Don’t Make These 4 Marketing Errors
May 29, 2019
Marketing is a huge industry, always has been and likely always will. The difference between now and previous years? The versatility of marketing methods. From traditional to digital and everything in between, it’s a veritable smorgasbord for marketers out there. With so many platforms to promote on, so many styles of marketing to choose from, and so many tips to discover online, it’s shocking to learn that some companies still do poorly in the marketing department.
One of the biggest improvements marketing has seen in the last two-decades is internet automation. Not only does it save companies time and money, it makes things so much easier than it used to be; sharing newsletters, follow-up e-mails, new campaigns, coupons, social media content, and more – all at the touch of a shiny little automation button.
Through your CRM dashboard you can do a lot for your business, and most of it’s going to have wonderful results. However, even with FAQ’s, help panels, online forums, and user guides, some marketers still misuse automation. Here are 4 of the biggest ways marketers mess up with digital marketing and automation.
1. Not Doing Your Homework: As a kid there was nothing worse than showing up on a Monday morning only to realize you had a test first thing in the morning and you forgot to study. Not researching your market and creating a plan for your automation process is just like forgetting to study for a major test. Without the information needed to succeed, your endeavor is likely to flop. Why? Because automating blindly can have the opposite impact you’re looking for.
If you automate without knowing what your audience thinks about e-mail, social media, or any other outlet, you could send too much or too little information. You could use one platform more than the other only to learn the opposite platform was the favorite among your target audience. There are so many small issues which could turn into big problems, and it could all be avoided with a bit of market research and a well thought out automation strategy.
2. Outdated Marketing Efforts: Even with a plan in place, marketers can put off their audience by using outdated methods of communication. It’s so easy these days to include social media, videos, and links to your landing page as part of an e-mail blast. When you forget to integrate new technology into your message, it makes your brand appear outdated or misinformed.
Whether you sell basketball sneakers or legal services, it’s important to look like an authority in your field. This means looking like an authority on the method of communication you use with your customers as well. If you’re not sure about how to setup your emails to include all the latest bells and whistles, there are plenty of online resources to help. Or, you can hire a third-party marketing manager to get you started on the right path.
3. Never Looking Back: Your automation tool isn’t an alarm clock. You can’t just set it to go off at the same time every day and then forget about it once you hit the snooze button. Your CRM dashboard requires constant supervision. Sure, it saves time and energy because you don’t need to physically log into every account every day, but if you ignore it altogether, you could wind up with too much information or too little information hitting the internet throughout the week.
The difference between feeling spammed and feeling ignored is a fine line in the digital marketing world. You need to determine where your customers draw that line and monitor your software so that it delivers at the right time every time.
4. Sending the Wrong Information: Your customers are expecting a certain level of quality from your brand. When they don’t see that in your emails and social media content, they might begin to worry that it will lack in your products and services as well. What can you do to avoid this? Review the information being sent, even the automated stuff, and make certain it reflects your brand and what you want to say to your customers.
Automation is an amazing thing, but if your customers suspect that the information they receive is generic, forced, or spam of some kind, you can bet they’ll your subscriber list will shrink exponentially. The best way to keep customers entertained and feeling important is to use quality, unique content for every post. Have your automation dashboard setup times for delivery but take the time to personalize each message yourself.
No time for writing and personalization? This is another area where a marketing manager or content manager can come in handy. Another way to make this task lighter on yourself is to delegate. Some small companies choose to rotate the writing tasks among staff. This keeps content fresh and minimizes the chance that any one employee gets burnt out or acquires writers block.
Automate Wisely and You’re Bound to Succeed
There’s nothing wrong with using automation to ease the workload. In fact, it’s been shown to have significantly positive results for both businesses and customers. The problem with automation lies in the manual side of things. It’s a bit of a balancing act, but once you find the connection between the two and master it, you’re sure to see improvement on all your automated projects. This leads to better online brand awareness, which in turn leads to financial success.