Today we want to talk about some common mistakes in marketing that you probably should avoid given how negative their influence generally is. Marketing should not just be about selling your products or services, moreso the focus should be on creating a brand identity, building trust, and engaging with your audience. But sometimes, all of us make errors that can hurt our reputation and waste our resources. Here are five common mistakes (you can see our previous blogs here: 1, 2) that you should be on the lookout for:
1. Not Being Specific
This is a big one. If you do not have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your marketing, how you are going to do it, who you are targeting, and how you are measuring your results, you are setting yourself up for failure. You need to have a marketing plan that outlines your objectives, strategies, tactics, budget, and metrics.
You also need to know your target market inside out: their demographics, psychographics, needs, wants, pain points, and preferences. Without specificity, you are shooting in the dark and hoping for the best. A lot of people go into marketing campaigns with "we will cross that bridge when we get there" mentality, which ends up costing additional resources and time. Especially the later, since out of the campaign there is not as much scarcity as during it. 
2. Quick Info
One of the most important aspects of marketing is providing value to your potential and existing customers. And one of the best ways to do that is by answering their questions and solving their problems.
If you do not have an FAQ page on your website, a blog post that explains your offerings, or other content that addresses common queries and concerns, you are missing out on a huge opportunity to educate, inform, and persuade your audience. You are also risking losing them to your competitors who do have those resources. People want things fast and easy and get frustrated real quick when websites make it hard for them to achieve their goals.
3. Inconsistency
Content marketing is a powerful tool to attract, engage, and retain customers. But it is not enough to just create content and post it randomly. You should to have a content calendar that schedules your content creation and distribution in a consistent and strategic way. 
Dont wanna overwhelm your audience with too much content at once and then disappear for weeks or months. That is a surefire way to lose their interest and trust. Plus, a great way to slash your SEO performance. You want to create a steady flow of valuable and relevant content that keeps them hooked and wanting more.
4. Focusing on Sales
Marketing is obviously not just about selling; the more notable aspect concerns building relationships. People are more likely buy from people they know, like, and trust. If you are always pushing your products or services without showing any genuine interest in your customers, you are likely going to turn them off and drive them away.
Should show them that you care about them as individuals, not just as numbers. Listen to their feedback, answer their questions, address their complaints, thank them for their loyalty, and reward them for their referrals. You need to make them feel valued and appreciated. But remember, be professional, it rightfully rubs a lot of folk the wrong way when some organization members act like they are best buds. 
5. Following the competition
It is good to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing, but it is not good to assume what they have got going is what contributes to their success. Plus, there is some incentive to differentiate yourself from the crowd and offer something unique and compelling that they do not have. Finding your niche and owning it is naturally the more preferable option.
Need to showcase your strengths and benefits and communicate them clearly to your audience. Which is hard to do when you are on the lookout to poach whatever seems remotely successful from your competitors. The data is probably not there, so there is not need to commit to such a risky move.
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