9 Ways to Avoid Marketing Missteps

There are over 60,000 new websites launched every single day, and that number is increasing. Enterprise organizations are posting up to 6 times per day, per platform. In that competitive landscape, business cannot afford any marketing missteps. They can be avoided by focusing on building a message so clear it cannot be ignored.

I’m a fan of tactics. Most of my consulting business begins with a desperate appeal for a website redesign, or a brand overhaul. Tactics serve a vital role in moving a business forward. They are the action that generates business impact – when they are implemented effectively. Unfortunately, most of the time they are not implemented effectively. Here are the missteps many organizations make that sabotage their success before they have even begun implementation:

Ready, Fire, Aim!

An amplified need for increased revenue can set us up for this ‘fire before you aim’ scenario. However, even if you hit the target – you will have no idea how to repeat your success. One hit wonders are not sustainable. Fear and impatience are not helpful when it comes to the foundational strategy work of building new offerings. It also tends to create a muddled and inconsistent brand.

At some point most organizations pull the trigger on an idea before considering its full implications. A sense of dire urgency gets the best of us, and we move right into timelines, assigning roles, setting aside funds, and designing the marketing materials. Not only that, there is no discussion about what we are sacrificing to deliver this new, shiny offering, nor how this object fits into our holistic business plan and strategy.

The First 3 Ways to Avoid Marketing Missteps

In order to put “Aim” in its proper place, squarely in the middle of the process, we must do three things:

1. Have a realistic revenue goal for the offering

2. Be aware of the resources this offering will require, and be certain allocating them to this offering will not undermine other income sources during development

3. Know how you will measure success, so this process can be repeated (or modified) in the future

The Magic Bullet

No one can help you if you don’t know who you are, or where you want to go. Many of us really aren’t all that sure – especially after our last marketing tactic flopped. Of course, it seems there is always someone promising that if we only used this patented approach, built this marketing funnel, leveraged this unaddressed need, or took this class then we would be thriving beyond our wildest dreams.

If no one is offering a magic bullet, many of us go in search of it. We hop from LinkedIn guru to sales methodology guru, to branding expert, to SEO and social media wizards. We suffer from a mild form of impostor syndrome, and are eager to find answers outside of ourselves.

That being said, there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these approaches. Get a business growth coach. Train your sales team. Develop a compelling email campaign. Write the book. Launch the course. Redesign your website for maximum visibility. At the same time, don’t become seduced by the idea that any of these will be your revenue answer in and of themselves. To really shift, you need to both see a bigger picture of your business, and if you do choose to work with a partner, you must make your partners integral to your decision process, or you severely limit their ability to help.

The Second 3 Ways to Avoid Marketing Missteps

Again, there are three foundational components that will ensure any of these succeed:

1. Have a solid understanding of your customers, and whatever tactics you undertake, be 100% certain you are speaking empathetically (not manipulatively) to your customers throughout the process. They need you.

2. Have a clear idea of what successful completion looks like for you, and communicate it to your coach, your team, or whoever is going on this tactical journey with you.

3. Show up. Be willing to devote the extra time this magic bullet will demand of you. Turn off your emails. Slow down. Respond to the inquiries. Study the information. Take the deep dives. It will only work to the extent that you do.

Analysis Paralysis, and Devilish Distractions

There is nothing as seductive as a gorgeous piece of marketing collateral. A shiny new website, logo redesign, trade show booth, brochure layout, book cover and sexy social media post can all seem better than molten chocolate lava cake to the ego of the business owner. It is the same effect we experience when we get a new outfit or makeover. We see ourselves with fresh eyes, and we love what we see. It definitely has a positive effect on our confidence.

It is safe to say, marketing materials are both exciting and expensive. They are especially costly when you consider that it takes a 200% increase in (traditional) ad spending to get a 2% lift in sales. So, approach with caution.

Of course, many businesses take the opposite approach and do nothing. They are all but invisible. Their business cards and websites seem like an afterthought. They tend to be unclear about what they want to say, or how to connect with their customers. They know they need something, but are not sure what, or where to begin. So they stay stuck.

Both the distraction of using marketing materials as a substitute for substance, and the absence of any substance at all, are both a symptom of low marketing self-esteem. Either way, spending your precious time either in inaction, or spending frivolously on external appearance, only limits your growth.

The Final 3 Ways to Avoid Marketing Missteps

Moving the needle is always driven by three things:

1. What do your customers want (first) and need (second)?

2. Where are your customers (and by “customers”, I mean the ones that can afford you, and are ready to buy from you in this century)?

3. What solution are you best at, and how can you be offering it to your customers right now?

The truth about marketing tactics is that they do only nominal good if you see them in isolation from the overall business. If your culture is poor, your communication is lacking, your financial footing is shaky, or you purpose is vague, then start there. Tactics almost take care of themselves when you take care of the business.

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