As a small business owner, you’ve probably put a lot of work into your marketing plan. But even the best plans can fall apart when mistakes are made. Let’s take a look at seven common marketing mistakes small businesses make and what you can do to avoid them.

Not Knowing Your Audience

All too often, people start creating content without knowing who they are talking to. This is where your marketing plan begins. First, you have to understand who your audience is, what they struggle with, and how you’re able to offer a solution. If you don’t know your audience, you’re messaging is not going to resonate with their needs.

Creating the Wrong Content

Just because your competitor is making reels, does that mean you have to? Maybe you should be investing in long researched white papers? Or hosting live webinars. My point is that there are many types of content, and you’ll want to utilize the kinds of content that will best resonate with your audience. In addition, you will want to be able to move them through their buying journey to go from no to like to trust.

One Size Fits All

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of repurposing content across multiple platforms. But each platform has its nuances and quirks. Therefore, it’s essential to make sure that you’re crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s to get the most return for your efforts. This can mean setting up your blogs using best practices or utilizing the tools within a particular social platform. For example, with LinkedIn, you have multiple options on how to share content. Should it be a post? An article? Or a combination of the two? Utilizing hashtags links and calls to action appropriately across platforms will ensure your content is more accessible to your audience.

Not Executing

It can be overwhelming to execute an effective marketing plan, but if you’re going to put the time and energy into building out a strategic road map, it’s important to act on it. Before you even start planning, set realistic expectations about what you can accomplish either by yourself or by hiring support. By setting realistic expectations from the get-go, you will not feel as overwhelmed and will start making strides in the right direction. Then, once you begin to see results, you can justify putting more effort into specific areas. Not executing will get you nowhere.

Selling Too Much

Nobody likes to be sold to. It’s essential to share various topics with your audience that aren’t explicitly selling your product. These can be educational, motivational, community-driven, and finally, sprinkling in some sales and promotional messages. Be sure to include strong calls to action for a well-rounded marketing campaign

Following the Herd

It can be easy to get caught up in what others are doing and decide to engage on the platform because competitors are there. But at the end of the day, it’s important to stay focused and show up for your audience in a way that will resonate with them. It’s not about fitting in; it’s about standing out.

Not Keeping Score

It can be easy to bring different channels into your marketing, but when you look at the facts and dive into the data, you’ll see exactly what’s working and what’s not. If you’re second-guessing what’s resonating with your audience or where you should spend time, make data a part of the conversation. I often see businesses spend time on platforms or on certain marketing areas that are driving limited results, where they neglect platforms that are working better.

Do you recognize any of these common marketing mistakes within your business? Whether you need help with planning, execution, analytics, or all of the above, the team at Ellen Grace is here for you! Reach out to us today to learn more!