By Jessica Swanson, Manta Marketing Expert
Before you launch your next marketing campaign, whether online or offline, make sure to avoid some of the most common marketing mistakes.
1. Failure to write a powerful headline.
Whether you’re writing a newspaper ad, email message or press release, you must create a powerful headline. Research suggests that your headline is the most important part of your ad. It is absolutely essential that you draw your prospective customer or client into your ad and keep them interested in what you have to offer.
2. Absence of an irresistible offer.
In marketing, 40% of the response that you receive from your prospects is directly related to your offer. In today’s competitive marketplace, you need to present your client or customer with an offer that they simply can’t resist. Offers can range from discounts to offering a free report, but the fact remains that if you have an irresistible offer, people will respond.
3. A weak or non-existent call to action.
Every single time you create an ad, you want to direct your prospective client or customer to take a specific action. This action can be to call a toll-free number, visit a website or place an order. If you fail to tell your prospect exactly what you want them to do, they won’t do anything. Take your prospect by the hand and show them what they need to do next in order to guide them through your sales process.
4. An inadequate list.
Even if you have the best product since sliced bread, you need highly targeted and responsive prospects. This can be accomplished by building a list. There are dozens of tools that allow you to build a list quickly and efficiently. The best way to accomplish this is by asking prospects to supply you with their name and email in exchange for your “irresistible free offer.” Most marketers agree that growing a list is perhaps one of the most important jobs for any small business.
5. Relying on one marketing message.
On average, consumers are exposed to over 4,000 marketing messages every day. Recent research suggests that your clients and customers will need to see your marketing message between seven and twelve times before they even take notice. That means you can never rely on sending one message to your prospects; instead, you need to send repeated messages to them over and over again. Decide how you will deliver your message and then make sure to develop and continue a relationship with your prospect in an ongoing process.
6. Failure to measure campaign effectiveness.
There are literally hundreds of ways to market your small business. Over time, you’ll most likely tap into dozens of these marketing platforms. However, it is absolutely vital that you take time to measure the effectiveness of your various marketing campaigns. This can be done with simple spreadsheets or fancier CRM systems. No matter how you measure your marketing, you must understand what is working and what is not working so that you can be extremely effective.
7. Not communicating with your current customers.
It’s vital to provide ongoing communication with your current customer base. You’ve spent valuable time and money acquiring new customers. Moreover, 20% of your current customers will purchase from you again. Make sure that you communicate with your customers on a regular basis, solicit their feedback and provide value to them over the long-term. This will help build your small business over time.
Whether you are a brand new small business owner or an established veteran, it’s essential to avoid these most common marketing mistakes. To be successful over time, you must continually work to improve your marketing effectiveness. If you do, your business can grow with ease.
About the Author: Jessica Swanson has helped thousands of small business owners, all over the world, implement low-cost, high-impact DIY marketing campaigns. Armed with years of teaching and a M.S. in Written Communications, Jessica takes complicated marketing concepts, turns them upside-down, and makes them incredibly simple and outrageously straightforward.
