The title says it all. Here are some marketing mistakes to avoid this year.

*flashing neon sign* AVOID THESE MISTAKES *flashing neon sign*

Followers clicking link buttons in your stories. Users searching nearby locations on their phone. Podcast listeners jumping over to your site. Email subscribers clicking over to your newest products via mobile.

What are those users experiencing when they get to your website? Your browser view may be top notch, but…

60.9% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. 92.1% of internet users access the internet using a mobile phone. There are approximately 4.32 billion active mobile internet users. (via Exploding Topics)

Yeah, don’t ignore that one. Make sure your content can be accessed with ease on whichever device your customers prefer.

Okay one more..

61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly site. (via Inter-Growth)

You found this blog post, so there must be some benefit there.

Blogs are an important asset of SEO. You can focus on relevant keywords to your business and the problems your customers might be trying to solve. This both educates clientele and builds loyalty with them.

But make sure the content you share is relevant to your customers and solves a problem.

The USA alone has 302.35 million social media users as of 2023. That means 90% of the total US population uses social media actively. (via Demand Sage)

We know it’s an added task to your list and hat to your stack, but those numbers tell a story far too loud to ignore. And we’ll make it this much easier for you – you don’t need to be everywhere. Be on the social platforms that matter most to YOUR business. When done right, you’ll be pleasantly surprised on the return.

A failure to plan is a plan for failure.

A marketing plan is a crucial part of any successful business. In a nutshell, it outlines the actions and strategies necessary to achieve a company’s business objectives. This can include targeting specific customers, creating promotional materials, setting budgets, and evaluating progress. Additionally, it can encompass mediums like social media, e-commerce platforms, advertising campaigns, and more.

How do you know if or how your digital marketing efforts are performing?

If you aren’t regularly testing your marketing efforts, reviewing analytics and adjusting programs as needed, you are missing a prime opportunity to grow and boost engagement and conversions. 

“I’m always surprised how many creators don’t look at their data to figure out what’s working and how many don’t go back and optimize existing content for better performance.” Brian Piper, director of content strategy and assessment, University of Rochester

Here are some simple and key factors to start tracking, courtesy of Katherine and Logan.

Once again, let’s look at these SEO stats:

• 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine.
• 63% of all shopping begins online, even if the purchase itself happens in a store.
• 61% of B2B marketers stated that SEO and organic traffic generate more leads than any other marketing initiative.

Here’s your solution – The Ultimate Guide to SEO in 2023.

We know, everyone already gets too many emails a day. But, “Email marketing continues to deliver results for clients across all industries as Google algorithms and social media outlooks waver” (The Loop).

Think of it in this comparison: that ping in their inbox is significantly more direct than hoping they scroll upon your recent post.

Don’t reinvent your content-wheel here. You already have everything you need to add email to your marketing.

Your ideal client just engaged with multiple stories, viewed your recent posts, checked out your bio… but then there was nothing left for them, so they clicked away.

A call-to-action (CTA) gives your customers the next steps or something to do to engage with your brand and further their journey through the sales funnel. You give them this great product, share the perfect service – but with no direction on where to go next.

On your website, socials, and all touch points with your customers, include at least one CTA to help easily convert.

“I could say consistency or focusing on too many content creation activities at one time, but the big winner is differentiation. Most content creators just don’t stand out enough. They talk about the same things as everyone else. Creators need to get more niche and create different missions. It’s not easy, but it’s the only way.” Joe Pulizzi, founder, The Tilt

This also applies to your overall strategy.

It’s important to test different marketing strategies and find what works best for your business – not just what others are doing. And you might think that you have the perfect strategy, but if you’re just going through the motions and staying course for the sake of staying course, your results will dwindle. By testing different strategies you can find the one that works best for you and maximize your marketing efforts.

No one wants to see “We have more than 30 years of experience and are better than all our competitors. We are the absolute best and doing ‘this’ and ‘that.’ Contact us today!” 

Your marketing is not about you.

To create customer-centric content that is meaningful and valuable to your target audiences, ask yourself these questions:

• What nagging problems keep our prospects and customers up at night?
• How do our solutions make their lives easier?
• How can our company help them reach their short- and long-term goals?
• How will our products or services help improve their performance, productivity or profitability?

Then, focus on creating content that answers the questions your audience is asking and provides solutions to their biggest problems.

Brands to look to:

• Starbucks
• Patagonia
• Apple
• Zappos
• Amazon

You also may want to look into User Generated Content – aka The Influencer World.

Marketing is an ever-changing arena, and it’s crucial to keep up with new trends. Without continuous learning and professional development, marketers can get stuck in old patterns, struggle with new technologies and limit personal and organizational success.

To make regular learning a breeze:

• Browse email newsletters over your morning coffee
• Check in daily with sites like Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs
• Consider pursuing a free certification such as Google Ads or Google Analytics
• Network with other marketing professionals
• Follow industry and niche leaders on social
• Stay engaged with your staff and what they are seeing and learning

If you’ve already made one or more of these common mistakes, don’t panic! Making mistakes is inevitable, especially when you try new things or push existing boundaries. 

And recognize that these are common marketing mistakes. The important part is to move away and grow from them.

If you need help identifying and fixing marketing mistakes, let’s talk. Reach out to our team today.