As a small business owner, you’ve likely poured your heart and soul into what you do. You are passionate about your clients and your business, with big ambitions for growth. But for some reason you see that your marketing is not working and growth is not happening in the way you hoped. You are not alone.
I have had a number of conversations recently with small business owners who are struggling to know where to start with their marketing and how to evolve it so that it addresses the business challenges they face. Our research at the beginning of this year also reflected this dilemma. In our blog this month I wanted to share some of the common marketing mistakes we see even the most passionate small business owners making, with some clear actionable tips on how to work around them.
1. Trying to speak to everyone
This is one of the most common marketing mistakes I see, I have lots of conversations with small business owners who are trying to be everything to everyone. If you have followed me for a while you know that defining your target audience is one of the critical things I talk about and where we must start when planning for your next marketing campaign. When you market to everyone, you resonate with no one. Without a clearly defined audience, your message risks becoming too broad to cut through the cluttered digital environment. Be bold, single minded and specific. Know who you want to work with and tailor everything to them.
ACTION: Start by visualising your ideal client, who they are, their pain points, their dreams, what brands they interact with and where they hang out? Once you have an idea on this, you might want to verify it by conducting some research to confirm your thoughts.
2. No clear value proposition
Define what makes you different, better or worth choosing from others in your sector. If your customers can’t answer that in a heartbeat, your value proposition might need sharpening. Clarity and being relevant gives every marketing message more punch. Whilst this will come across in all of your marketing it is especially key when you are networking and having to describe your business.
ACTION: Clearly define your product or service, test out your summary on others to ensure they understand what it is that you do.
3. Inconsistent branding
This is a key point. We know that we need to touch potential clients 5-7 times before they start to know who we are, like what we do and trust with us enough to buy from us. From your website to your business cards to your social media and email marketing, consistency across your marketing builds trust. If your visuals, tone, or messaging feel disjointed, it sends a mixed signal. A strong, unified brand makes you instantly recognisable and memorable. Be visual and engaging with your communications but the consistency with frequency and design is critical. Some great big brand examples include Tesco, John Lewis, Nike and Apple – you know when you see these brands in any form of print or digital.
ACTION: Complete an audit of all of your marketing channels to review your brand consistency.
4. Making your clients work hard
Now this one is a particular bug bear of mine. I have recently had two experiences where businesses have made me work really hard. The first example, was when I was trying to book an appointment with a new hairdresser. Rather than send me a link to book or call me to make an appointment I had about ten messages asking me all sorts of questions, I did book because I was desperate for a haircut, but I have not been back.
The other example was with a window cleaner. They came to clean for the second time, which was fine, they turned up when they said they would, all good. But they never confirmed the price or asked me for payment, just sent me a “gentle reminder’ asking me to pay a few days later. Six messages later to go back and forth on the price and then confirm the payment details, they eventually got paid.
Why make it so hard? Once you have someone who is keen to engage with your product or service make it as easy as possible for them.
ACTION: Review your booking process, don’t assume your customer knows everything, they are often really busy people. Make it as easy as possible for them to work with you.
5. No real strategy
Posting irregularly on Instagram when you remember or running the odd Facebook ad without a plan won’t help you to grow your business. Without a clear strategy and goals that are clearly defined will mean that you lack direction. Every business regardless of size should have a marketing strategy, depending upon the size of the business will depend how in depth it needs to be. The starting point for any strategy is to define your SMART goals with clear, measurable metrics. If you have followed me for a while you will know that I talk a lot about strategy, it should link into your business plan and vision.
ACTION: Set your marketing strategy to help define how you wish to grow your business, if you have a strategy already, check in with it to see how you are progressing against it this year.
6. Forgetting to follow up
This is a really common mistake that many small business owners make and as a result many sales are lost, simply because no one follows up.
Imagine, you have a good meeting or conversation with a potential ideal client. You send a proposal as promised. Then nothing. I find it frustrating when people don’t acknowledge the proposal but that is a another challenge. If you don’t follow up it seems such a waste of an opportunity. I am never sure why this is? Perhaps people are shy to talk? But the truth is everyone is busy so a couple of courteous follow ups is not a nuisance but could just be what people need and make someone’s life easier. How many times have you heard “I am so pleased you rang, I have been meaning to call you and not yet got round to it?” I hear this a fair bit and also hear myself saying it sometimes.
ACTION: Review your recent proposals, is there one you have yet to follow up on? Maybe with a gentle nudge it can turn a maybe into a yes.
7. Neglecting your online presence
One of the first things I do when I want to work with someone is to check them out online. I look at their website, social media and then if I like what I see, I pick up the phone or place an order. An out-of-date website, a broken link, or radio silence on social media can all damage credibility. Your online presence is so important, make sure it reflects you and the quality of your work.
ACTION: Review your online presence and perhaps even ask a client or friend to give you some honest feedback about you could refresh the content.
Final thoughts on the common marketing mistakes
Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be intentional, consistent and coordinated. Put your customer at the heart of everything you do and listen to their feedback, it might create opportunities or identify areas that you need to change.
We have listed some of the common marketing mistakes made when trying to grow your business. There are others, but by avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll be better placed to build a brand that resonates, connects with your ideal client and grows steadily over time.
Marketing can be a full time job in itself, trying to juggle this and doing what you love can be hard. If any of these sound familiar and you’d like a fresh perspective on your marketing or a guiding hand to help you do it yourself, we would love to hear from you. Click HERE to book a no-obligation discovery call.
