15 Stupid Marketing Mistakes

(and how to avoid them)

Mistake #1:

The Field of Dreams syndrome

Mistake #2:

The better mousetrap fallacy

Mistake #3:

Hiding from your customers

•16-20 million US businesses

•16-20 million US businesses• Only 2-3 million actively manage their online listings

•16-20 million US businesses• Only 2-3 million actively manage their online listings• 8 million haven’t even claimed them

How do customers find

products and services?

82%Search Engines57%Yellow Pages (paper)53% Newspapers49%Internet Yellow Pages32%White Pages

Source: Webvisible & Nielsen, 2008-9

Where do they look first?

50%Search Engines24%Yellow Pages (paper)

Source: Webvisible & Nielsen, 2008-9

Compared to 2007

72%of consumers use Search Engines more

23%use Yellow Pages less

Source: Webvisible & Nielsen, 2008-

2009

Mistake #4:

Expecting your marketing

to do too much

•Marketing techniques can create the traffic

•Marketing techniques can create the traffic• You have to turn that traffic into sales

Mistake #4:

Expecting your marketing

to do too little

“Building awareness” is too little

For example, are you aware of…

Would you hire him as your lawyer?

The purpose of marketing is to change people’s behavior (get them to buy from you).

Mistake #5:

White Pages thinking in a Yellow Pages world

•Consumers are looking for what you sell, not you

•Consumers are looking for what you sell, not you•82% find products and services with search engines

•Consumers are looking for what you sell, not you•82% find products and services with search engines• 50% use search engines first

So your URL, metatags, keywords, etc.,

should be about what you do, not who you are

gce-llc.comvs.

customhomesva.com

Mistake #6:

Ignoring the hierarchy of sales points

•End benefit•Benefit•Attribute•Feature

Mistake #7:

Failing to measure

Mistake #8:

Talking to an audience of one

Whatyouhave

Whattheywant

Mistake #9:

The “And then what?” effect

(Company name) is a business solutions provider focused on assisting decision makers and senior management with transforming data into actionable information so they can more effectively utilize and leverage their information assets.

Mistake #10:

Trying to emphasize everything

Mistake #12:

Endless scrolls and other verbosity

People

•People don’t have all day to spend on your website

People

•People don’t have all day to spend on your website•Even 30 seconds is great

People

•People don’t have all day to spend on your website•Even 30 seconds is great • So be focused and to the point

People

•People don’t have all day to spend on your website•Even 30 seconds is great • So be focused and to the point•More, shorter pages (nothing below the fold) are better

People

•People don’t have all day to spend on your website•Even 30 seconds is great • So be focused and to the point•More, shorter pages (nothing below the fold) are better•Text links increase time on site

Mistake #13:

Assuming all competition

is direct competition

People

Example:Chiropractic practice

People

Direct competition:•Other chiropractors • Medical doctors

People

Indirect competition:•Analgesics • Ice packs•Heating pads•Putting up with the pain

People

Another example:Hot yoga studio

People

Direct competition:•Other hot yoga studios • Other yoga studios

People

Indirect competition:•Pilates studios • Health clubs•Aerobic exercise•Weight training•Other forms of fitness and exercise•Being overweight or out of shape

Mistake #14:

Making a cheap website look cheap

People

•People equate production quality with quality of product or service.

People

•People equate production quality with quality of product or service.•Literally thousands of free or low-cost WordPress templates

People

•People equate production quality with quality of product or service.•Literally thousands of free or low-cost WordPress templates • All are professional and better than what you could design yourself

Mistake #15:

Forgetting the First Law of Holes

“When you’re in a hole, stop digging.”

Dennis Healey

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Albert Einstein

People

•So use your metrics

People

•So use your metrics•Learn what works and what doesn’t

People

•So use your metrics•Learn what works and what doesn’t • And follow this Red Army doctrine:

“Reinforce victory, not defeat.”

Red Army doctrine

And you’ll have lots of victories to reinforce