No Strategy
And no, simply posting on social media is not a strategy. You should have several different strategies on how to reach your goals. Ideally, you execute several simultaneously. You can then see which one is working and which one to tweak or even abandon.
No Plan
Yes, creating a strategic marketing plan is time consuming. But you need one if you want to know where you are going and how to get there. It should be comprehensive and strategic. Without a plan you will not have the focus and roadmap to implement marketing initiatives.
No Data Analysis
If you do not know if your marketing campaigns are working and or not, you will not know how to adjust. Marketing is about measuring, adjusting and measuring again. Remember that there is always room for improvement, no matter how well it’s working.
No Goals
Goal setting is incredibly important. This is also true for marketing. Set yourself a reach goal. It needs to be SMART. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Setting short and long term goals forces you to work more intentionally.
No Target
Indeed, you need a solid buyer persona so that you understand your audience and how to target them. You should always ask yourself if your target audience would be interested in this content, ad, social media post, newsletter. Don’t be shy. Give your persona a name.
No brand direction
Yes, branding has its place. You need to know how you want to portray your company and how you want your target audience to perceive you. This includes your brand voice, culture, philosophy. Create a logo and a brand guide with fonts and color combinations.
No budget
Yes, you need one. It is difficult to market if you don’t set a budget. Marketing potentially drives thousands of prospective customers. Ideally you increase your budget as you see successes and put more momentum behind your initiatives. It’s about taking marketing seriously.
Not consistent
Marketing can only be successful if done consistently. No matter if you hire a marketer or outsource to a marketing agency, you should market every day. If you are serious about growing your business, marketing cannot be an afterthought but a daily investment.
Not Focused
Marketing is never about you but your clients or customers. Think about what they care about. What are their pain points? How can your product or services benefit them? Why do they care about doing business with you? Speak to them directly, address them.
No Content
No matter if it is content for your website, social media marketing, newsletters, social selling–content is still king. Without content, your audience does not know what you are all about. Tell your story. Show your expertise. Highlight your successes.
