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.

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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.

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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.

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