Steer Clear Of These 4 Marketing Pitfalls

Marketing without a plan is like going to the grocery store without a list when you’re hungry. You spend twice as much as your budget. You don’t get half of what you need. And when you come home with nothing but toilet paper and Doritos (they were on sale!)  your family looks at you as if to say, “What were you thinking?”

The big difference between the two is that a bad day at the grocery store is temporary. Marketing with no plan can have a lasting detrimental effect on your business – and you don’t even get to eat Doritos.

Here are 4 pitfalls to marketing without a plan:

• Wasted Time & Money: This is one of the biggest risks to marketing without a plan. Your valuable resources of time and money do not produce what you need, which can be harmful to your short and long-term success.
• Inconsistencies: Without a plan it is easy to go off message, which will confuse your audience. A confused audience does not generate customers – and it can weaken your brand identity.
• Lost Opportunities: Marketing tactics that miss the mark means you miss the chance to grow.
• No Success Monitors: If you don’t have a plan, you can’t track progress effectively. Without a clear strategy, it’s impossible to measure how successful your tactics have been.

In a crowded marketplace, these risks can bury your business, limit your ability to learn about your customers’ true needs, and stunt your company’s growth.

Developing a well-crafted marketing plan provides your team with the strategic direction needed to execute successful campaigns. It outlines the tactics to be used, estimates the costs involved, and sets clear benchmarks for measuring success.

Marketing – to the hungry eye – can look like a giant grocery store. It’s full of delicious choices and appealing packages. But don’t be fooled. Going in without a plan can leave your marketing budget gutted and your business starved of opportunity.

Looking for a marketing plan that serves as a nutritious source of sustainable revenue? Contact First Impressions Marketing today.