Mistakes commonly made by businesses (especially small businesses) that can come back to bite them.

1. 7 COMMON MARKETING MISTAKES
THAT WILL HURT YOUR BUSINESS
J.G. Wolfe
July 25, 2016

2. COMMON MISTAKE #1:
THINKING MARKETING IS ONLY ADVERTISING

3. MARKETING IS ALL ENCOMPASSING
Anything a customer sees or hears representing
your company is marketing
Packaging, email, on-hold messaging, etc. can all
incorporate marketing messages
Social media is a free marketing channel – utilize it!

4. MISTAKE #2:
TRYING TO DO IT ALL YOURSELF

5. DIY ISN’T ALWAYS IYBI
When it matters, use a professional
• Logo, website, advertising
You only get one chance to make a first impression
Professionals can often help get better rates when
buying media, printing, etc. on your behalf

6. MISTAKE #3:
NOT HAVING A MARKETING PLAN

7. PLANNING IS CRITICAL
Before effectively marketing, you need to capture:
• A realistic situation assessment of your business
• Specific marketing objectives that align with business goals
• Target audiences and how to reach them
• Unique differentiators
• Strategies and tactics for
meeting objectives

8. PLANNING IS CRITICAL
Keep in mind…marketing planning takes time
Plan must be flexible and able to adapt to changing
conditions

9. MISTAKE #4:
IGNORING TRADEMARKS

10. BRAND IP IS SERIOUS BUSINESS
Assess names/marks before jumping in
Secure your brand via a trademark
Avoid a testy situation down the road, especially
with a larger competitor
Work with an attorney with trademark experience

11. MISTAKE #5:
NOT SELECTING THE RIGHT CHANNELS

12. BE SELECTIVE
Consider the medium carefully
• Car Wrap…will be seen by the right people?
• Groupon…are you giving up profits unnecessarily?
• Social Media Advertising…do you have an effective
online presence?
• Aggressive Telemarketing…will it just turn people off?
• Billboard…can your business or offer be explained in 8
words or less?
• Newspaper…is your target audience over 45?

13. BE SELECTIVE
There is no silver bullet
A mix of channels is always best

14. MISTAKE #6:
OVERLOOKING A CALL TO ACTION

15. CLOSE WITH ACTION STEP
You can’t expect an outcome when you don’t
make an ask
Must be clear, concise & easy
Create a sense of urgency when appropriate
 “Call Now,” “Today Only,” “Only 6 Left”
CTAs can provide a way to track effectiveness

16. MISTAKE #7:
DELIVERING ONLY PROMOTIONAL MESSAGING

17. INCLUDE CONTENT OF VALUE
Use content to pull in customers as well
Attract consumers and business professionals
with information of value
Shareable; peer influence factor
Mix in your message in a subtle way – not
promotionally

18. J.G. Wolfe
jg@reubenrink.com
reubenrink.com
Thank You!