Ten Marketing Mistakes That Are Killing Your Business

Marketing used to be a simple process. You create an ad, put it in the paper, and wait for people to show up at your store. But as technology has evolved, so have marketing strategies. Today’s marketers need to know everything from mobile marketing and SEO strategy to viral videos and email campaigns and advertise with vinyl banners to attract customers in a new scale. If you’re not using these tools effectively now, it might already be too late – because ten common mistakes could be killing your business!

Not having a Business Plan

This one seems obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many businesses aren’t bothering to plan. Without a business plan in place, your marketing strategy is pretty much up for grabs – and that means it’s easier than ever for competitors to beat you. But don’t freak out! A thorough business plan doesn’t need to be complicated (here are some examples of simple ones), and the good news is there are plenty of free tools online that’ll help refine yours quickly.

Not Focusing on Customer Experience

This one’s a bit more subtle, but it can also be deadly. Your business website and in-store layout should deliver the same message: we know what we’re doing, and you’ll love working with us. If customers find your site confusing or frustrating to navigate, they might just leave – which means no sales for you! Make sure that each aspect of your marketing strategy is communicating this consistent message, so people have every reason to believe these claims are true before purchasing from you.

Not Being Mobile-Friendly

Your web presence needs to show up across all devices if it wants any chance of success today. After all, most consumers spend their entire day glued to their phone screens (if they aren’t looking at them during work hours, they’re probably checking their phones as soon as they get home). If your website isn’t optimized for mobile viewing now, you might be in trouble.

Ignoring SEO Strategy

SEO is a big deal – and it’s just going to become more important over time. If you ignore the basics of this strategy (like site speed) today, search engines could penalize you by sending less traffic your way! Make sure that every aspect of your marketing plan includes an element of SEO so customers can find out about all the great things you offer quickly and easily.

Not Marketing to your Target Market

Marketing is a numbers game. If you aren’t sure who your perfect customer is or what they’re going to want from your business, it’s tough to create a marketing strategy that’ll work for them. So make sure every step of this process includes input from people in the industry and people inside your target market so you can focus on reaching those most likely to buy from you instead of wasting money targeting everyone!

Marketing too Much and not Focusing on Quality Content

Few people want to hear you talk about yourself all the time. They’re interested in why your product is unique, what it can do for them, and how it will help solve their problems – not just that you exist! Try focusing on quality over quantity when writing blog posts or any other type of content intended to engage readers. It might seem like a no-brainer (and if done well, blogging does generate sales). Still, most businesses don’t take enough time making sure they’re producing valuable content with each blog post instead of simply trying to sell something every chance they get.

Trying to Please Everyone 

Your business might have a lot to offer, but that doesn’t mean it’ll appeal to every single person out there. You need to be willing to cut people loose if they just aren’t interested in what you’re offering – and yes, this will sometimes result in losing sales. But at the end of the day, focusing on your target market is more likely than not to lead to more sales and a higher customer satisfaction rate over time.

Failing to be Consistent with your Message 

If you want people to remember your business and purchase from you, they need to know what it’s all about. Posting ads on social media that sell different things every time or sending emails with conflicting messages is a great way to lose customers – fast! Make sure the core elements of your marketing strategy (like messaging) stay consistent across all channels so consumers can recognize who you are when they see something new.

Thinking that Social Media is the Only Way to Reach People

Social media is now a necessity for modern businesses, but it’s not the only place where customers spend their time. Make sure you’re engaging people on other platforms as well to stay top-of-mind with potential buyers no matter what site they spend most of their time browsing!

Not Asking for Reviews or Testimonials 

If you want your business to succeed online today, consumer reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are essential. This means that every step of the sales process needs to include an opportunity for consumers who have had positive experiences with your company in the past to share those details publicly. Whether via email follow-ups after purchases or by simply including review requests somewhere visible on both your and social media pages.

The marketing mistakes we’ve discussed in this blog post are some of the most common ones businesses make. As you can see, they all have one thing in common – they reflect a lack of planning and research before investing time and resources into an idea or campaign. Avoid these pitfalls at all costs to ensure your business survives for years to come! Contacting a b2b pr company will help you with your needs.