Common Marketing Mistakes You Must Avoid
It’s 2018. Marketing has been improving and innovating every year. Information available allows us to learn in depth information about markets, effective marketing methods, preferences amongst buyers etc. However, we still see far too many basic marketing mistakes being made by companies.
Marketing can be an incredible business opportunity when undertaken correctly. However, to make such basic marketing mistakes that we go into in this post can have highly detrimental effects on your business. In order to maximise returns from your marketing efforts, a well structured marketing plan must be devised and followed accordingly.
In this post we will list and detail some of the more common marketing mistakes we see businesses unfortunately encounter. As a full marketing agency, we want to see marketing perform at its highest rates to maximise returns for businesses. We can advise on all aspects of your marketing campaign, using our years of vast experience and extensive knowledge within your industry.
Inconsistency
Brand awareness does not happen overnight. Trust in your organisation builds over time until it reaches a level when an individual/business is confident enough to purchase from you. A key way of achieving this is through consistent marketing. Choosing a set slot to broadcast your marketing materials and then sticking to this schedule will greatly improve your results over time. Through consistent marketing, your prospects will begin to anticipate receiving your materials at that time. This shows you are becoming more familiar in their mind. However, sending out one campaign and expecting massive returns is simply not realistic. Too many companies will try marketing once and then just cut it if they do not manage to move the world in a single broadcast.
Poor or Little Research
Researching into your market and your prospects is an essential business process. Through undertaking high quality, thorough market research you gain crucial insight into what is currently working for other companies in your industry. This will tell you what marketing mediums will work better for your budget, as well as understanding how to structure your marketing materials. Without conducting research prior to marketing, you will find that the marketing will either require more budget or it will not perform to its expected level. While research may be laborious, what you get back is essential to higher quality marketing. Conduct research on an ongoing basis. The economy and individual preferences are always changing. This helps you keep on top of this.
Poor Targeting
How many times have you received an email or perhaps a leaflet through the post for a product/service that you have absolutely zero interest in? This is poor targeting. Merely broadcasting your marketing to anyone and everyone will be a large waste of financial resources as well as time and effort. If you just broadcast on a mass scale, the majority of people who see it will not be an ideal prospect. A targeted data list will contain records who are more likely to be interested in purchasing from your business. Response rates are much higher from targeted lists. With GDPR now in force in the UK and across Europe, any data you use for your marketing campaigns must be GDPR compliant.
Outdated Company Website/ Dated Marketing Materials
Before an individual or a company purchases from you, they will first conduct their own research. They will look into potential suppliers, look at their websites, blogs they have written etc. Your website is therefore one of the most important business assets you own. As mobile and digital is so big nowadays, your website is often the first point of call for a prospect. If your website is outdated or difficult to navigate through, it is unlikely an individual will get in touch. Your website needs to be modern, responsive and contain enough information to entice someone to take their enquiry further.
Unfortunately we still see far too many websites that need a bit of TLC. If you do not have the skills in house to modernise your website, outsourcing to a expert marketing agency can help bring your website into 2018 and make money for your business.
Irrelevant Content
Content marketing is highly popular nowadays. As mentioned above, people will research before they purchase anything. A key way for your business to therefore stand out is through content. However, merely publishing anything and everything is a poor strategy. Any content you produce must be from identifying a need among your prospects. Your content helps answer questions, provide vital insight or promote benefits that meet their needs. This avoids the issue of content shock which we address in another post. While content is highly responsive, many companies do not utilise it properly and go for a quantity over quality approach.
Summary
Above we list just a few common marketing mistakes that unfortunately, many businesses still make today. Ensure your business does not fall into the same traps. This will only be a waste of both financial and non financial resources for your company.
As Impact Marketing are a specialist data and marketing agency, our in house team can advise you on the best ways to market for your business. We take the time to learn your company so that we always advise on the best move for your business. We also offer a range of marketing services as well as manage a number of specialist marketing databases.
Get in touch today and a member of the team will be happy to advise on what we can do for your business further.