APPRENTICE TIPS: Evade these mistakes when marketing

It is practical that as a small business owner, you cannot just sit and wait for the customers to come to your business instinctively. For sure you need to market your services and/or products that you render to them. However it is also fact that your marketing shillings are extremely important. Yet, if truth be told,marketing is an investment in your business and can be the fastest way to set yourself on a path of growth. Unfortunately, there isn’t one right or perfect way to promote the business.

There are actually plentiful ways to create a marketing campaign for your business. However, it is a brutal fact that, on the process there are immense chances of making mistakes which of course can create a positive learning experience, but when you are on a tight budget, some marketing blunders can end up costing you big time.

However on the process there are mistakes that can be effortlessly avoided and make you enjoy doing your business marketing without stress.

It is vital you must track your results on the marketing process. If you are not tracking your marketing goals, then, how will you know what is working and what is not? Tracking your marketing efforts will give you a better sense of where you should be investing your scarce resources.

Gosh!! It is a grave mistake to ignore your competitors; you need to monitor them all the time. Monitoring your competitors provides a unique opportunity to be aware of what is happening in your industry. Find at least three successful businesses similar to yours and study their marketing. If they seem to be using the same tactics over and over again, this indicates that the model they are using is probably working for them. Through this, you can surely use their success and failures as examples.

In business marketing you must avoid having no plan. Your marketing budget is likely small, so it is important to have a strategic plan for using the resources you have in hand.

Designing a strategy will help save you time by avoiding any unnecessary steps. When you know the exact tactics you’ll use, how much they cost and how much time they will take, the probability of success increases.

Do not forget about repeat business. When you are constantly trying to bring in new business, it can be easy to forget about your loyal repeat customers. Make sure you don’t get caught up in generating marketing plans heavily geared toward new business. Establishing relationships with your current customers is just as important.

Do not lose your way from your brand. Your brand is not only your company’s identity, it is also part of the promise you make to your customers. If your marketing doesn’t align with your brand and reputation, you might confuse or even anger your current customers. Be sure to keep all your communication efforts consistent with your brand.

Be different. Stand out from the crowd. Be a unicorn in a herd of donkeys. Be original and quirky and uniquely represent your business through best advertising and marketing model. Show everyone not only why your business is awesome, but why it is head-and-shoulders above everyone else.

Never shy away from colleagues’ perspectives about your business. Get some view from employees, friends and best customers. List all the possibilities and then make some decisions. Say it out loud a few times. You should feel clarity and power coming through. It will also show you a few things you could stop doing in your business that would create more focus.

By Julius Landu Bulili | Assisting Small Businesses refocus