• Apr 20

    38.jpg

    Mistake 7: Not spending enough on marketing and promotion

    Avoiding: Spend between 3 and 6 percent of your projected turnover when you’re starting out; and 1 to 3 percent of your projected turnover if you’ve been in business for two or more years.

    Mistake 8: Marketing only when you have time
    Marketing only during the slow times means that you could end up with periods where you have no customers at all.

    Mistake 9: Failing to present a professional image
    The more professional you look, the more confident your customers will be that you can satisfy their needs or solve their problems.

    Avoiding: Make your brochures and stationery look professional

    Mistake 10: Underestimating the importance of current customers
    Studies have shown it costs five times more to win a new customer than to ‘resell’ to an existing one.

    Avoiding: Keep a database of customers and be sure your marketing plan includes tactics aimed at stimulating repeat business from these.


    Source

  • Apr 17

    37.jpg

    Mistake 4: Failing to communicate your point of difference

    Your ‘point of difference’ is something that makes you different from your competitors.. However it is no good having it if your customers don’t know what it is,

    Avoiding: Include it in your marketing.

    Mistake 5: Using marketing tactics that are not target-specific

    Avoiding: The more directly you can reach your target market, the more cost-effective your marketing will be.

    Mistake 6: Trying to say too much

    People are subjected to more and more information and have less time to absorb it.

    Avoiding: The key is to keep your message simple.

    Major Marketing Mistakes (Part 2)

    Mistake 4: Failing to communicate your point of difference

    Your ‘point of difference’ is something that makes you different from your competitors.. However it is no good having it if your customers don’t know what it is,

    Avoiding: Include it in your marketing.

    Mistake 5: Using marketing tactics that are not target-specific

    Avoiding: The more directly you can reach your target market, the more cost-effective your marketing will be.

    Mistake 6: Trying to say too much

    People are subjected to more and more information and have less time to absorb it.

    Avoiding: The key is to keep your message simple.

    Source

  • Apr 15

    36.jpg

    The don’ts of marketing

    Mistake 1: Failing to accurately identify your target markets

    Many businesses fail because they try to tackle too many types of customer on a limited marketing budget

    Avoiding: Identify those customer groups that are most likely to need/want your product.

    Mistake 2: Not doing market research

    How do you know if people are going to want your product or service?

    Avoiding: do some market research before anything else

    Mistake 3: Relying on just one or two marketing tactics

    Relying on one or two marketing tactics is a major marketing mistake because customers invariably need to be exposed to your message in at least three different ways before they’ll consider buying your product or using your service.

    Avoiding: When you’re planning your marketing programme, choose from a variety of tactics.

    Source