How can you avoid common marketing strategy mistakes?

A lot of marketers trip over themselves, making the rookie mistake of pushing a product without understanding their audience. Don't be that guy. Research, listen, understand. Your audience is more than a demographic, they're real people with real needs. Speak their language. Not knowing your audience is like shooting in the dark. You're wasting time, money, and energy. Put your audience at the heart of everything you do and know them like the back of your hand. Get this right and you're on your way to marketing mastery.

This is #1. Know your audience, know what drives them, what they love, what they hate, understand their WHY and know how to speak to them. I’ve seen SOOO many startups completely fail on this, and despite having a revolutionary or easy-to-win product, they’re gone inside a year or two

Many marketers know their audience, take a good look at the analysis, but do not do the right strategy. There is no point in all user analytics if there is no good plan for implementing an effective strategy afterwards.

Marketing is all about 3 "P" - Product - People - Placement Unless you know your audience right, your marketing is going to be ineffective. Imagine creating an Audi and then marketing it to a daily wage worker(Not enough capital) or marketing a period pain product to a man(not pressing the problem), in both scenarios despite a stellar product, you will not gain any traction. The best way to understand your audience is to get into their shoes, talk to them, understand their behaviour, what are the problems they face, how they are solving it and what are the challenges they face with current solutions. Unless you as a user cannot appreciate your product, most probably others wouldn't as well.

Four Principles For Marketing Strategy Success: specialization, differentiation, segmentation and concentration. These marketing principles for business mastery combine to form a winning marketing strategy. How? 1. Clearly identify where you will specialize in terms of the products or services offered. 2. Differentiate your brand and/or product from competitors to achieve a competitive advantage. 3. Segment your potential customer base into groups that you can market to more individually. 4. Concentrate your efforts on your best (highest value for brand and commercial outcomes) prospective customers. That's all.

Discern your ideal target audiences and look for patterns in market segments. Put these customers at the center of every decision that you make. Are there ways to package/present your capabilities by customer profile and/or market segment? What are your competitors doing a better job at? Where are you beating them? With what prospects have you earned a right to win? After understanding that, set clear and concise marketing objectives and draft the following: • an annual marketing strategy, • description of plan, • communication vehicles, • detailed budget, • 12-month content calendar, • measurements of success or failure, and a process to course correct.

When we talk to brands we often find that the marketing teams are relying on second party audience data or 5+ year old personas rather than speaking regularly to their customers. Don't be tripped up by historic assumptions and internal hearsay. Go to the source and listen actively to their language which is a rich source of insights.

In order to set SMART goals, you need to know your baseline. Identify WHAT you need to measure, before setting your goals - and understand where you are at the moment. If not, your goals will only be numbers - and numbers without context have no meaning.

A couple mistakes to avoid, which may be small, but could a large impact: 1) Strategy needs to be based on customer insights and data analysis. However, more important are the strategic implications from those. 2) Avoid analysis paralysis. Too much data can be bad, if can’t make sense of it. 3) Marketing strategic does not operate in a vacuum. It needs to take macro/microeconomics factors, overall consumer attitude, confidence and behavior into account! 4) How differentiated is your strategy. You can have an excellent strategy, but if the outcome is close to what your competition is doing, your strategy did not result in a competitive advantage. 5) Track your strategy using the OGSM model (if your business needs to achieve a sales goal)

There's a problem here When unrealistic goals are set. E.g. Unrealistic growth leads in the next 3 months. Or a 50% increase in profits over the next 6 months, and they don't have a strategy and don't take care of funnel. They do not use means of communication to increase e.g. the number of conversions. This means a direct and precise strategy aimed at leads, not towards new visitors. Funnel is important and strategies for each stage of the funnel.

Envisioning a successful marketing strategy without setting SMART goals is akin to sailing without a compass. You might be moving, but are you going in the right direction? One common mistake is setting lofty, vague, or impossible-to-track goals. Instead, be specific about what you want to achieve and set measurable targets. For instance, aim for a 15% increase in newsletter subscribers in three months instead of simply 'gaining more subscribers'. Also, your goals should be achievable and relevant to your business model. Remember, you're not Google or Amazon. Yet. Don't make plans that your current resources can't support. Lastly, ensure you set time-bound goals to keep your team focused and driven.

Engaging in A/B testing before implementing a new marketing strategy can help prevent the common mistake of setting vague, unrealistic, or irrelevant goals. Through A/B testing, you can accurately forecast anticipated outcomes and set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

The biggest I see with SMART goals is that they lack inputs and cannot explain the outputs. You need to understand the “why” that’s driving your business.

Like people, marketing channels & assets also need to be 'empowered' to do their job. A great website will fail if there are no assets that help people discover it. Similarly, a sales campaign with a discount code won't build your brand. a QR code on a roadside hoarding will not drive engagement since no one can scan it, and a buy now button on a terrestrial TV ad will be a nuisance especially if it can't be clicked on. Plan campaigns & assets, for achievable tasks, not impossible miracles. And to prove success, ensure there's a direct connection between what you aim for and what you measure and make sure you're using the right tools, metrics, benchmarks and impact window to enable the effect to be visible and measurable.

Be clear about what you want. Use numbers to measure success. Set realistic goals. Make sure your goals relate to your business. Set a deadline. Break big goals into small steps. Check your progress regularly. Use data to guide decisions. Involve your team. Learn and adapt as you go.

Absolutely! Setting SMART goals is pivotal for a marketing strategy's success. Without a clear direction, resources can be misallocated, and teams can lose their focus. By ensuring goals are grounded in the business's core values and resonate with the target audience, marketing campaigns have a higher chance of yielding meaningful results. Periodically tracking and evaluating progress is also vital to stay aligned and make necessary adjustments. You've nailed the essence of effective goal-setting in marketing! #SMARTGoals #MarketingSuccess #StayAligned

SMART goals need to be checked with the "Really?" test. Marketers often set lofty unrealistic goals without really thinking through whether they are actually realistic. If your marketing budget is $1,000, don't expect to be able to disrupt the Personal Care category. Ask yourself this question, "Do I REALLY believe that with my $1,000 budget, I will change the way the world thinks about soap?" Whilst this won't replace the process of setting goals, it's a really quick way to sense check what you've done.

Every marketer has experienced the siren song of a new platform with all its shiny possibilities. However, jumping onto every platform that comes your way is a recipe for disaster. It's crucial to focus on channels that align with your target audience's preferences and your business goals. Research where your audience spends their time, and match it with your content type and marketing goals. If you're pouring resources into TikTok while your target demographic is nestled in LinkedIn, you're on a misguided mission. Quality always trumps quantity when it comes to channel selection.

Love the spotlight on channel selection! Choosing the right platforms is pivotal in connecting with your audience. Analyzing online behavior, optimizing content, and diversifying channels create a robust marketing mix. Stay cohesive, test, and adapt for optimal reach and conversion.

So many organizations will utilize all of their social media accounts to share the same content, but that's a misguided approach. When choosing which social platforms to leverage, make sure your audience is there, speak how they speak, and post content that is relevant and timely. No one wants to follow 3 social pages of a company to see the same content posted on all of them.

This is the most common mistake. The same content is shared on all channels. I see this in 80% of companies and marketers. It is necessary to adapt the content to each channel because the tatget group is different everywhere.

This is such an overlooked aspect, yet easy to correct. Certainly it’s easy to want coverage every where, but it’s better to do one channel well, than three with mediocrity. It’s also not helping your brand to be sending the same content across the same channels. There are numerous reports available with other demographic information regularly released that you can overlay with a simple survey with your own audience and review of their interaction. I think you also need to understand your market and how present. For example, B2B SaaS software on one network, might not do as well as one geared towards a more consumer product. Another quick test: a small PPC campaign on network to see audience interest, using their platform data.

I have worked a substantial part of my career in International Travel Retail in India which is still niche. One key learning for this industry has been to reach people from where they start planning for their trip abroad- OTA's, Travel Management Companies, Forex companies and finally the airport. Be visible in this ecosystem and Spend here if needed to build the brand. Using mass media builds awareness but also creates wastage as most people consuming that media are not your customers. Understanding your customer and their journey/ media vehicles will help in targetting them precisely.

Doing too much in terms of your marketing activities can be worse than not doing enough. Not only is your budget spread thin, but you lose sight of what works for your business and industry. Your efforts are essentially diluted. I'm a big fan of going all-in on what you know is effective for your audience and eliminating the rest. Properly measured, the numbers will speak for themselves.

Marketing content needs to be created with the marketing channel in mind. When you add value for your target demographic in a way that makes sense, your engagement and conversions will reflect that balance. In most industries you will find your target audience tends to spend more energy on one marketing channel than others. If you aren’t sure, do some A/B testing to see where you get the most traction. In financial, project management and legal industries LinkedIn is the leading channel whereas for creatives and the design industry Instagram and Pinterest allow for more creative graphic design and storytelling copy.

You don't have to be at every possible channel. But you do not have to "marry" the same channels for life. Everything changes, your company, product, brand, clients, technologies everything changes. Experiment and invest.

It's crucial to define your target audience clearly. You need to understand your audience's demographics, needs, and pain points to ensure effective messaging. Conduct thorough market research to gain insights into your audience's preferences and tailor your campaigns accordingly. Regularly analyze and adapt your strategies based on evolving market trends and consumer behavior to stay relevant and responsive. Furthermore, ensure alignment between your marketing and overall business goals to maximize impact and ROI.

Content is king. Yet, not all content wears the crown. Many marketers make the mistake of churning out content without providing real value. Are you just creating noise, or are you offering something that resonates with your audience? Before you hit 'publish', ask yourself: would I find this content useful or engaging if I were in my audience's shoes? Strive for content that educates, entertains, or empowers. Let your content be a window through which your audience sees the values, expertise, and authenticity of your brand. Great content isn't just about selling; it's about building relationships and trust.

One way to leverage a company's resources and heighten target audience awareness is to focus on creating evergreen content. Evergreen content is the legacy a company crafts for its brand. It's the foundation for building a content portfolio that serves as a reliable resource that will consistently attract and engage your target market over time. Unlike time-sensitive news or trending topics, evergreen content remains useful and informative regardless of when it's accessed. It's an investment in building lasting resonance with your target audience.

Creating VALUABLE content is one the most underrated objectives in marketing, yet one of the hardest to achieve. The benefits are trust and lead flow. We live in the Social Media generation where attention is the hardest it's ever been to obtain because of the sheer amount of content that is accessible out in the world. People don't have short attention spans, they have higher standards. It's not too long, only too boring. To overcome this, focus on creating content that educates, entertains, and evolves. We all have the Rosetta Stone to decode what content users want to see. It's suggested by the search and social algorithms. See what they suggest and tailor your content strategy around building off of those insights.

I agree, but additionally to this you always need to consider your buyer journeys and what content will help them at what points in their research and purchasing journey. Focus on creating demand with content, not just trying to capture the small percentage of buyers ready to buy or “in market”, which is usually only about 3-5% of your audience. You need to consider top of funnel, through to bottom of funnel, but also beyond that to support customer activation/experience, which (coupled with great products and services) will lead to a referral loop and word of mouth marketing - the holy grail!

And this is a common occurrence. Copying other people's content with the help of AI. The content is slightly rearranged and everyone uses similar content. It's enough to type any keyword into Google and it's all clear.

We should be creating content based on what our audience needs and not the other way around. Content handles sales objections by answering questions that might come to their mind, by offering case studies, by showcasing the solutions in detail and also how to reach them, and by creating trust level between you and your audience. I also recommend to create story telling content infused with your personal stories and perspectives

Content is an essential piece of any marketers playbook these days. However, content has to deliver value. Gone are the days of gated low-value content offers just to capture an email address. My approach to content strategy always starts with "would someone pay for this?" and if so "What would they pay?" If you can answer those questions positively then you're on to a winner. This usually means that you've created something of substance that is either backed up by evidence and data or is something that you have unique and demonstrated experience in that they can't get anywhere else. Plus, as much as possible try and weave in your organizations unique point of view and strategic narrative. That way you'll leave a lasting impression.

In the early stages of the customer journey, buyers are looking for insights, not sales pitches. To avoid this failing, address the buyer’s challenge, help them ‘frame’ it, or demonstrate how to think about the challenge, and show them how to identify and evaluate potential solutions. First and foremost, your content should be educational and informative.

In content marketing, it's crucial to avoid common mistakes. In the era of AI, content value extends beyond useful information, encompassing the ability to create emotional connections. Telling authentic stories is key to engaging the audience. Additionally, strategic planning plays a crucial role. Understanding the digital landscape, mastering the art of storytelling, and prioritizing planning are essential practices. By adopting these approaches, it's possible to steer clear of content production errors and create impactful campaigns.

The most important thing is to have feedback from users and use it wisely. For example, do not delete bad comments but use them for improvement.

Like the legendary Bob Dylan said, "The times they are a-changin'." Marketers need to keep this anthem close to heart. In the digital world, change is the only constant. New technologies, emerging social media platforms, changing consumer behaviors, fluctuating market trends—the list goes on. One of the biggest mistakes I've seen is the failure to adapt. Embrace change, and see it as an opportunity rather than a threat. Keep learning, stay updated, and always be ready to tweak your strategies as needed. Flexibility is a superpower in the marketing world.

Knowing how to analyze data is key to grasping the trends and factors that impact marketing campaigns. Take Facebook's algorithm, for example. What might work well today might not tomorrow. That's why it's crucial to regularly check and experiment with the algorithm, study competitors, and see what content performs best. This approach is relevant across all facets of marketing, emphasizing the necessity to continually adapt to changes, maintain flexibility, and cultivate a mindset of ongoing learning.

Adapting to changes is crucial in avoiding marketing strategy pitfalls. A common mistake is sticking to the same strategy despite shifts in the market or customer behavior. If your strategy doesn't evolve, you risk losing relevance and competitive advantage. Stay updated on industry developments, innovations, and best practices. Utilize data and customer feedback to identify new opportunities or threats. Experiment with novel ideas, methods, and tools. Both successes and failures can provide valuable lessons for refining your strategy. By staying flexible and receptive to change, you can maintain a robust and effective marketing strategy.

The marketing strategy is a document compiled to bring cohesiveness to the organisation’s go-to- market strategy. It is however compiled at a specific time and takes into consideration historical data. It is important to constantly monitor the market and adapt to the changes in the market as they occur. This means monitoring all the feedback channels to be able to modify the approach of the tactics being employed. Using surveys in the feedback channel or focus groups during campaigns helps to keep the marketing engine on course to correct any misdirection that may occur. It is important to capitalise on the actions being executed by bringing innovation to marketing approaches.

Fostering a culture of agility within your marketing team is essential. Encourage open communication and a willingness to pivot when necessary. Regularly assess the performance of your campaigns through key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics, allowing you to identify areas for improvement promptly. Use a data-driven approach by leveraging analytics to gain actionable insights and refine your strategies. Maintaining a proactive stance towards emerging technologies also ensures that your marketing efforts stay innovative and ahead of the curve.

La antifragilidad va más allá de adaptarse, va de prepararse para ellos porque son inevitables, por eso me gusta tanto hacer marketing antifrágil. Es estar preparado para los contratiempos de la empresa, porque segurísimo es, que van a venir.

Embracing change isn't just a strategy, it's a mindset essential for marketing success. Resist the common mistake of sticking to a static plan in the face of market shifts. Adaptability ensures your strategy aligns with evolving customer needs and industry dynamics. Stay vigilant, leveraging data and feedback to identify opportunities and threats. Encourage a culture of experimentation, valuing the lessons from both triumphs and setbacks. Remember, an adaptive marketing strategy isn't just reactive; it's a proactive approach to staying ahead in a dynamic business landscape.

If you want to avoid common marketing mistakes, you should not copy what everyone else is doing. Of course, there are highly regarded thought leaders and experts out there, that help us to learn and navigate. But you should not take it for granted, that someone else's marketing strategy, will work for your brand as well. In marketing, you will always make mistakes, because there is so much uncertainty. The key success factors is to learn as quick as possible from your audience about what works and what doesn't.

Two words: Strategic Boredom! Once you land a good strategy, stick to it. Find fresher ways to execute it sure, but don't keep trying to reinvent your strategy.

I'd like to add the importance of data in steering clear of marketing missteps. Many businesses fail to accurately measure and analyze their marketing efforts, leading to a cycle of repeated mistakes. By closely monitoring your key performance indicators (KPIs), you can understand what's working, what's not, and why. Tools like Google Analytics and social media analytics can offer invaluable insights into your audience's behavior and preferences. A well-analyzed failure can be more fruitful than a poorly understood success.

The marketing strategy needs to be tied to the overall business goals. Otherwise, you're simply creating a plan on an island. Once you know where marketing fits into the big picture, you can do customer research, set SMART goals, adapt, and create content for relevant channels.

One of the biggest mistakes is not writing your marketing strategy down and communicating it back to the business. In research by CoSchedule, 36% of marketers don’t document their marketing strategy at all, and 47% only document a portion of it. This lack of clarity can make CEOs and business leaders twitchy too, as they don't know where you're going. Having a written down strategic navigation helps let everyone know what direction you are heading in, so when you take a course of action that matches your strategy, there shouldn’t be any surprises for anyone around you. Writing down your strategy is also good for you too. Marketers are 414% more likely to report success when documenting their marketing strategy (CoSchedule).

I think one of the biggest and most pervasive marketing strategy mistakes is to conflate strategy with tactics. So often companies develop a long term strategic vision only to undermine the possibility of achieving it by focusing instead on tactics that result in short-term transactional revenue that is transitory and typically the least profitable.

When crafting your marketing strategy, align with your sales, product and support colleagues and ensure every member of your marketing team is involved.

Learn from someone who has done what you want to do before. Find a mentor who has built the kind of organisation you're hoping to build and ask them about what worked and didn't work with their marketing strategy. You'll be surprised how many people are actually willing to share. If you don't know anyone, find a consultant that can help you or mentor you. It is worth investing in paid help if they have a formula or a model you can follow. It will save you hundreds of hours and avoid many of the most common mistakes, because they've already built out a plan that works around them.

I worry about the lens implicit in the question. You can’t have fear of failure as the prime driver to build great brands on the back of strong strategy. Instead, the drive must be to innovate, to build the brand- customer relationship in a way that is differentially superior, and to occupy sustainable real estate in the customers’ heart and head. Of course, do read case studies around brands that made mistakes- and how they overcame challenges/hurdles. But more importantly, focus on gaining skills around the right thing to do- rest assured, what to avoid will get clarified!!

How to avoid common mistakes? Easy! Stop doing what everyone else is doing… It is like the blind leading the blind. Unbelievable what people are doing just because everyone else is doing it. Biggest mistake out there.