Marketing is such an ingrained part of businesses that it seems avoiding mistakes won’t be that difficult. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Marketing faux pas aren’t just annoying, some have been known to cause losses in millions for businesses.
Not knowing what these mistakes are can also be a learning experience for you or your business. This is why we’re noting down some mistakes you can make in your marketing. By eliminating these mistakes, you can be more mindful in your marketing and subsequently, improve your ROI, market presence and more.
1. Changing Without Considering the Market
Growth is the aim of any business but you also have to consider what’s best for your audience. If you change without considering your market, you can not only face backlash but also end up alienating your target market.
In 2010, Gap tried to redesign their logo to appeal to a younger demographic. They ended up angering their target market and within two days, had to switch back to their original logo. There’s a reason why big brands like Nike, Adidas or even Coca-Cola don’t change their logos, colors or slogans all the time.
2. Being Tone Deaf in Your Humor
Social media pages of businesses have made allowances for humor in the content. This creates engagement and builds a connection. Unfortunately, using humor in marketing is a skill that not everyone has. Newsjacking and humor only go hand in hand when done wittily. Unfortunately, this can also backfire at times.
In 2011, Kenneth Cole tweeted a joke that made light of the political turmoil that was occurring in Egypt. Even more astounding was the fact that KC himself tweeted it. The public backlash the company faced led to apologies and deletion of the tweet.
3. Overpromising in Their Marketing
Everyone loves promotions, discounts, and giveaways but always mention the rules and regulations of these discounts first. Overpromising in this area can, and will cause issues. Always consider the demand of the consumers when you’re offering a social media promotion.
Without this factor, your business is the one that’s going to lose face here. With clarity in marketing and understanding of the market demand, you can avoid overpromising and meet the expectations of your target market.
4. Forgetting About an Audience
When marketing, most businesses tend to naturally consider their desktop based audiences. However, this means that you’re alienating mobile users and these are growing with each passing year. In fact, there are currently more mobile users than desktop ones.
Forgetting about them means that your content won’t be optimized and it will have less impact. Plus, almost 84% of most marketing revenue can be derived through Facebook and Instagram ads. So, always tailor your marketing according to different channels and mediums.
By paying attention to these, you can learn to be more mindful in your marketing and connect with your audience more. It also improves your engagement, ROI and other benefits to help your business’s growth with ease.
