Last year I was interviewed by Auspicious Arts where we talked about common marketing mistakes and how to overcome them. Our chat inspired me to write this blog post so that my readers can learn from these mistakes and get the most out of their marketing efforts.
Mistake 1: No market research
You need to know if there is a need for the product or service you are offering, who your competitors are and how to position yourself in the market. It doesn’t have to be onerous but get out there talk to people who buy similar products and services and get their insights. You can also do a survey using free online tools, or access other online material to help you understand the market.
Market research gives you very valuable insights into what people are looking for, what appeals to them and how to position yourself in the market accordingly.
Mistake 2: They don’t have an ideal client
You can’t talk or target to everyone, your message will be too diluted, won’t connect with anyone and won’t stand out in the crowd. Know who your ideal client is, who are you targeting, are they a consumer, a business owner or government and what position do they hold? Understand your ideal client, their pain points and frustrations, and then solve their problem better than anyone else.
Pick that one person that you love to work with, that one person that lights you up, and make them your ideal client. This will help you connect with them, write better content, share posts about issues that your ideal client relates to, and don’t worry you won’t scare people away doing this. It means your marketing will be consistent and people will connect with it.
Mistake 3: Doing too many things
I see this one all the time, people have amazing ideas, want to do too many things, get overwhelmed and spread themselves too thin. They either don’t get much done or the things they do aren’t strategic.
As your budget progresses and evolves, continue referring to your SMART objectives. Stay focused and remember your goals – they will always inform what your next step will be!
Mistake 4: They don’t ask for help or outsource
It can be hard to ask for help or outsource for many reasons. Even just talking about your idea or problem with someone else can give you clarity. A problem shared is a problem solved (ok, maybe halved).
As your budget progresses and evolves, continue referring to your SMART objectives. Stay focused and remember your goals – they will always inform what your next step will be!
Mistake 5: No marketing plan
Don’t yawn or stop reading yet, planning your marketing is important. It doesn’t have to take months to do this. Get a calendar and start to write down what events you want to attend (e.g. markets, expos, etc.) and what other marketing activities you want to do throughout the year.
Write down themes and ideas for content and plan ahead. If you don’t want to do a full twelve months start with three months. It will help stop that overwhelm and you can spread your marketing and budget throughout the year. Remember to tap into special dates if they relate to your ideal client (e.g. environment day, Mother’s Day and Christmas day).
Mistake 6:Don’t evaluate their marketing
This is another step in marketing which is often left out, business owners don’t look at what marketing they have done, evaluated what has worked and what hasn’t. Why is it important? It is full of marketing insights to take your marketing to the next level.
Grab a coffee and write notes after each marketing activity. For example, after going to an expo write down what was good, bad and what ideas you have to make it better next time. When a similar event comes up you are equipped and ready to take it to the next level.
Let me know your thoughts, have you seen these ‘mistakes’ out in the market? How have you seen businesses overcome them?
