13 Scariest Marketing Mistakes
Terrifying Marketing Maneuvers from “Frankensteining” to “Spring Has Sprung”
We all love a good haunted house or ghost story. So much so, you better book early if you hope to take a tour with Huntsville Ghost Walk because they fill up fast every fall. Evidently, we love scary movies too. Did you know, horror movies grossed almost $600 million in 2021?
Seeing egregious Marketing mistakes makes our skin crawl. To us, they are the equivalent of a creepy clown or a haunted house.
Here are 13 mistakes you may be making in your marketing.
1. Ignoring Your Brand Guide (or not having one!)
We had a new customer tell us once that they needed help teaching all employees to spell and write the name of the company correctly. And this was not a small company.
Having (and following) a quality Brand Guide is essential for looking professional and consistent. Your Brand Guide will bring standardization to your logo usage, colors, typography, and even messaging. It is the foundational block on which all your Marketing and communication should be built.
2. Not Making Your Customer the Hero
We love talking about ourselves and explaining why our algorithms, caring culture, and commitment to excellence are better than everyone else’s. Letting your audience know about those things is important and has a place on your website, but more important is helping your audience see themselves in your Marketing materials.
Instead of marketing yourself or your business, clearly demonstrate that you know what types of problems, challenges, and goals your audience has, and invite them to explore the solutions you offer.
3. “Frankensteining”
“Frankensteining” is the terrifying practice of merging quality Marketing assets together with the goal of using the best of both worlds. While you find “Frankensteining” in many areas (like websites or trade show booths), it most often rears its ugly head in the world of logos. Flippantly merging elements of 2 or more logo options together is a dangerous game that almost never leads to a better product.
Before a Marketing agency (like Active8) shares new logo options with a customer, a huge amount of listening, research, collaboration, and intense internal critique have gone into the “finalists” that actually see the light of day. Each logo is built on purpose to tell a story. With that being said, it’s best to trust professionals to create designs that represent your brand well without interfering based on personal preference.
4. Not Updating Your Crusty Content
I take our dog for a walk almost every day. Not long ago, she found a discarded pizza crust on the ground and ate some of it.
Every afternoon on our walk since then, she remembered where that crust was and always made a beeline for it. She would catch me off guard and have more of it in her mouth before I realized what was happening. It became a daily routine, and that pizza crust deteriorated and became more disgusting each day.
By the 4th or 5th day, after weathering the elements, overnight temperature changes, and insects, that crust became pale and brittle. It crumbled in a very audible and unappetizing way when my dog chomped down.
That is what it is like when you have a blog page on your website with the most recent blog dated 2018.
5. Relying on a Market Research Sample of 1
You may like to think of yourself as the smartest person in the room, but you probably also want to sell your products or services to people outside the rooms you are in. Be careful when one person rules out or dismisses well-crafted, thoughtful Marketing or messaging strategies based solely on personal experience or preference…even if that person is the CEO.
6. Using the Subject Line “Spring Has Sprung”
Please stop using this phrase as the subject line for March email newsletters (unless you want to sound like everyone else).
7. Allowing Too Many Key Stakeholders to Make Marketing Decisions
We see this a lot in nonprofit organizations. A well-meaning volunteer or staff member sets up social media profiles. As the organization grows and roles change, more administrators are added to help with certain events and share the load.
While it may be true that “many hands make light work,” many hands can also make poorly timed posts that lack consistency and look unprofessional.
8. Moving Into a New Building and Leaving the Walls Blank
What is Marketing? At its most basic, Marketing is telling your story to your audience and making your customer the hero.
Your office is full of important audiences: customers, potential customers, vendors, partners, and employees. What message are you sending them? Having blank walls or walls decorated with off-the-shelf, mass-produced art pieces is a missed opportunity.
In today’s climate, hiring and retaining quality employees is a top priority and ongoing challenge. Studies continue to show professional branding in the workplace improves motivation and morale among employees.
Side note: We love working with customers that want to bring their interiors to life and maximize the impression they make on visitors through interior branding strategies.
9. Using Forgettable Signage
When you use a cheap, ugly, or bland business sign, you are creating an unfavorable impression. And unfortunately, before anyone walks through your doors, people make decisions based on this outdoor signifier.
Another problem with outdoor signage is that it may be difficult to find or see. When your signs aren’t placed prominently enough, customers may get frustrated while trying to find your business and give up.
Side note: If you want more memorable signage, we recommend Alabama Metal Art.
10. Aimlessly Marketing Without Measuring Results
Is your current marketing strategy working? The answer is in the results! Too many marketers just throw spaghetti at the wall and hope for the best. But often, they create a spaghetti monster that scares off potential (and maybe even current) customers.
The only way to hone in on an effective marketing strategy is through measured trial and error, with little risk up front. As you hone in on your marketing strategy over time (trust us, it takes time!), you can increase your ad spend confidently, based on data.
11. Marketing to the Masses Instead of Finding Your Target Audience
One of the biggest lies that will kill your results is that everyone wants what you are selling. That is never the case. As soon as you realize that there is a specific group(s) of people who wants what you’re selling, you will know how to speak to them, help them, coach them, and sell to them.
If you don’t already know your target audience, this is where analytics come in extra handy. Pay special attention to the demographics of your opens, CTR, engagement, impressions, and conversions. Then narrow your strategy as you learn who is most interested in your content.
12. Pushing Marketing Tasks onto a Team Member Who Isn’t an Expert
If you believe marketing is comprised of a few extra little tasks that can be added to any team member’s plate, you don’t understand marketing (and it’s hurting your business). Not only are you missing out on more customers, more sales, and more fans, you are putting pressure on team members and risking losing that talent over time.
Active8 Communications takes away the stress of marketing by partnering with your company as a seamless addition to your team. We take care of everything from content creation, graphic design, scheduling, analytics tracking, and strategy. If you’re ready to stop making marketing errors and begin seeing results, we’d love to hear from you.
13. Using Shameless Holiday Listicles to Generate Engagement & Drive SEO
What can we say? Guilty as charged.
