Do you own a small business? Then you know how important effective marketing is to keep the money rolling in. However, the mistakes highlighted here can affect the bottom line, so keep reading and do your best to avoid these errors.
- Weak Online Presence
Technology and software development have transformed the online world in recent years. If your small business doesn’t have a website or it’s outdated, you are losing potential customers.
Some small business owners think if they only have one or two locations in their community, there’s no need to invest in a solid web presence. But the marketing game is much different than it was 20 years ago. It’s estimated that at least 90% of potential customers will look for products and services online before leaving their homes to shop.
With technology being so advanced and affordable now, there’s no reason your company shouldn’t have an effective website. Making a strong, simple website is an affordable and proactive way to promote your brand.
And if you put your social media channels on your site, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you can turbocharge your site and potential sales.
Not Studying Your Competition
As a small business owner, you can get caught up in the day-to-day of running the company. But you can learn a lot about how to approach marketing by watching what your competitors are doing.
Consider running a competitor analysis to understand what their strengths and weaknesses are and how they compare to yours. You can use helpful tools such as SpyFu and Facebook Ad Library to understand how the other guys and gals are marketing to their prospects.
Studying them will help you understand your market better and how clients and prospects respond to your ads.
Not Focusing On Current Customers
Your digital marketing initiatives should always be geared towards new business, but don’t neglect current customers, too. Several marketing studies reveal that getting a new customer is six times more expensive than selling to a current one.
By only focusing your marketing on new customers, your regular clients may feel neglected or complain about shoddy customer service. Research suggests that at least 70% of potential customers will check your customer reviews before making a purchasing decision.
So, save part of your marketing budget for retaining new customers, and your bottom line will appreciate it.
Expecting Results Immediately
Many small companies move from one marketing idea to another. They might expect results too soon, and when they don’t get them, they give up one marketing idea and try another.
Whether you choose Facebook ads, search engine optimization, or TV ads, it will take time for your marketing to penetrate and generate sales. So, create a long-term marketing plan and be patient. Give the plan time to work.
Ignoring Brand Awareness
Every company large and small wants to make more money and sales. But if the prospect doesn’t have any idea who your company is and what your brand represents, they’re less likely to buy. After all, they don’t understand who you are, so why would they trust you?
Rather than just concentrating on marketing for more sales, spend some of your budget on increasing brand awareness. Use more PR, social media posts and ads, and influencer partnerships to build brand awareness.
If you build up your brand, prospects will be more receptive to your marketing when they see or hear it.
Not Making A Marketing Plan
If your marketing plan consists of just buying Facebook ads once in a while, it’s unlikely your plan is going to succeed – because it’s not a plan at all.
You need to do research to determine which advertising channels are best for reaching your audience. Then, craft a marketing plan that serves ads on those channels.
The marketing plan you create should have prices, frequency, and times for ads, as well as where they will appear. Have everything detailed and the plan is more likely to succeed.
If you remember these online marketing mistakes, you’ll be more likely to avoid trouble and enjoy more brand awareness and sales.