Marketing is a combination of art and science. In order to market effectively, you must balance the needs and desires of your customers; deliver content they will remember; understand the buyer's journey and move your customers effectively through it. In the midst of concerns about COVID-19, it's more critical than ever for businesses to produce marketing content that supports their customers, keeps them informed, and lets them know how businesses are continuing to work on their behalf. Some businesses have already made mistakes: failing to shift their marketing message to adapt to the times, or creating messaging that is insensitive to the needs of their customers. Are you making these key marketing errors?
They aren't investing enough in their marketing efforts.
Some businesses believe that a small amount of money invested in sponsored social posts is enough to reach everyone they want to. They assume that a fairly minimal budget will be entirely adequate to meet their overall needs. They aren't setting a marketing budget that aligns with their goals and offers the funds that allow them to meet their needs--or, if they do have a reasonable marketing budget, they're investing it in the wrong places.
Consider, for example, a business that is investing the bulk of its marketing dollars in sponsored social posts, but is putting nothing into other sources of advertising--including their website. This business could fail to reach the customers it needs--or to provide them with the information they really need to choose that business.
They think they can do all of their marketing on their own.
One of the biggest mistakes many businesses make is that they think they don't actually need help from others. Even if you have an in-house marketing team, you may find that collaborating with others can provide you with a unique, unbiased perspective that can make it easier for you to see a different side of your marketing efforts.
Working with a media company can provide you with resources and insight that you might not have access to on your own, including a wider audience, tools and equipment, and even critical guidance about how to position your marketing for the greatest effect.
They aren't producing strong enough creative.
In order to grab the attention of your audience, you need creative content that is high-quality and eye-catching. Your customers are surrounded by ads every day. If you want your ads to succeed, you need something unique: content that offers something your competitors aren't, or something that creates a deeper emotional connection.
Having help from a third party that has a lot of experience creating high-quality content can help you tailor your creative to speak directly to your target audience. When you have a complete understanding of your audience and their needs, you are able to create ads with messaging that they can directly relate to. If your messaging doesn’t resonate with those you are trying to reach, then your ads are missing the mark, which can result in wasted ad dollars.
They haven't done enough research and testing.
Many businesses think they know their target audience, but when it comes right down to it, they have no idea what that target audience needs or wants. If you don't have a clear understanding of who you're trying to reach and their patterns, then your marketing creative and efforts might not reach them the right way or at the right time. You need to know your target audience: what they like and dislike, how much money they have to spend, occupation, and any other factors that tell you who they are.
You also need to know their consumer habits and viewing behaviors, which will enable you to create television ads and other marketing materials that will reach your audience. Your media consultant will have access to test audiences that can provide honest feedback about the way they view your company and the messages you're sending. By conducting research and testing, you are able to see what is working and what isn’t, and then adjust your marketing strategy and budget accordingly to see the best results.
Their websites aren't optimized.
Every part of your marketing campaign needs to be SEO/SEM optimized. If your customers can't find you through search engines and other channels then they can't make purchases from your business. Keep in mind that:
- Photos should be responsive
- Your website should be optimized for mobile and tablet devices, as well as desktops
- Your content should help move customers through the buyer's journey within your sales funnel, helping them make purchasing decisions
There are many marketing mistakes that can prevent you from achieving your goals--and knowing what those mistakes are can help you avoid them. When you work alongside an experienced media consultant, they can guide you through the steps of putting together marketing that works for your business. From research to production, a media partner can help you avoid many of those common marketing errors. By tailoring your marketing to the times with their help, including situations like the current pandemic, you are able to produce quality marketing materials that will reach the right people at the right time.
