It’s 2018 and marketing is not what it used to be. These days, there are more social media platforms popping up every day and those pesky things called “algorithms” keep changing and making it more and more difficult to reach potential leads. I can’t tell you how many business owners have tried to explain to me the simplicity of marketing “back in the good ol’ days” and how relationships were what won business. I’d argue that relationships will still win business over anything, even price, but those people weren’t wrong in expressing their frustration with this digital age. Heck, I’m in marketing so I understand better than most how overwhelming this constantly evolving industry can be. However, there are some basic steps that you can take to improve your online presence and make it a bit easier for potential customers to find you online. There are also several mistakes you can make along the way that I’ll help you keep an eye out for in this month’s Millennial Marketing Blog Post:“The Biggest Marketing Mistakes That Your Business Is Making”.
Marketing Mistake #1- Not Marketing
Hello!? If you’re not regularly posting and updating at least one social media platform, you’re missing out on lead potential. There are a million different platforms to choose from, and I often have new clients come to feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what they’re supposed to be posting, but something is better than nothing! I like to remind new social media users that any content is good content to start. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself and create the dang Facebook account!
Marketing Mistake #2 – Ignoring SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can be a bear. We all know what it is, but very few of us know how it works. If you’re not already on this train, start by picking a few keywords or phrases for your business that you think people would Google when searching for your business or services. Then try to integrate those phrases in as many pages as possible (without things sounding odd) to increase the number of hits you’ll get from search engines.
Marketing Mistake #3 – “Businesses Don’t Need Blogs”
Yeah… go tell that to Coca Cola, Whole Foods, Marriott Hotels, and Virgin Airlines. They all have hugely effective blogs that bring in visitors and help them retain customers. A successful blog for your business will need to be hosted through your website so that it’s easy for your customers to find and will need to feature useful information that will peak their interest. Just think, if I saw this headline or read this post, would I be interested in reaching out to the author to get more information or look into the services that they offer?
Marketing Mistake #4 – Being Lazy on Social Media
Social media platforms are updated so often that not even those of us who spend all day on the apps can ever be “caught up” and it never slows down. Most business owners have the wherewithal to create an account for their business, but once it’s up and running they have no idea what will interest their customers except for the occasional “Happy Whatever Holiday” post or a lame excuse for an advertisement. A successful social media account will be updated regularly (a few times a week at the least) and will engage the audience. Respond to messages and comments, return the like or follow, and always be looking for inspiration! The most popular social media platforms for my clients right now are Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. I personally like to utilize Pinterest for my business and I’ve found that Twitter isn’t as reliable for leads in business as it is for promoting a personal brand or blog.
Marketing Mistake #5 – Being Afraid of Public Speaking
Marketing encompasses so many different aspects and digital marketing is just one portion. Another way that you can hugely impact your lead generation is to offer informational seminars about the services that you offer. And I don’t just mean “Here’s my business and why you should choose us”, but rather “Here’s an issue you could be having and how we can fix it”. For example, an IT company could host a lunch-and-learn event on how small business owners can protect their data against cyber security breaches. These types of events will not only get your name out there but will solidify you as an expert to those attending.
To conclude, marketing doesn’t have to overwhelming or expensive- you just need to be creative! For more information on how to increase your leads, send me an email at marketingmalia@gmail.com!
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