10 common marketing mistakes to avoid

Avoiding marketing mistakes isn’t easy in today’s business marketplace; which is at times a terrifying jungle where your competitors are hungry predators and your customers are the food source that’s a challenge to catch. To survive you can’t afford to make many marketing mistakes. So here are some common marketing mistakes you should look out for.

1. Poor positioning
Firstly your food source or your customer—how well do you really know them? Most businesses today believe that their target market is anyone and everyone, which is fine if you have the marketing budget of Coca-Cola. Most soft drink companies define their core demographic (a little jargon meaning your ‘most probable customers’) as 14-to-18 year olds, which is why their advertising campaigns target teenagers with a theme of fun and first love. So mistake number one is not defining your core customer. Research your customers and see who is more likely to buy from you, then define them by sex, age and even status, eg. working mother, business owner etc.

2. A bland brand
Your brand is the backbone of your business and your logo is the pivot point that all your marketing will hang from. Mistake number two is having a poor, unmemorable brand.
You’ve heard the saying ‘a picture says a thousand words’ so what is your logo saying to your customers about your business? A logo should be colourful yet simple so it is easily recognised and able to be replicated across different mediums. It should say what you do and it should create the right first impression for your business. For example, if your business is a young, funky hair salon then the logo should be bright, modern and incorporate creative shapes with sharp angles instead of subtle pastel colours with an illustration of a head or pair of scissors.

3. A website instead of an online business
The latest statistics show a total of 1,407,724,920 people across the globe using the internet with just over 19 million (or 57 percent of the population) of those in Australia/Oceania (www.internetworldstats.com). Now realistically not all of these people are going to be searching for your business or looking at your website, but it does demonstrate the depth and potential of the internet. Mistake number three is not having an effective online presence to promote your business and attract customers. Instead of a website that is little more than an online brochure, you should build an online business portal – just like opening another shop or office but with the street address replaced by a website address (URL). Companies like DesignShop can help you create a self-managed online business with all the functionality you need, like e-newsletters, product information, e-catalogue or e-commerce, forums and so on.

4. Ineffective direct mail promotion
Mistake number four is ineffective direct mail promotions. Generally you can expect a success rate for a direct mail promotion of between one and three percent, however this can often fall to zero if you don’t follow a few simple rules. Direct mail needs to be creative first and foremost so that it stands out from the clutter and demands to be noticed. Your direct mail flyer or brochure should be colourful and easy to read, not over worded and provide a clear benefit to the reader. Finally, direct mail often becomes junk mail because it is printed on low quality stock or in dull colours like black and red. Invest in quality full colour printing and heavier, glossy stock for the best results.

5.  Unmemorable customer experience
Customer experience with many Australian small businesses can quite often become memorable – but for all the wrong reasons.  Mistake number six is not having a positive, memorable customer experience.  Ever walked into a large department store and tried to find a staff member to assist you?  In a time poor marketplace where we are all busier than ever before customers are demanding a buying experience that’s quick and easy.  Direct potential customers to your website so they pre-qualify their buying decisions with product information or Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) and at store level be sure to display pricing and product information clearly.