Good business marketing is consistent and clear. As we continue headfirst into 2021, here are the top five marketing mistakes to avoid at all costs.
5) Using Outdated Marketing Strategies
It’s 2021, and there’s no need to include printed materials in your marketing strategy. That is, unless your target audience can remember the last time they had yellow pages in the house. Let’s face it: print has been left in the dust. Nobody will read your ad in the newspaper. It’s much more likely that your flyers will end up in the bin than not.
These days, the most effective branding is done on the internet. If your business’ internet presence is small or nonexistent, this is the year to change that. User-friendly websites and interactive social media pages are what get the clicks.
4) Lack of Social Media Presence
Social media use is a huge part of people’s lives. As recently as 2020, over 2.5 BILLION adults spend 2+ hours every day on social media. There is still time yet to take advantage of this powerful marketing tool.
If your brand doesn’t have a page on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, what are you waiting for? These websites have algorithms you can use to reach your core audience.
That is, if you know your core audience.
3) Not Knowing Your Audience
Think of the target audience for your service or product. If your answer was “everyone,” you need to narrow it down. When it comes to business marketing strategy, tailor-made advertisements matter. Knowing the likely consumer of your brand will help you get under their skin.
Better yet, cater to your repeat customers! Consistency is key. If your themes are constantly changing, it will be hard for your regulars to come back to you. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
2) Meandering Messages with No Call to Action
So, you know your audience. Or, at the very least, you’ve narrowed it down from “everyone with an internet connection” to your key demographics. There are two HUGE questions you need to ask yourself. What have you got that they need? And what should they do about that?
Should you be unable to answer those two crucial questions with clarity and purpose, it will be confusing to your potential customers at the very least. At most, it will be annoying. You don’t want your brand to be annoying.
With a few notable exceptions, long, movie-like ads with an elusive CTA will alienate the viewer. Some are only memorable because of how bizarre and unfocused they are. This problem applies to other promotional materials too, like blogs and tweets.
If your marketing strategy obscures the product you offer, stop right there! Here is what you do instead:
Tell people what you have and why they need it. Market your brand in a way to entice the viewer to action. Why should they buy from you? What needs can you meet in their life? Tell them what they need to do! Give them a phone number to call, an email to write to. Better yet, advertise what social media pages you have available for their perusal.
1) Tone-Deaf Advertising
Sometimes you’ll want to create promotional material that references current events. Resist the urge. Unless you can approach current events with the nuance they deserve, avoid using current events in your promotional materials.
Take a note from that horrid Pepsi ad from 2016, for example. Badly timed marketing strategies are a disaster.
Conclusion
As you hone your marketing skills in 2021, let the good folks here at V12 Strategies be your partners in crime. Visit our website, and we’ll help you out.
