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marketing don'ts

bobby3730

Common Marketing Mistakes Businesses Make when they market their business.


Before you go any further, remember, if you ever sit down with someone who says they are an expert in marketing - get up and leave - at best, we are all practicing physicians. So, why am I writing this? Some principles stand true and have for the twenty-plus years I have been doing this. These are my opinions based on experience and common practice. Also, I am painting with a broad brush rather than a specific example. Ok, let's get on with it.


Don't put soo much information in your ad.

Many businesses think that if I don't put everything I do in the ad, I might miss out. If you put everything you do in an ad, you will miss out because the ad will be so busy or wordy that people will pass it by or tune it out. Consumers are bombarded with information from multiple sources. The ones that break through the clutter consistently are simple, clean (well designed - not over-designed), and address one issue, one solution, and one action. A good example? Pests in the house? Call the Mouse. Company name and phone number. No need to name every pest, service, location, website, or phone; you get the idea.


Don't use cliches.

Cliches don't mean anything to anyone except to tell the potential customer; I was too lazy to be creative. Let me give you a few that must DIE.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff (or) fast and friendly service- duh! They had better be!

We are conveniently located at... - um, not for everyone.

For all your (fill in the blank) needs - this one is awful because it is so vague and empty.


Instead, speak plainly and talk with your audience instead of to them.

Speaking plainly brings me to my next point.


Don't talk to your potential customer; talk with them.

Cliches are a great example of this, but so is getting too technical or using words or phrases that don't put things in a context that connects with them. Tell them what your product or service can do for them, and talk about what interests them, not you. I worked with an air filtration system company; the owner was so fascinated by the science behind their product; in every ad. It Might be great if the ad was going into a technical journal, but it had terrible results in convincing people to drop hundreds on a system for their home. I could never get him to talk about how kids with allergies could come home to a safe place. Knowing how to speak with your audience is determined by your intended audience, which brings me to...


Don't advertise without having a target audience in mind.

When I ask this question to clients, frequently I hear, everybody! I want everybody to come! Everybody needs insurance! Everybody will want to buy my widget. That may or may not be accurate, but what is almost always true is that you'll miss if you don't aim at a target. Every time you market a product, service, or store, you should have your ideal customer in mind. Who's most likely going to want to, have the money to, or feel the need to buy. Also, having a target in mind will steer you to or away from a particular platform. For instance, if you want to target women ages 25 -45, you might be on Instagram, but maybe not Twitter.


One more.


Don't think that marketing ends once you place your ad.

A client told me that the ad wasn't that great; even though they had increased traffic (calls, visitors, etc.), they didn't buy anything. I responded, wait, so I did my job of getting potentially new customers to your store, but you didn't do your job and sell them? How is that my or the ad's fault? Later in the day, I noticed several things by the store. The floor was dirty; the phone rang several times before it was answered. When the worker answered the phone, the person hurriedly said the business's name. And while customers were in the store, the clerk was either on their phones, talking to each other, or eating. Marketing doesn't end once your ad is in place. Marketing never ends.

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© 2022 by Bobby Daniels

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