Marketing is not expensive if you get back the euros you spend. Marketing campaigns will only become costly if you cannot convert the euros you spend into profit. In order to set up successful marketing campaigns, it is first important that you know what you should not do. In this article, we discuss four common marketing mistakes that can cost you money. Only when you can avoid these mistakes can you start creating profitable campaigns with long-term results.
1. You focus on the product instead of on the client
One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is focusing on how great they are, instead of on how to get the problems your customers’ working around. OK, your employees have expensive trainings done, and you have all kinds of awards. Nice. But what that can give is something your customers don’t actually care so much about. Your customers want to know what you can do for them. How can you solve their problems? Also, what can you propose them, that your competitors can’t? What are the consequences if they do not take direct action? Those are the questions you should ask yourself. Of course, prices can open doors. But helping people to solve their problems, opens their wallets. Successful companies solve problems!
2. You make vague promises
Your customers do not make purchases based on general information. If you’re in marketing, general claims, like “we are better,” “we are cheap” or “we are faster” increase the uncertainty surrounding your product or service.
Say you see two online ads. The first is titled “liberation day sale,” and the second is “liberation day – 40% off on everything”. Which of the two speaks more to you? Right; the second. You have to make it clear exactly what you have to offer. That’s what people are in need of! The more specific your offers are, the better the results you’ll get. Specific offers remove doubts, and that brings you one step closer to conversion.
3. You make it complicated to seem smart
Especially novice marketers tend to use fancy words and jargon so that they sound intelligent. But that kind of thing only increases the confusion in your target group. Don’t try to say intentionally complicated things so that you can position yourself to look like an expert. A real expert makes complex businesses simpler, right?
As a marketer, your primary goal should be to create marketing campaigns that are understandable to everyone. Your audience is looking for answers, not new questions!
4. The adjustments you do are not supported by data
One of the most reckless things you as a marketer can do is to make changes in your marketing strategy without this being supported by data. Successful marketers do not make decisions; their data does that! Making a data-driven decision is the only way to a successful marketing strategy. In fact, you don’t have to be a data analyst to be making data-driven decisions – free tools such as Google Analytics and Google Optimize offer you everything you need to determine what is and isn’t going to work.
By avoiding the above mistakes, you can create profitable marketing campaigns. Focus on your customer’s problem, be specific in what you offer, keep it simple, and let the data make the decisions. Good luck!