Nine More Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Last month, we shared a list of the nine most common mistakes marketers make. It proved to be so popular — and marketers make so many errors — that we decided to do a follow-up. Here are nine MORE common mistakes and how to avoid them.

9 More Marketing Mistakes

Mistake 1. Doing Something Because an Expert Says To

The internet is full of information on how to do things better. (Hopefully, you find this piece a beneficial form of that type of content.)

However, a perfect strategy for one business may not be appropriate for another. It’s critical to the success of your marketing efforts that you stay up-to-date on the latest trends, tactics, and technologies. However, you have to use your own best judgment when developing marketing for your company. Do something because it’s right for reaching your objective, not because an expert told you to do it.

Mistake 2. Offering Vague Advice or Tips

There’s a reason why there are so many articles offering advice in tip form: They’re valuable, and people like them.

The issue: Many of the tips in these pieces are too vague to be of any value. Before publishing any content in tip form, including social posts, blog articles, and videos, check that people can act on the advice. People bounce out of content that they don’t find helpful or actionable and likely never revisit the source of them.

Mistake 3. Not Taking Advantage of Technology

For a group that is often considered “modern,” an awful lot of marketers are stuck in the documents and spreadsheets age. A lot of project management, storage, communication, and file transfer tools have been developed over the last several years. Many are cheap (or free), easy to implement, and proven effective. They cut the time you and the people on your team spend chasing lost files, sorting through versioning issues, and dealing with missed communications so you can focus more of your time on what’s really important: good marketing and communications.

Mistake 4. Viewing B2B Marketing as “Less Than” B2C

If you still believe B2B marketing can’t be as creative as other types, you’re forcing yourself into a box that no longer exists. Business consumers don’t check their brains at the door when they go to work. Pitches to them must be as creative and engaging as the content they see as they navigate through their non-work lives. If you don’t keep consumers engaged, your competitors will.

Mistake 5. Looking, Sounding, and Acting Too Much Like the Competition

Of course, it’s essential to know what your competitors are doing to market themselves. However, you shouldn’t copy it directly. You’ll just confuse your consumers because they won’t be able to tell you apart. Instead, look outside your industry for branding and marketing ideas. Then apply them to your business in a way that’s unique to it and reflects your brand and its values and will help you achieve your goals.

Mistake 6. Continuing to Do What Works

Of course, it’s wise to do what’s been proven effective. It’s a sure way to dependably achieve your sales goals. However, do you know if you could be doing even better? You don’t!

That’s why it’s essential not to rest on your laurels. You’re missing your chance to improve your results and have substitute campaigns available should your current efforts become less effective. Always A/B test new strategies, tactics, and creative types. You never know when you could uncover something that could take your marketing to the next level. It’s always possible to one-up yourself, no matter how good things are.

Mistake 7. Avoiding Long-Form Content

Sure, most people don’t want to commit to reading or watching long things. But depending on your type of business, it could be what it takes to convert prospects into clients or customers. For instance, it’s unlikely that most people will consider taking prescription drugs or working with a surgeon based on a top-five list. If your product or service takes more room to show credibility, commit to long-form content and find creative ways to introduce it to get people to engage with it.

Mistake 8. Focusing on Micro Content

This is a more extreme variation on the previous mistake. Many businesses put a lot of effort into tiny bits of content for channels like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram stories, and more. Sure, the right micro-content delivered to the perfect people in a suitable medium can generate a lot of buzz. But is it enough to convert them to clients or customers? Probably not. Take time to figure out how to leverage the initial buzz and move people through your sales and marketing process.

Mistake 9. Being on Too Many Social Platforms

Does your business try out every new social media channel that pops up? This is a common mistake. It only makes sense to be on the platforms the people in your target audience regularly engage with. If you’re targeting teens, chasing the latest social fad could be a great move for your brand. If you’re going after lawyers, LinkedIn could be enough for your business.

Knowing your business and audience is key to avoiding these mistakes and in time, you will see the right leads come through.