Running a small business is everything but simple in a world packed with competitors and struck by the COVID-19 pandemic. The only thing that can help companies keep their head above water is marketing, but we are still witnessing a lot of misconceptions and wrongdoings in this field.
Small businesses make all sorts of marketing mistakes, so it becomes fundamental to pinpoint inaccuracies and eliminate elements that can only slow down your sales. We will point out the 12 most common marketing mistakes and give you practical tips on how to set things right. Let’s begin!
1. Lack of strategy
A recent report claims that marketers with a documented strategy are 313% more likely to report success. Unfortunately, way too many small businesses don’t have a clearly-defined marketing plan and so they fail to achieve the desired results. If you still don’t have a strategy, here’s what it must contain:
- Key performance indicators
- Main marketing channels
- Unique selling proposition
- A schedule of activities
- Marketing budget
2. Not defining a buyer person
Who is your average customer? In case you cannot answer this question, you are making a big mistake because it’s much easier to create marketing messages that target a specific type of consumer.
For example, assignment help agencies are targeting high school and college students interested in achieving academic success. As a small business owner, you should identify a typical buyer and create your marketing plan accordingly.
3. Doing it all alone
Marketing – just like any other profession – requires a fair share of skills, knowledge, and experience. In such circumstances, it’s a mistake to do it all alone and avoid consultations with industry experts. Today, you can find help for everything from proofreading and content creation to SEO and advertising, so you better let professionals do their job on your behalf.
4. No brand positioning
Does your company have a branding strategy? What is your business vision? If you haven’t really thought about it lately, you should definitely try and figure out what makes your brand so special and different than other companies in the same niche. After all, customers are supposed to recognize your style and visual elements as soon as they see them.
5. Focusing on new customers only
Acquiring new customers is always a great thing to do, but that should not distract you from building long-term relationships with existing clients.
The famous Pareto principle claims that 80% of company sales come from 20% of customers. This basically means that recurring buyers are the most important driver of success in business and the only way to keep the firm sustainable in the long run.
6. Not having a company blog
Millions of companies publish new posts every day – and for good reason. A blog makes your company visible in the online world, which is where the vast majority of consumers start searching for products or services. A trustworthy blog will drive website traffic and help you become recognized as an industry thought leader.
7. Forgetting SEO
Running a blog is great, but do you pay attention to SEO? Search engines index and categorize online content, so you need to use keywords and other optimization tricks to stay visible. However, it’s a complex topic and we definitely recommend hiring an SEO expert to help you.
For instance, phrases like ‘’custom papers’’ and ‘’college paper reviews’’ probably look the same to you, but search engines interpret them differently. SEO specialists know their way around keywords and they will assist you in climbing up the ranking ladder.
8. Using too many social networks
Social networks can give you exposure to billions of users, but it would be a mistake for small businesses to create more than two or three social media accounts. A much better solution is to see where your customers spend their time and concentrate on these platforms only.
Here’s a little example: B2B companies target senior managers and decision-makers, so they should use LinkedIn and Twitter because that’s where serious businesspersons are.
9. No event marketing
More than 30% of marketers believe that event marketing is the single-most effective marketing channel. This stat is a real eye-opener as it proves that small businesses need to invest in live events and meet their clients in person.
10. Forgetting segmentation
The fact that you understand your target audience doesn’t mean that the job is done. On the contrary, you must not forget to segment leads and divide them into meaningful customer groups based on their interests, channels of communication, sales funnel positions, and similar. The point of segmentation is that it enables you to craft perfect content for each audience group in particular.
11. Pushing it too hard
Another mistake small businesses make very often is to push it too hard by publishing too many posts and sending too many email messages to the subscribers. Our tip is to find the right frequency and help people remember the brand without making them feel annoyed or disturbed.
12. Failing to measure results
Finally, failing to measure the results of your campaigns is also problematic because you should know whether your activities are really delivering. Data analytics will make your marketing strategy more focused and hence more productive.
About the author
Kurt Walker is an assignment help specialist in research paper writing services.
Besides being an assignment writing service expert, Kurt is a passionate blogger interested in marketing, business, and finance. He is the father of two toddlers and a sturdy long-distance runner.
