9 small business marketing mistakes
In helping small businesses and small nonprofits with communications and marketing services, I've noticed 9 common mistakes they make, simply because they lack the training and experience to know what to do. Here are the top 9 mistakes I see, listed in chronological order from when a new business is created.
#1 Mistake:
Fail to Identify your Service or Product
Are you going to provide lots of products or services, like Walmart, a one-stop shop, or are you going to be limited so as to fill a niche by topic or industry or by product / service? There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but you need to determine what sets your service or product apart. Put it in words.
#2 Mistake:
Fail to Identify your Desired Company Image
It’s better for you to direct your company marketing and behavior so that it creates the image you want customers to have instead of it happening without any intention. Otherwise, you may have a brand image you don’t want. Choose 3-5 words that are what you want people to think of your company.
#3 Mistake:
Fail to Identify your Client / Customer
A shot-gun approach reduces the return on investment. In other words, you’re paying more for fewer customer leads. Identifying what type of person is your most likely customer or your preferred customer can make your marketing dollars produce more results. Online marketing has made targeting effective.
Once you have determined the products or services, the public perception you want to create, and your prospective customers, you are ready to create a strategy and marketing products.