Mastering Marketing in 2024 – Steer clear of these common mistakes

Maintaining a competitive edge necessitates a keen awareness of pitfalls to avoid when it comes to putting together your marketing strategy in 2024.

This year, businesses must reassess their strategies to sidestep common mistakes that could impede growth. What worked in 2023, may not/are not relevant anymore – yes, things CAN (and do!) change that quickly in the digital marketing space. And if we are talking about Instagram, well, that’s another story…even us marketers struggle to keep up with what IG wants! It can be tough, we hear you…

To help, I have put together an insightful guide tailored for business owners, directors, managers, marketing freelancers, and social media managers highlighting some of the pitfalls that you may face and I have provided some strategic solutions.

Here goes…

Balancing beyond the sales pitch. Resist the temptation of incessant selling. This a huge mistake I see all the time. Successful brands cultivate a distinctive voice that extends beyond mere sales pitches. Engage your audience with valuable content that resonates. It’s important to note, that this extends beyond just your social media posting. Even more than ever, in 2024 steer clear from just selling in your EDMs (email campaigns), this is probably one of the biggest changes predicted this year. So try to make your EDMs not so much ‘clickbaity’.

There are also some new rules that are coming into effect – Effective February 1, 2024, Google will require brands to keep spam rates reported in the company’s Postmaster Tools below a threshold of 0.10% and avoid reaching a spam rate of 0.3% or higher. Beginning in February 2024, Yahoo will also enforce a maximum spam complaint rate of 0.3%. Read more here.

Diversifying marketing channels. Relying solely on a single marketing channel is a risk. What if that channel changes ownership and the rules change like hat happened with Twitter? What is your account gets hacked? Trust me, it is near IMPOSSIBLE to reclaim a hacked account, you can consider your account gone if this happens.Diversify your efforts to broaden your reach and impact. Attract a diverse audience across various platforms and having. A strong Omni (multi) Channel presence is a huge must, and even more-so in 2024. You don’t have to be on EVERY platform, BUT, you do need to be on the majority of the main ones. Sorry. Probably not want you want to hear, but it’s the truth.

Customer-centric approach. Make your customer the hero of your story, not just a spectator. Tailor your messaging to demonstrate how your product enhances their narrative. Bring a sense of ‘community’ to your marketing – how can you allow your audience into your world more? People need to feel connected to your brand, they want to show up and consume your content and feel good. So make it about them, not you or your brand. Make it about their pain points.

Streamlined checkout experience. Simplify your checkout/lead generation/booking process. For busy professionals, a straightforward purchase/enquiry journey is essential. Ensure a seamless experience for business owners managing their time efficiently. If you make it all too hard, nobody will be interested. Also remember, most people will be using a mobile device to enquire, so keep that in mind in regards to making it super simple.

Active customer communication. Engage actively with your customers. Understanding the needs and preferences of business decision makers through effective communication fosters stronger connections. It also builds trust, and trust is what converts into a sale.

Embracing change for growth. Break free from stagnant routines. Embrace change to foster continual growth. Attract forward thinking individuals who are open to exploring innovative marketing strategies for their businesses. Remember also, your audience also changes and ages – you need to grow with your audience.

Investing in quality content. Quality content remains paramount in marketing success. Businesses value informative, well crafted content that positions them as industry leaders. Become the authority in your niche! It doesn’t have to be filmed on the most expensive camera equipment, an iPhone will do, BUT it does need to be educational and value based content that delivers what your audience wants.

Leveraging email marketing. Email marketing is a robust tool for direct communication. Don’t underestimate its potential to reach business decision makers directly and nurture lasting professional relationships. But remember what i mentioned it point 1 – keep the clickbaity stuff to a minimum.

• Balancing emotion with analysis. Strike a balance between emotion and analysis. Business owners appreciate strategies rooted in data and analytics. When delivering content that is presenting data, it doesn’t have to be boring. You could even use a funny meme to deliver the information. Be creative!
• Showcasing social proof. Highlight your social proof. Positive endorsements and testimonials carry weight with key decision makers. Cultivate a positive online presence that appeals to your target audience. This will also help with your know, like and trust factor which is instrumental in making that conversations a reality. You want to be the brand that people tag when a question comes about about your niche.
• Comprehensive competitive analysis. One of the biggest oversights is not studying the competition closely enough. Use competitive analysis tools to identify market gaps and unique selling propositions for your brand. There are many software services now that you can use. UberSuggest is one, there is also SEM Rush as well as the paid version of Chat GPT.
• Utilising blogs for lead generation. Blogs aren’t just for information, they’re powerful lead generation tools. Leverage blogs with strong CTAs (call to actions, aka spoon feeding your audience and telling them exactly what you want them to do!), showcasing expertise, and SEO optimisation for organic traffic and lead conversion.
• Implementing an Omnichannel strategy. Adopt an Omnichannel (multi channel, ie be EVERYWHERE!) strategy to reach consumers across multiple touchpoints, from social media to email marketing, ensuring a seamless experience for your customers.
• I can’t stress this enough. If you take anything from this article and implement it, take this point alone for the reason that – your social media posts should become searchable (if done correctly) on Google. That means, if your marketing copy is SEO optimised, your social media platforms become search engines, so when a prospective buyer is searching for what you have on Google and they don’t know you to type your name in the search, you want to be found. This is how you will grab those cold leads.

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