3 Business Crippling Marketing Mistakes
Marketing can seem overwhelming for smaller businesses, especially since modern consumers are demanding personalized interaction more than ever. Between the time it takes to put your goods on the map and costs involved, it’s no wonder more and more marketing is outsourced.
What many business owners don’t realize is that they are making some major assumptions that are costing them more than subcontracted marketing ever could. By correcting these mistakes, you are sure to see an increase in business, a gain in loyal clients, and might even find yourself enjoying the promotional aspects of business.
1. Posting for the Sake of Posting
It’s almost impossible to ignore the fact that social media is a major source for new clients and maintaining loyalty with your current clients. But one thing many businesses overlook is the validity of deep content. If you are only writing blog posts or website data to check something off your list, then you are doing your business a disservice. Uninteresting content or writing just to get keywords to snag search engine requests is a sure fire way to hand revenue to your competition.
The best way to figure out what to write is to ask yourself a couple questions on the topics you’re considering. The single most important is how passionate you are about what you’re writing. If you don’t think it’s interesting, your potential clients won’t either. Secondly, you want to consider its relevancy to what your services or product provides for clients, and uses this slant to curb to readers. (This links into number 2 below.)
Thirdly, don’t restrict your writing to a word limit or keyword requirements. This can sometimes make the writing stilted. By writing organically, you can display your expertise and give the client the information they need to choose your goods from all other options.
Lastly, people response to certain writing types better than others. For example, storytelling or testimonials are great ways to reel them in and show them the benefit of being your customer. Another great option is answering frequently asked questions before they need to ask. This shows that you can anticipate their needs and gives you bonus points. Making your content positive, professional, and none-robotic in nature will set you apart from the competition.
2. Trying to Market to Everyone
Another major mistake smaller businesses make in their marketing plan is throwing too wide of a net. Sure, if you’re a dentist, you have a big pool of knowledge and ability. But if your primary specialty is implementing braces, you should focus your marketing on the appropriate customers, such as teenagers, parents, or people in the beaut and health industry.
By narrowing your focus, you not only will see an increase in clients, but you will also see more of the types of customers you want. Not only will they become loyal because they have a peaked interest or investment in your company, but they often lead to referrals of like-minded potential clients.
3. Not Knowing Your Competition
A third mistake that so many businesses do when it comes to marketing is ignoring their rivalry. Being actively aware of every move your competitors make has a two-fold advantage for your company. Not only can you garner tons of content and promotion ideas that you can twist into your own advantage, but you can also find the distinctions between the two of you and leverage them for business.
Making sure you fix these three mistakes will help your business create marketing momentum and make you feel more confident in your online presence and the type of customers you’re bringing in. Are you making these mistakes or have you in the past? If so, how did you fix it? Please tell us in the comments below.
