Is your marketing working for you? You need an accurate answer, but people often use outdated marketing tactics to measure their marketing results. Unfortunately, these ineffective marketing tactics are surprisingly common.
Measuring results correctly requires the ability to understand what makes people buy the products and services they use in their day-to-day lives. In this post, we share the ineffective marketing tactics that we see people use, so you will know what to avoid.
Asking People How They Heard About Your Business
It seems like it would be a good idea just to ask people how they heard about you. Unfortunately, that’s not going to be very accurate.
For example, maybe they originally saw an ad for your business on TV, but then they Googled your company afterward to find out more. So they tell you that they found you on Google, and they don’t mention the TV ad at all.
By the time you ask them where they heard about your business, often times they forgot. If you rely on your customers’ memories, you could be misled. You might think that your marketing campaigns aren’t working when, in reality, they are.
Relying Too Much on Foot Traffic or Website Traffic
Another popular method is looking at the traffic, either in person or on the web. This method fails because traffic doesn’t necessarily equal sales.
People could be window shopping, coming into your store or browsing on your site even though they are not planning to buy.
Or the reverse could be true. You might not be seeing a lot of traffic right now, but you could be laying the groundwork for future sales.
For example, even if you are not seeing an immediate increase in foot traffic, your social media presence could be growing. If you’re getting more followers and more “likes,” you are building a base of future customers.
If you overlook your social media success, you might wrongly conclude that your marketing wasn't working and abruptly change directions. That could be a costly mistake.
Ignoring the Advertising That Drives Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is a great way to get new customers, but when you measure your marketing, it’s a mistake to focus only on word of mouth. Many businesses believe that word of mouth is what will help them grow. It is essential to also look at what gets that word of mouth going in the first place.
People can have a good experience with your business but may not talk about it with their friends unless something gives them a little push. Your TV and digital advertising can be that push. The advertising reminds them of their excellent experience and makes it more likely they will spread the word about your business.
Sophisticated businesses know that while it’s important to look at word of mouth as an avenue for promotion, it is not an effective way to measure how well your business advertising is doing overall. If you attribute your success only to word of mouth, you will skew the measurement of your marketing results because you are not counting the effect that your advertising had on accelerating word of mouth in the first place.
Failing to Look at Your Marketing as a Whole
You should always be aware of how your advertising ties into the buyers’ journeys of your potential customers. When you advertise on different types of platforms, each platform may appeal to people at a different stage of their journey.
It’s a mistake to treat your advertising on different platforms as completely separate. Your ads should be integrated so that all your advertising works together as a whole to take your customers through their buyers’ journeys.
It’s tricky to accurately measure your marketing results, but it’s crucial for the growth and long-term success of your company. Working with a professional marketing team will give you the accurate information you need. The team will know the right metrics to track so that you get a true picture of the results of your marketing campaigns. Then you can make smart decisions and discover the marketing tactics that get results.
