Misconceptions, mistrust, and mistakes are frequent in the marketing scene. Many businesses don’t prioritize marketing, while some practice it unethically. Some stick to the outdated strategies that they’re familiar with, but that just doesn’t work anymore.
These approaches can be absolutely detrimental to driving traffic. It’s critical to be aware of the pitfalls to avoid as you take back your marketing. Today, we’re going to give you a rundown of the top 9 mistakes and malpractices to stay away from, so that you can perfect your marketing approach.
2 Reasons Why Some People Mistrust Marketers
Marketing can get a bad rap because of the few people who do it unethically. Some believe that all salespeople are liars or cheats who only care about taking their money. That’s why it’s important to deconstruct these beliefs by doing ethical marketing.
1) Over-Promising Without Over-Delivering
Making inflated statements about a product’s effectiveness is straight up lying. Even if you only imply something is better than it is, you’re still manipulating your buyers, which is sure to rub people the wrong way.
One great example is selling a diet cookbook, and promising, “If you buy this cookbook, you’ll lose weight.” While the customer might lose weight from regularly using the recipes from the cookbook, as well as making changes in other areas of their life, they are not going to lose weight simply from buying your cookbook. Saying so is dishonest.
It’s possible to tell the truth and still make use of engaging and attention-grabbing language. Depending on false information is lazy and unethical. Lying is sure to generate negative attention toward your brand.
2) Putting Profit Over People
This isn’t just a problem in the marketing industry, but in every industry. A lot of businesses ignore that their money comes from servicing their buyers. More important than that, businesses have an obligation to service the customers, even if there isn’t an immediate profit involved.
A lot of folks think that marketers only care about the money, and that they have no empathy for the people they sell to. Customers can tell when you don’t really care, and one bad experience will make them wary. Make sure that your brand gives a fantastic experience all across the board. Your marketing should be client-centered.
4 Common Misconceptions People Have About Marketing
These are misconceptions that businesses have about marketing their products and services. A lot of people don’t understand what effective marketing looks like; a lot of those people think they do. Here are four of the most common false beliefs about marketing.
1) Small Business Don’t Need To Market
Many people think that marketing is a waste of time and money for small business. They reason that small business owners are too busy for marketing, and that marketing is only necessary for big businesses that need to drive a lot of traffic. Is this true?
The truth is that small businesses do need to market differently than large businesses. To make effective use of less time and a smaller budget, they need to very have specific marketing strategies. It’s essential that small businesses are methodical and intentional in their marketing, so that they can continue to gain new customers.
2) Marketing Doesn’t Require Effort
There’s a common idea that marketing is easy. This misconception is why so many people attempt to handle their marketing all on their own. Emphasis on “attempt.” These days, anyone can throw something together using Canva. It’s convenient to throw together a haphazard marketing strategy and cross your fingers, or to “spray and pray.” But is this the most effective or most efficient use of your marketing budget?
Marketing takes time and effort, and the most skilled are the experienced. Most people don’t have the time to outline and supervise a specific strategy for their marketing. Many have found that their resources are better spent on a reputable marketing company that sets up their campaigns and content for them.
3) Marketing Is Only For New Customers
You can’t stop marketing to people after they’ve become customers! Business relationships are founded on ongoing engagement and repeat commerce. Make sure that you remain visible to people you’ve done business with in the past.
“Marketing” encompasses a lot more than most people think. Any way that you interact with customers is marketing. Follow up with people you’ve sold to, and they’ll follow up with more purchases. Continuous marketing is the key to success and growth.
4) Quality Products Will Sell Themselves
In a perfect world, the best product would sell the most. In the real world, the product with the best advertising and marketing sells the most. Of course, your product is high-quality, but your marketing strategy needs to match that. Your product is worthless if nobody knows it exists. You need to put your company out there so that it is visible to potential buyers.
3 Common Marketing Mistakes
We’d wager to say that a majority of people don’t have the right information to build the most successful campaigns possible. There are three massive mistakes that you need to avoid if you want to fully take back your marketing.
1) Using The Wrong Data
Actually, many people don’t use data in their marketing at all. This is the biggest error you could make. Accurate data helps you know which people to market to. By building a list of the people who are in the market for your product, you can make your marketing blows count.
Ensure that the data you have is clean and up-to-date. If you use a data provider, make sure you know where they get their data, and if you’re getting the most suitable data for your marketing approach. Using the wrong data is like putting gasoline in a diesel engine; you might think you’ll get somewhere, but it’ll end up blowing up in your face.
2) Looking At The Wrong Metrics
There’s something called “vanity metrics,” or marketing statistics that just make you feel good about yourself. Having a lot of followers or a lot of views is great, but that doesn’t mean anything for traffic or conversion.
Make sure the metrics you pay attention to will tell you if you’re actually reaching your marketing goals. Statistics like Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) and conversion rate are useful numbers for understanding the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
3) Quantity Over Quality
High-quantity marketing efforts will yield results in the short term, but poor quality will kill you in the long run. There are more products, companies, and advertisements out there than we can even imagine. A high posting volume can’t keep you afloat if your content is empty. That’s like having a massive life raft, but it’s completely deflated.
Create content that accurately reflects your product and brand, and that will genuinely connect with your customers. If you post low-effort content or put out shoddy campaigns, it’ll tell people that you don’t really care. Low-quality marketing implies a low-quality product. Quantity is important, but it can’t effectively exist without good quality.
Just knowing the pitfalls to avoid is a great start to crafting a top-notch marketing strategy. Now that you know the DON’Ts, check out our articles about engaging social media marketing and effective data use for killer information on the DOs of marketing. Being aware of the hazards as well as the best moves is pivotal to taking back your marketing.
