When riding a dead horse, it is better to dismount … when riding a living horse, it is better to ride fast! Yes, the horse represents your marketing and it is better that your marketing is more effective. So, lets look at common mistakes that people make when marketing, and why you could need a marketing consultation.
What I often see when doing consultations is that the customer is focusing on the wrong target market. Now, what is almost paradoxical is that they know their target market. However, knowing the target market and reaching them consistently are two different things.
Marketing to buyer personas consistently throughout the buyer’s journey is very important for targeting. Even things like word choice and tone can change the targeted audience. If the focus is not consistently on the target buyer persona, then the results will also be varied.
Different people will prefer different social media platforms. You often have a different demographic on Facebook than Instagram. Additionally, the mentality of someone when they are on LinkedIn is different than when that same person is on Facebook. So, this must also be noted.
Much like different social platforms, different personas respond differently to different types of media. While one person would rather read, another would rather be engaged by a video. Ergo the old adage, “different strokes for different folks.”
When it comes to online marketing, where the target demographic resides online is crucial to reaching them. It is also important to note that catching them at the right time is also important. A balance of these two is important to realize an up tick in your traffic.
As I said before, things like word choice and tone have an impact on your marketing, but what about your position. Often what we are saying is not the issue, but rather how we are saying it that matters. Is it boring? Would you stop and read it? These previous questions relate to how it is being said.
However, sending the wrong message could also be a matter of subject content. Does it fill a need? Is it relevant? These questions deal with, shall we say, the quality at the heart of the content.
Then there is your branding message itself. How is your company perceived? Is it perceived as cheap or as poor service? Do most people know your company and what you do?
So, it is possible to target the right persona, in the right place, with the right message and still not see the numbers you would like to see. While the reasons may seem mysterious, they often come down to tactics and strategy. A few examples would be, hashtagging strategy, social posting schedule, blog posting schedule, whether or not you even have a company blog, and the list goes on and on.
Don’t let the marketing horse kick you in the head … Let us do it! After all, we don’t hurt as much as the horses, especially when they are named “Experience” and “The Hard Way.” Marketing costs your company money. Don’t throw that money away by doing the wrong thing or under-optimizing your strategy.
