Marketing Mistakes Too Many Small Businesses Make
Those who have started a business of any size know all the work that comes along with getting a product or service off the ground. And when you’re truly excited about a new business venture, you feel confident that your market will find you, regardless of the amount of time or resources you put into marketing. Unfortunately, a number of start-ups are significantly dropping the ball when it comes to their marketing plan, with many having no plan at all. In this article, we take a look at 3 common marketing mistakes that small businesses make, so your small business can get the exposure it deserves.
Not making marketing a priority
The number one marketing mistake that small businesses make? Not making marketing enough of a priority. When starting a new business, you’re often more focused on putting together your product or service, and are forgetting about the fact that no one will be aware of your killer brand unless you have an effective marketing strategy.
Iconic Digital tells us more on why businesses of any size should make marketing a priority:
“The biggest mistake small business owners make in marketing is…not doing it. While this might be a bit surprising at first, it starts to make sense when we think about all the other things entrepreneurs, especially new ones, have to do. They are worried about having the best quality products or services, assembling the best quality team, learning to delegate effectively, securing start-up funds, and planning a budget. As wildly important as it is for businesses to tell people about what they offer, it’s no shock that owners often end up neglecting marketing because they are so busy creating and financing their offering.”
Targeting the wrong audience
While you may have a marketing strategy in place, you may be focusing on the wrong audience. There are several marketing tools out there, including the top social media platforms, that allow you to tailor your ads to a specific demographic. It’s important to use these tools to your advantage and target the audience that will be most interested in your product or service.
Benchmark One explains why targeting the wrong audience could be your marketing downfall:
“No matter how great your messaging, logo, or ad campaigns are, if you’re targeting the wrong audience, you’re flushing marketing dollars down the toilet. When you target the masses, follow your “gut” or have a preconceived notion about who your prospect or customer is, rather than looking at data about who is actually making purchases–it can drive up marketing costs and plummet sales conversions.”
You don’t have a website
Yes, it’s true. Not all small businesses have a website. When small businesses do not have a website, it is usually because they have a storefront and are only looking to attract local clientele. However, what they fail to realize is that much of their target audience will still not know that they exist without an online presence.
Forbes.com tells us why not having a website is guaranteed to hurt your small business, local or not:
“According to the non-profit organization SCORE, “Just 51% of small businesses have websites”. You read that right. Nearly half of all small businesses in the United States don’t have a website. Some business owners think they don’t need a website because they are a local business. However, 97% of consumers search online for products & services, and more than half of searches are local. People will (or won’t) find your business online before they ever go (or don’t go) to your business. Bottom line, you need a website.”
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