How often do you find yourself looking at your figures and wondering why, despite all of your best efforts, an incredible product and amazing service, things just aren’t moving forward in the way you would like? It's possible you might be falling into some pretty basic consumer marketing pitfalls, that we all find ourselves in from time to time.
We know how difficult it can be to see the woods for the trees, especially when you’re in the middle of a self-built forest. We can get so caught up in the day to day that we forget about the big picture. All of us make simple mistakes, no matter where we are at in our business and marketing journeys, and sometimes taking the time to go back to basics can give you the oversight you need. That’s why we’ve highlighted some frequent marketing pitfalls that all of us can - and regularly do - fall into, so they become easier to spot - and more importantly, avoid.
Customers - Can they find you?
It’s amazing how many times we forget that even the best products, services and offerings, still need to be shouted about before word will start to spread. Whilst word of voice is the number one most valuable tool in any marketer's arsenal, if those initial customers can’t find you, or don’t even know you exist, it’s going to be the most impossible to achieve.
If you’ve done the work to identify your target audience, you’re off to a good start. Once you know who your ideal customer is, working out where you are most likely to find yourself in front of them becomes the easy part. And whilst, yes, there’s a huge job to do on social media to make sure that if a customer stumbles across you on their travels, or finds out about you and starts their research from your profile, it’s far from the most effective way to engage potential customers.
Consider your customer marketing mix. There are multiple channels to reach customers, and you can use both outbound and inbound strategies to build your database. And don’t limit it to digital media. Yes digital is incredibly powerful when it comes to data and tracking - but real-world experiences offer a totally different take on brand-building and engagement.
A good way to maximise your reach and grow awareness is to leverage your understanding of your audience, their needs and interests, and build a marketing plan that goes where they are - not where is easiest for you. If you’re unsure about where to start, speak to a brand marketing agency with media expertise for guidance, and run some test campaigns to identify your most effective channels.
Customers - Do they know what you offer?
It’s all well and good getting in front of your potential customers - and if you’ve nailed your marketing mix, well done. That’s no mean feat! But when you’ve got the 2 - 3 second opportunity to grab their attention, are you saying the right thing? Consumers these days are overwhelmed with information and brands trying to get their eyeballs. Have you made sure you’re maximising your chances of being the one they go for?
Start out by understanding your audiences, their needs and how you solve them. Once you have pinpointed this, you can tailor your offering - and how you communicate this - so as it creates a strong, crystal clear impression. And once you’ve nailed what that is, keep coming back to it. It takes on average 7 - 8 times for a consumer to see a marketing message before it actually sinks in. So keep your message consistent for the long-term, and people will begin to associate it with you.
Customers - Are you top of mind when it comes to decision time?
When it comes to making decisions, customers have a lot of choice. With that comes decision fatigue, so making it as easy as possible for them to remember and choose you is mission critical
But how can you do that?
Make sure they know who you are! As above, if they can’t find you, then during the research phase of their purchasing process you won’t even be a glimmer in their consideration. Use a carefully considered marketing mix to make sure you feature where they will be, ideally before they even start to think about looking.
Make sure they understand what you offer! Again, we’ve highlighted the importance of this. If you’re in front of them, that’s great. But unless they can associate you with a clear offering, they won’t have a strong enough reason to choose you and you risk a competitor swooping in to steal the sale. A purchase is made for a reason - make sure they are clear on why you are the number 1 choice.
Be consistent, be present. We need to see marketing messages on average 7-8 times before they sink in. Identify 7-8 touch-points you can have with your audience and ensure that your messaging is consistent across all of them. Reinforce this in all of your marketing efforts where appropriate.
So there we have it. A few customer marketing mistakes that we all make but are easily rectified. If you’re unsure about the best ways to engage and grow your customer base, speak to us at Ton. We specialise in building loyal communities and long-term customer bases for premium lifestyle brands. Visit our website for more information.
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