There are several common mistakes that businesses make when marketing themselves. Avoiding these mistakes can help your business reach its full potential.
1. Not targeting the right audience
When you are marketing your business, it is important to target the right audience. Targeting the right audience means that you are focusing your marketing efforts on the people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer. You shouldn’t be targeting a global audience if your business is local. You also shouldn’t be targeting a younger audience if your business is primarily for seniors. It’s a common instinct to try not to exclude any potential customers and target your marketing more broadly. The truth is, the more narrowly and accurately you target, the more effective your investment will be.
2. Focusing on the wrong channels
When you are marketing your business, you need to focus on the right channels. Some channels, are no longer as effective as they once were, while others are becoming increasingly more important. It is important to identify the channels that your target audience is using and focus your marketing efforts there.
3. Not using a clear and consistent message
Your marketing message should be clear and consistent across all of your marketing channels. What do you want people to know about your company? What makes you different from your competitors? What do you stand for? Focus on answering these simple questions as clearly as possible. Then do it consistently. If your message varies from one channel to the next, your audience will be confused about what it is that you are offering. Consistent messaging helps to build trust with your audience and makes it easier for them to understand what it is that you do.
4. Not using a strong call to action
A strong call to action is essential for any marketing campaign. If you don't tell your audience what you want them to do, they’re likely to do nothing. Your call to action should be clear, simple, and easy to follow. Buy now. Learn more. Sign up.
5. Not tracking results
There’s little use in investing time and money into marketing if you can’t determine what is working and what is not. If you don't track results, you won't know which campaigns are worth investing in and which ones should be discontinued. Effectively tracking results also allows you to tweak your campaigns to make them more effective. Use analytics tools to track your results and determine which marketing channels are most effective for your business.
6. Focusing on yourself instead of your customers
When you’re marketing your business, make sure you’re putting your customers first. What do they want or need? How can you best meet their needs? What are they looking for in a product or service? Don’t talk about your company. Talk about them.
