marketing efforts will be successful. While it may be tempting to spend all of your money on traditional marketing strategies like print ads, TV commercials and radio ads, online marketing and online media placement services can also reduce your cost per lead. By using the 80-20 rule to determine which strategies work best for your business, you can save valuable time and money while boosting sales.
Mistake #8: Not Investing in Reputation Management Services
Many small businesses make the mistake of assuming that they're too small to have a bad reputation. However, taking the time to monitor customer reviews on social media sites can mean the difference between success and failure. Social media sites like Facebook, Google +, Yelp and Reddit can generate positive reviews that will help new potential customers discover your business. On the other hand, a single bad review can turn off potential customers and even cost you revenue. By actively managing your online reputation on social media sites and Google+ you can strengthen your brand image while deflecting negative reviews.
Mistake #9: Not Taking Advantage of Local Marketing Opportunities
Many small businesses neglect to build their brand by neglecting local marketing opportunities like business-to-business trade shows or local newspapers. Don't overlook local marketing opportunities. By taking advantage of these free or low-cost marketing opportunities, you can build brand awareness in your community, connect with customers and create positive word-of-mouth for your business.
Mistake #10: Not Understanding Your Competition
Before your start any marketing campaign, you need to understand what your competition is doing and how you can improve on their strategies. Find out what they're doing right, where they could be improving and take a look at new online marketing techniques that might be better than the ones they're currently using. If you're looking for new marketing techniques, look through online marketing guides and business magazines to find out what online marketing techniques other small businesses are using right now.
Mistake #11: Not Knowing What Customers Want
Once you've determined what customer needs you can fulfill, it's important to assess the customer requirements of your industry. If there's a lack of competition in your industry, that can be an advantage as well! By understanding what makes customers satisfied with your product or service, you can tailor your marketing campaign to target the specific needs of your market while still appearing authentic and trustworthy.
Mistake #12: Not Measurement and Tracking
Marketers should measure their campaign's success at the end of each month. By tracking results from every marketing campaign, you can figure out which strategies are working best and what tools and technologies will work best for your business. Track your results to better define your company's target market, customer needs and online marketing approaches. Armed with this information, you'll be able to develop a marketing strategy that is tailored to your customer base while also growing revenue.
For more tips on how to build a profitable small business check out our article 'How To Start Your Own Business.
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Author: Paul Internet Marketing Paul Harding is founder and CEO of the Internet Marketing Ninjas, a full-service Internet marketing agency specializing in SEO, SEM and Social Media Management. He is an SEO and Google certified professional who has been building businesses since 2003.
Conclusion
Online marketing and online media placement services have revolutionized the way that small businesses market their products and services to potential customers. Today, there are so many ways to reach your target audience on the Internet that it would be wise for every business in the world to become an active participant. Before you invest in traditional marketing strategies or traditional advertising efforts, make sure that you're putting your money where it will work best for your company. Some small businesses neglect to apply any of these 11 tips or mistakenly believe that they can't afford to invest money into their marketing efforts.