Oct 05, 2015 Written by Guest
Marketing is an investment in your business and not something you should take lightly. It is also something that has changed over the past ten years and continues to evolve. How you reach customers and how they find you, research your business, and buy from you has also changed.
If your marketing practices are stagnant or nonexistent, your business will fail. Here are the top five mistakes that I see small-to-medium sized businesses make most often.
If your marketing practices are stagnant or nonexistent, your business will fail. Here are the top five mistakes that I see small-to-medium sized businesses make most often.
1. Inconsistent marketing
Think of your marketing as an investment of time and money. If you have the mindset that everything you do in marketing is an expense, your campaigns and efforts will be short-sighted. You will also be more likely to cut all marketing spend when efforts don't show immediate results .
Marketing is a process that requires a regular, consistent investment to increase your visibility and demonstrate your expertise. If you stop marketing to cut costs or your marketing is inconsistent, your marketing efforts, and ultimately your business, will fail.
2. Not knowing your customer
Do you really know what your potential customers need and want? Do you understand their challenges? Can clearly describe how you can solve their needs?
Before you create your marketing plan, you need to clearly understand your clients. Why do they buy from you, what problem does your product of service solve? How does you customer make a purchase and what is the decision process for making that purchase?
The more you know about your customers and what keeps them up at night, the more effective your marketing efforts will be. Study your best customers and why they chose your business. Get to know your ideal client intimately so you can produce the results they are looking for.
3. Mixed or no clear message
Do you have a brand promise? Do your customers clearly understand what you sell, what you stand for, and how you differ from your competition? If you are sending mixed messages or no message at all, your customers won't want to buy from you, because they won't understand who you are or what you sell.
In Texas I often hear that a company's differentiator is, "We're the good guys" or " We'll get'r done." This message may resonate with a few, but not to everyone, and it is definitely not a differentiator.
Creating a clear brand a message takes research of your competitors, insight into your differentiators, and understanding your customer needs.
If you are a little unsure about what is appropriate for your companies brand and messaging, enlist a professional. It is far more cost-effective to create your brand identity right the first time and not waste time creating visibility only to have to start over because your brand isn’t working.
4. Poor website that is not mobile-friendly
Many B2B companies believe that the investment in a good mobile-friendly website is only necessary for B2C companies. I often hear," I'm not Amazon and I'm not selling anything online." Even if your customers do not purchase your products or services directly from your website, you are still selling online.
Today, most purchases are made with some research being done online. Since we all walk around with smart phones, research is often completed from a mobile device. Your online presence is a reflection of your business. Don't let your online impression be a tired and dated one, or worse not viewable through phones and tablets.
5. No Social Media Presence
Just as with the need to have a strong web presence, you need to be on social media. This doesn't mean you need to be on every social media platform, but you do need to be on the ones your customers use. Social media is a cost-effective way to reach your customer base. The key is consistency and communicating the 'right' information on the right platform to the right audience.
If social media is not something you are comfortable using or you just don't know what to communicate and when and how often, enlist an expert. Social media is a strong tool, but needs to be used appropriately.
There are other marketing mistakes, but these are the ones I see most often. Time and knowledge are the two factors that often contribute to poor marketing efforts or not staying consistent with marketing. If this sounds like you, please feel free to contact us at MarketingEyeDallas.com. We work with many clients just like you and will assist you in implementing the right marketing for your business.
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