As humans, we all make mistakes. Whether it’s mismatched socks in the morning or that unfortunate coffee spill on our brand-new white shirt before an important client meeting. Mistakes happen every day, and this is especially the case in the marketing world. If you’re anything like me, you might have a list of marketing mishaps that could compete with an episode of The Office. However, some errors are a lot more costly than others. Making a typo on a blog post? Not a big deal, just click that edit button and you’re good to go. Making a typo on an email campaign that’s already been sent out or a billboard that’s been sent to print? Those are the things that keep any marketing professional up at night. This is why I’m here to save you from making common marketing mistakes that you should never make. And let me tell you, these are a lot more severe than a simple typo. 

Marketing Mistakes You Need To Avoid:

1. Being inconsistent with your branding:

Being inconsistent with your branding is a recipe for disaster. One of the main reasons behind this marketing mistake is the good ol’ identity crisis. Many businesses aren’t 100% sure about the branding that is specific to their business. This leads to 10 different types of typography, colours that don’t even make sense and a tone of voice that is way too professional for a business trying to come off as conversational. Having a brand that doesn’t have a clear identity can end up confusing your audience and doesn’t build any sort of brand recognition. This means that no matter how hard you try your business won’t be able to stick out amongst the competition.

Consistency is key when it comes to your brand. A strong, consistent brand not only leaves a great first impression but also makes that impression memorable. This includes associating different colours, themes, and concepts to your brand. For example, when I bring up a large green owl, our thoughts immediately shift to the Duolingo bird. 

Here are some tips to keep your branding on point:

1. Use the same brand colours and typography everywhere. By doing this, you’ll make it easier for people to link specific colours to your business. So, when your social posts pop up on their timeline, they’ll instantly recognise them without a second thought.
2. Adjust your tone of voice so that you’re speaking the language of your target audience. There’s no point in having a formal tone of voice when you’re marketing towards Gen Z. They’re just not going to be interested and will simply scroll past.
3. Storytelling is one of the most underrated branding tools that many businesses don’t use. Sharing your brand story will help people connect with your business and add a personal touch to your branding. 

2. Lack of clear goals:

Sending out email campaigns, posting on social media, and creating content for your website without any clear goals might not be the most efficient approach. It’s just like mindlessly scrolling through Amazon with no real shopping plan, and before you know it, you’ve got an Air Fryer on the way for Monday – and once it arrives, you’re wondering why you made that impulse purchase in the first place! 

Without Marketing goals, you have no clear direction nor do you have an objective to work towards. This makes it incredibly challenging to measure the success of your campaigns as you have no real expectation, benchmark or strategy to work towards. Start by defining your SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Time-based. These goals help give you a sense of motivation as well as provide you with a starting point on where your marketing efforts should be focused. 

3. Targeting too broad of a market

Targeting a broad audience might seem like a smart move – more people, more potential buyers, right? But in reality, it’s not quite that simple. Trying to appeal to everyone ends up making your marketing seem generic. Your product, as amazing as it may be, can’t fix every consumer’s pain points. Trying to make it seem like it does leads to messaging that is vague and doesn’t quite hit the mark with any group of people. Instead, narrow down your audience to reach the people who are most likely to convert into your customers. Do some prior research into your target market to get a better idea of who your ideal audience is. Tools like Google Analytics, Google Trends, and SurveyMonkey are great for learning more about your ideal audience.

4. Not nurturing your leads

A huge mistake many businesses make is neglecting to nurture their leads. Just because someone is eyeing your product, service, or business, doesn’t guarantee they’ll 100% convert into loyal customers. This is where lead nurturing comes in, to keep your leads engaged and build meaningful relationships with them. While lead nurturing is a part of the sales funnel, marketing plays a huge role in it. Segmenting your leads and sending over personalised email campaigns and useful content is a great way you can reduce the time taken for leads to convert into customers.

Lead nurturing is all about personalising your leads’ buyer journey. By understanding what their wants and needs are, you’re able to send our personalised content and offers that are likely to resonate with them. For example, sending an email campaign straight to their inbox about a sale for a product they’re interested in. 

It also helps to build trust over time. Sending over valuable content that answers their questions and addresses their concerns helps to build trust over time. 

5. Doing things based on instincts instead of strategy:

Your intuition is a powerful tool, however relying solely on gut instinct is not enough when it comes to your marketing. Instead, create a marketing strategy that will allow you to make better marketing decisions that are backed up by data. This not only improves your chances of maximising your marketing budget, but it also sets you up with a reliable roadmap for all your future marketing campaigns. It’s all about combining your gut instinct with a data-driven game plan.

6. Your website hasn’t been updated in years

Your website is representative of you as a business and users tend to judge a business by their website looks and feels. This means if your website looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2014, it won’t do you any favours. Customers won’t want to stay on your site and their first impressions of you will not be a good one. Slow load times, unresponsive designs, and cluttered layouts can really harm your marketing, regardless of how much money, time, and resources you’re putting in. Work on updating your website and its content to show that your business is a credible source for the latest industry news and trends. 

Tips for building a killer website:

• Look for inspiration, especially from competitors.
• Make sure your website is user-friendly and mobile-responsive.
• Regularly update your website
• Look for the latest web design trends to implement onto your website.
• Work with a professional. (Aka me!).

7. Blindly following trends:

As tempting as it may be, hopping onto the latest marketing trends without thinking twice can lead to a campaign that severely underperforms. This is because many times, those trends don’t always match up with your brand or what your audience is into. Instead, take a step back and evaluate these trends to make sure they make sense for your marketing strategy. Finding ways to make these trends work is great, but when they don’t your campaign usually misses the mark. Be smart about the trends you follow, and don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to a trend that doesn’t quite fit with your brand or audience.

8. Sending out your campaigns without any prior testing:

Sending out campaigns without any prior testing is a marketing mistake I’ve seen being made time and time again. It’s like throwing your resources out there and hoping for the best. Testing your campaigns and analysing the data and feedback you receive should be a part of your regular marketing routine. It can not only help you optimise the performance of your campaign but also make much more data-driven decisions. 

It’s not just about improving the campaign, but also dodging those marketing disasters. Testing helps you avoid launching a campaign that’s a total mismatch with your audience. By spotting and fixing issues before they go live, you can save yourself from wasting resources and maintain your brand’s reputation.

And remember, the marketing world is constantly evolving. Testing allows you to adapt to changes in customer behaviour, technology, and market trends and makes sure you’re doing it right. Through this, you’re able to adapt as well as learn more about your brand and your audience.

9. Mismanaging your budget:

Poor budget management, or worse, not having a budget at all can result in a lacklustre marketing strategy. You end up having no direction towards how much you should be spending and are more likely to overspend and waste resources on your marketing. You’re also more than likely to have no idea where to put your spending, thus having no financial game plan. Correct budget management is essential for ensuring that your money is being allocated effectively and that you’re getting the most out of your marketing.

Overspending is one of the most common mistakes I see businesses make. One boost on a Facebook post leads to another which leads to another. And before you know it, you’ve spent up to £500 on boosted posts that have not gained traffic to your website or purchases to show for it. 

Setting a budget is only half the story. You’ve got to keep tabs on where this spending is going and decide whether it’s even worth spending on certain aspects of your marketing. By doing this, you’re able to get a clear understanding of whether you’re getting a return on investment for your spending. This makes sure every penny you invest is being used wisely.

10. Coming off as too ‘salesy’:

Leave the sales pitch to your sales team. No one wants to read a lengthy social media post or watch a 5-minute clip of you trying to sell something. In fact, hard sales pitches can often have the opposite effect on customers, putting them off your business or product completely. Instead, sell what you’re offering through the value you can provide to them. When you provide value, you’re showing your audience that you’re genuinely interested in providing a solution that works for them. Using this customer-centric approach is all about building trust and taking the time to understand what your audience wants and needs. This way, you’re not just after a quick sale. Rather you’re in it for the long haul, creating lasting relationships and establishing customer loyalty.

11. Failing to adapt:

The way customers have started to purchase has changed. Think about it: the way people make purchasing decisions today is totally different from just a few years ago. Just a few years ago, TikTok didn’t exist, meaning people would spend hours searching on the internet, comparing prices, and looking for legitimate news. Now with a simple TikTok search, you get all your questions answered (and in such a short time as well!).

Failing to adapt to the changes can easily leave you to be left behind as the rest of the competition races ahead. This is why in order to stay competitive and relevant, you need to be adapting to the recent changes and shifts in the marketing world as well as in customer behaviour. 

It also lets potential customers know that you’re open to change and adjust to the latest trends. This, in turn, will help paint a picture in their minds that you’re a brand that is always on top of things and not afraid to switch things up to stay relevant. It also shows that you’re a brand that is ready to adapt to new changes, positioning your brand as dynamic and contemporary. Keeping your finger on the pulse of the latest marketing trends makes customers anticipate your next change or move. This really helps to build that sense of community and a loyal customer base.

12. Not proofreading the content you’re putting out:

Remember those typo mistakes I mentioned earlier? Well, there’s a simple fix for that: proofreading. I’m not sure why so many business owners and marketers underestimate the importance of proofreading. The tool is virtually free to use and widely available and is readily available. 

Remember: your words are powerful. Having typos and grammatical errors can severely damage your brand’s credibility and can often distract people from the main message you’re trying to put out. Give your content a second look, or even better, get a fresh pair of eyes. Don’t have someone else to check over your work? Use Grammarly. Grammarly has a free option that will address any spelling errors or grammatical mistakes to maintain your brand’s reputation.