Marketing Mistakes You Might be Making + How to Avoid Them
Ever felt like you’re business is doing great things and nobody’s seeing it? You might be making some common mistakes with your marketing, so that’s what we’re going to fix today!
As a brand designer, I've seen first-hand how these errors can hinder growth. But don't worry! These missteps are easily avoidable once you know what to look out for.
Mistake #1: Inconsistent Branding
Permission to get on my soap box for a moment? One of the most common branding mistakes small businesses make is inconsistency with their visual identity. Visual identity is how you shape perception and create an impression through the visible elements of your brand.
Being inconsistent with your brand looks like using different logos, color schemes, or fonts across different platforms. Remember, your branding is the face of your business. Inconsistent branding can confuse your audience and dilute your brand's impact.
Mistake #2: You’re not consistent on social media
Just like inconsistent branding, an inconsistent social media presence can confuse your audience. Posting sporadically or not maintaining a consistent tone and style across your posts can lead to a disjointed brand image. Consistency is key in building a strong brand identity and fostering trust with your audience.
Mistake #3: You have no plan for social media
If you want to be consistent on social media, you’re going to have to have a plan. A common mistake many small businesses make is not having a clear and consistent social media strategy. This could lead to sporadic posts, inconsistent messaging, and a lack of engagement with your audience. Here are a few tips to stay consistent and present on social media:
Plan your content in advance: Use a social media content calendar to plan your posts ahead of time. This allows you to maintain a consistent theme and message across all your posts.
Have a consistent posting schedule: Determine the best times to post on each platform and stick to it. Consistent posting can help keep your audience engaged and grow your followers.
Use consistent branding: This includes using your logo, brand colors, and fonts consistently across all your social media platforms. This helps improve brand recognition and consistency.
Engage with your audience: Make sure to respond to comments and messages in a timely manner. This builds relationships with your audience and keeps them engaged with YOUR brand instead of flocking to your competitors.
Study your analytics: Regularly review your social media analytics to understand what content is resonating with your audience. This can help you tailor your content strategy to what works best for your audience.
Mistake #4: You only post when you’re trying to sell something
While social media is a great platform for promoting your products or services, too much promotion can turn off your audience. It's important to balance promotional content with value-added content that informs, entertains, or inspires your audience. This helps to keep your audience engaged and strengthen your brand's relationship with them.
Mistake #5: You’re not comfortable with sharing video content
Instagram Reels are a powerful tool for small businesses, especially if you’re looking to expand your reach, but there are some common mistakes that can hinder its potential. One of the most common is not creating engaging content that grabs the viewer's attention from the get-go. Remember, you've only got a few seconds to catch your audience's eye, so make them count!
Start with a strong hook - reel your viewers in from the first second of your Reel. Then, keep their attention with quick video cuts or on-screen text that keeps the pace lively. And don't forget about the power of sound! Pairing your Reels with trending audios with under 10,000 reels can boost your chances of getting seen.
Finally, don't underestimate the value of a good caption. Pack it with value, hit your audience with the who, what, when, where, and why of your Reel. Make it punchy, make it relevant, and most importantly, make it engaging.
Mistake #6: You haven’t invested in website design for your small business
Your website is often one of the first stops for potential customers and, like it or not, first impressions count. We're talking seconds here, not minutes. If your website looks like it was designed in the dark ages, or worse, like you didn't care enough to make it look good, you're likely turning customers away.
A poorly designed website can make your business seem unprofessional and it can be a real buzzkill for your customer experience. Imagine walking into a physical store that's messy, disorganized, and just plain unappealing. You'd probably walk right back out, right? The same thing happens online. A website that’s plain, designed poorly or not optimized can seriously hurt your sales and we definitely don’t want that.
But something has to happen before the website.
Before you can have a fantastic website that reels in customers, you need to nail down your brand design. It's like building a house. The brand design is the foundation. Once you've got that in place, every other piece of marketing, including your website, flows from it.
Getting your brand design right means you're creating a cohesive, appealing identity for your business. It's like putting on your best outfit for a big event. You want to look good and feel confident. That's what a great brand design does for your business.
So, if you're ready to stop scaring customers away with a subpar website, let's chat. We can work together to create a beautiful brand design that will be the foundation for all your marketing efforts, including a website that'll have customers coming back for more. Let's make your business the best-dressed one on the block!
Mistake #7: You think "Good Enough" is Good Enough for Your Website and Brand Design
You might be thinking your current website and brand design are "good enough." They do their job, don't they? But here's the thing: it’s 2024 and a record-breaking 5,481,437 new businesses were started in 2023. What does this mean for you? A little tough love for you; it means "good enough" often doesn't cut it if you want to stand out from the crowd.
If you’ve been following along with me on this blog or on social media, then you know your website is like your business's welcome mat to the world.
A "good enough" website and brand design are like a mediocre storefront — it might not actively turn off potential customers, but it's not exactly rolling out the red carpet for them either.
On the flip side, a top-notch website and brand design don't just attract customers; they keep them coming back for more. They do this by offering a smooth user experience, easy navigation, top-quality content, and a design that genuinely embodies your brand's personality.
And here's something else: a really fantastic website isn't just pretty—it's also optimized for SEO to make sure potential customers can actually find you. It's mobile-friendly (because who isn't attached to their phone these days?), and it's quick to load. Nobody likes waiting, right?
Let's not forget about your brand design. A strong brand design tells everyone loud and clear what your business is all about. It creates a consistent image that clicks with your audience, bumping up brand recognition and loyalty.
In short, a "good enough" website and brand design might tick the basic boxes, but they probably won't deliver the wow-factor results that a top-tier website and brand design can. If you’ve never invested in this before for your business, it’s worth considering an upgrade.
Standing out isn't just about being different—it's about being better. And having a website and brand design that are more than just "good enough"? Well, that's a pretty monumental step in the right direction.
Mistake #8: You don’t have a website for your business
One of the most critical mistakes a small business owner can make is not having a website at all. In today's TikTok-crazed, amazon-obsessed, addicted-to-our-phones culture, customers expect to find businesses online. If your business doesn't have a website, you're missing out on a vast audience and numerous opportunities for growth.
A professionally designed website can transform your business in many ways. Visually, it presents your brand to the world and serves as a platform to showcase your products or services. It also establishes credibility and trust, showing potential customers that you are a serious and professional business.
Having a website directly impacts your bottom line because it’s a major badge of credibility and a super convenient tool for your clients and customers to engage in doing business with you.
It's like your business's digital handshake, showing the world you mean business - but in a friendly, "we’ve got this" kind of way.
With a website, your clients can engage with you, buy your products, or use your services without jumping through hoops. It's like you're saying, "Hey, we're here, we're open, and we've made it super easy for you to pick up what we're putting down." Without a website, you're basically playing a business version of hide and seek, and spoiler alert – it's not as fun as it sounds.
Here's the kicker: a website is like your hardest working employee. It's a marketing tool that's on the clock 24/7, tirelessly promoting your brand. Without one, you might find yourself stuck on the 'gram at all hours, hustling for likes and comments.
Without a website you’re working 24/7 to feed a marketing tool (like Instagram), instead of having a website that works 24/7 to feed your business.
With a website, you've got a platform that's doing the heavy lifting for you, pulling in customers and making sales even while you catch some Zs.
So, investing in a website? It's less of an expense and more like securing a golden ticket to your business's future. It's all about setting up a streamlined system that keeps your brand buzzing, your audience engaged, and your business growth on the up and up.
Are you ready to elevate your brand and achieve your business goals? Check out my range of brand design services and book a free consultation call today. Let's work together to create a brand that will help you achieve your business goals.
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