Common marketing mistakes pop up in business conversations, all the time. I hope this blog post helps change your perception and ideas about marketing.
I’ve been working in the field of marketing for many years, and these common mistakes continue today. I would like to give you a new perspective on marketing and lead you in the right direction for your business marketing.
The 5 Common Mistakes
1. Once the marketing plan’s in place, there’s no need to adapt, change or revamp.
The reality is, marketing plans change all the time, and if you are working with a professional, this will be the case. Experimentation is part of the game and if ideas are working, fantastic! If not, change them.
A business focus changes frequently, and so does the target of the marketing. If that happens, the marketing plan must change.
For instance, a current client was looking to increase the traffic to their website; they had an idea of their clientele, so we structured the content and SEO to speak to that audience. As website traffic progressed and client calls increased, they realized that they wanted to attract a more sophisticated clientele.
We changed the website content and blogs so we could attract those particular clients. Plans always need to be adapted.
Starting with a niche marketing plan is always best for advertising, but sometimes a client believes their business solves the problem of a particular group of people, test it out and then make changes.
Marketing will always be an ongoing process.
2. Building a website creates immediate success for a business.
The reality is, for a website to gain any traction with traffic and search engine optimization; it needs at least nine months of adding content, updating and adapting specific elements for a business to see web results.
Building a site is a stepping stone for success, but the marketing must continue on a variety of levels to generate revenue.
If you don’t work on your website, you will not see results in 9 months. (9 months is the average) Plus, results vary according to the type of business. Build the best website possible (pay for a professional), but know this is only the beginning.
Search engines look for changes, updates, and at your online authority so keep content fresh. Remember this is your storefront, if people like it they will find you, come back and buy from you!
3. Businesses should create a marketing plan that includes as many options and ideas as possible.
The reality is, this could break a business, and I am familiar with “professionals” telling companies they should do as much social media possible. I cannot entirely agree with that strategy.
I work with different sized businesses and starting with a few solid ideas and then implementing them a little at a time is the path to success.
Doing too much at one time will crush a business. Go back to the basics and understand who your market is first, then choose marketing options based on where those people shop, go and socialize.
A few solid ideas allow a business the time to test different types of marketing without investing too much money or time that could hurt the company. The testing shows whether or not what you are providing to the market something that solves an issue they are having, or they like it and want more.
The strategy of going step by step allow a business to generate revenue along the way and then use those additional funds to try more marketing ideas.
Start with a solid foundation and then add “the next best thing” but trying to do everything at once is overwhelming and impossible. You don’t need to work on every social media outlet at once!
Know your market first then take your first steps building on what is working.
4. Once a marketing professional is hired, your work is done.
The relationship is between the marketing professional, the owner, the employees and the business. The best possible communication is mandatory for all parts of the company to maintain a healthy working relationship.
Partnerships are more fun and productive when there is input from owners and employees, and we act as a team. The front lines of any business provide valuable information to the marketing professional, so the communication needs to be from all levels, continuous and honest.
Keep in mind it does take some time to get into sync with each other, but when it does it’s magical and fun.- Voice your expectations, know you’ll always be involved and realize it’ll take time to get into “sync.”
5. We don’t need to define our expectations; it’s obvious- increase revenue.
A great way to invite trouble in your working and personal life is not having expectations. Discussing expectations helps alleviate future issues. It’s challenging to meet expectations when you don’t know what the business owner and its employees expect.
I have worked with clients where the proposal was written up and agreed upon and then as time progresses the terse emails start popping up about this, and that. I refer to the proposal and marketing plan, but it’s the unspoken expectations causing these issues.
Another discussion is sometimes needed but at least you as the professional have some leverage and the proposal can be re-worked with new expectations.
Sometimes clients don’t get why you are doing what you are doing, and once the communications reach a certain level, it’s hard to re-hash all the expectations and get the communication and plan back on schedule.
If there is any indication of changing expectations, please take the time to look over the expectations immediately.
Addressing all of these common mistakes, I hope will help owners and managers start with the right idea about marketing. It will alleviate future problems. Developing strong communication between all parties lead to success for everyone involved.
If you have any questions please Email Us
Katie Kukar
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