Happy Fall! This time of year, it’s all about the cooler weather (even if it is only 5 or 10 degrees cooler here in Florida!), the start of our busy seasons and of course, pumpkin spice. While you’re sipping your PSL, take a moment to consider any bad marketing strategy habits you may have picked up…
To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of the top five marketing habits you’re going to want to “fall” out of ASAP.
It’s Not All About You
When it comes to marketing, one of the biggest mistakes many businesses tend to make is focusing too much on promoting themselves and their product, rather than solving their customers’ problems or sharing their company values and care for the customers. Of course, you want consumers to think your business is the best, but this doesn’t mean you have to oversell it.
Keeping your consumers and audience in mind when marketing your brand is key. What are they going to care about, what value are they getting from your services, how is your product going to make their lives easier? Make it more about them, and less about you.
Follow Your Moral Compass
Marketing should be seen as a way to positively promote yourself while creating a connection with your customers. In order to maintain an effective marketing strategy, avoid dishonest practices such as using clickbait and creating or buying false reviews. Taking the easy way out never leads to good business.
While these tactics may seem tempting, and you think they’ll give you gains, they’ll actually turn away current and potential customers. Honesty and ethics are highly valued by consumers today, and it’s easier than ever for word to get out that a business is being unethical. Tell the truth, fess up when you make a mistake, and always make it right.
Step Up the Strategy
Successful businessman Morris Chang once said, “without strategy, execution is aimless. Without execution, strategy is useless.” A strategy is absolutely necessary in order to succeed in your business. In order to successfully manage your marketing strategy, there must be a plan in place.
If you need help getting started, contact us today and request a free copy of our eBook – Marketing Plan Basics.
QUICK TIP: Creating a social media content calendar is a great way to stay organized and plan ahead for the platforms you use for promoting your business. Writing the content ahead of time and deciding when it will be posted ensures that you’re keeping consistency, and it pushes you to maintain a schedule. Without a plan, chances are your channels can become a ghost town with no posts, and no customers consistently visiting.
Care About Your Content
In order to keep your audience engaged, the content you post should be creative, original, and visually enticing. Do your research on what platform can be used to best communicate with your target audience and create unique content for all platforms. Use hashtags and captivating visuals on Instagram, keep it brief on Twitter, and post company updates and thoughtful pieces on LinkedIn.
Don’t forget, a lot of content, especially social media, is being viewed on mobile devices. Do a check to see how your website and pages look on not only your computer screen but also on your cell phone. Keeping this in mind will help boost your following and keep your audience happy, as they won’t have to struggle to navigate your sites on the go.
While we tend to think of multi-tasking as a beneficial skill, this isn’t the case when it comes to marketing and social media. Trying to do too much can spread you thin and make it so you’re not putting your best foot forward to customers.
Pinpoint which platforms are most helpful in reaching out to your business’ target audience. Your business does not have to be on every social media channel or in every publication to be successful. Picking two or three and maximizing efforts on them is much more effective than trying to do them all. Once you find the perfect fit, tailor your content to your customers and create a set schedule in order to keep everything organized.
Hopefully breaking the habit seems a little simpler now. It’s not all going to happen in one day (in fact, most say it takes about 21 days), but if you keep working at it, eventually you’ll develop new, better marketing habits. If we can help, let us know.