No matter what type of startup you own, common marketing mistakes are unavoidable. Consequently, startups must find a way to navigate all the marketing challenges that can hinder their success. These challenges include limited budget, inadequate resources, and an urgent need to create brand awareness.
And if you are looking to build a strong brand in Atlanta, you must avoid making marketing mistakes that could hamper your company’s growth. However, in most cases, it is easier said than done, and to effectively deal with such problems, an entrepreneur must opt for the services of a digital marketing expert.
And knowing when and how to invest in an effective marketing strategy can make all the difference while propelling your startup to success. Below you will find some of the most common marketing mistakes that a startup makes and how can a startup owner efficiently evade them.
● Staffing up Your Marketing Section Too Fast
A startup owner might think that it’s beneficial to build a brand by investing in a trained and professional marketing staff but avoid doing it at all costs. Instead, outsource the services of an expert company that can take care of your SEO (search engine optimization) and other web-marketing needs. This will not only help you in saving your business cost but will also provide you with valuable results.
For instance, if you are running a startup in Atlanta, where staffing up your marketing department can become a significant business cost, you should find other ways to meet your marketing needs. On the other hand, when outsourcing digital marketing services, you get to save that cost and the ability to invest your limited resources in other critical operations of your business, such as product refinement. Moreover, with Atlanta SEO Help, a startup owner will get the benefit of actual results. Your brand visibility enhances on every search engine and social media platform you are present on. And with improved brand visibility, your startup gets the benefit of customer loyalty and trust. You are further improving your chances of becoming a successful business owner.
Additionally, with low-cost options provided by outsourcing, your brand will get more marketing for a lower expense. Therefore, think hard before you hire an in-house digital marketing executive the next time.
● Communicating Through the Wrong Channels
Right now, there are so many marketing channels available for you to engage with your customers. But how do you know which one is going to work best for your brand? You don’t have to look any further than your audience to know which ones are right and which ones are wrong for your business. Therefore, the first step is to understand what your audience wants and understand their needs.
Also, there is a high probability that you have more than one target audience, and each of them has a specific channel that they’ll need to communicate with your brand. Therefore, a startup owner must determine which channels will give them maximum exposure and which platforms can be avoided. Consequently, you get to see a lot of your time and resources and get better results with the limited but specific effort you’ll make.
● Spending Hefty Costs on Achieving Brand Perfection
Often, startups want to rename themselves at an early stage and thoroughly apply a makeover to their website design. In reality, this effort can be less productive and more destructive towards creating a perfect brand image. Investing your limited capital in achieving perfection in the early stages of your brand development will produce narrow results and will only act as a constant waste of funds.
Then there is redundant and excessive brand promotion. You are wasting all your time and energy on social media, another big no. According to the founder of Launch & Hustle, Brett Relander – “In response to such increased noise, many consumers may respond by simply tuning out.” If that doesn’t sound scary enough, read what he has to say next. “Even worse, they may disengage altogether and even unfollow your brand if they see that you post too frequently without providing anything of real value.”, he further adds.
Therefore, instead of taking huge chunks of money out of your capital, employ a lean startup method. Do not procrastinate on the launch of your website just because the web design does not look perfect to you. Once you have launched your website, you can collect customer information and, based on that information, can make the best suitable changes. This way, you can also learn more about what your customers have to say about your brand and the industry you work in. so, don’t ignore all these possibilities just because you are looking to achieve perfection right after the launch of your website.
● Failure and Inability to Measure Results
When you are spending money on marketing, you must track everything going on with your website. If you are unaware of what kind of attention you are getting from a particular campaign, you’ll have no way of knowing how to make a return on your investment.
In 2014, internet advertising rapidly grew from $133 billion to a whopping $195 billion. That’s a considerable lot of money that is completely lost without any use, considering that more than 80 percent of businesses don’t keep track of their ROI on social media.
Every marketing campaign you launch online must use tracking code pixels or UTM (unified threat management) codes. When using marketing through print media, use unique phone numbers, custom URLs, and special discount codes. Always find an opportunity to ask your customers how they found your brand and constantly strategize to link every customer back to a campaign.
To Sum it Up
All the mistakes mentioned above are entirely avoidable and preventable. However, if you still can not escape them, they won’t cause you to shut down your business. Just make sure you constantly rethink, revise and relaunch your marketing strategies as your business grows. As long as you are prepared and willing to learn from your mistakes, you can find better ways to strategize and push your business towards success.