Everyone has marketing advice but not everyone should be sharing it. What works for Company A in situation X may not work for Company B in situation Y. And just because someone has seen a series of ads on television or a social media platform does not mean he or she is a marketing expert.
Effective marketing approaches include a never-ending cycle of test, analyze, tweak; test, analyze, tweak. Take advice with a grain of salt but always keep in mind what is best for your brand.
1. Don’t be too aggressive
No such thing. Just keep it polite, funny, enthusiastic, entertaining, etc. People always have the option of saying no either by continuing to scroll through their social media feed or by unsubscribing from your email campaigns.
2. Move forward based on past results.
The marketing field and consumer attitudes are constantly and rapidly changing. Open-mindedness and innovation are key to moving forward. What worked in the past can inform future practices to some extent but it may not work a second or third time.
3. You need a profile on every social media platform.
Nope. Different platforms have different purposes, interfaces and audiences. You need to ask yourself which channels does your target audience frequent? Be on THOSE platforms and do them well. It is better to be consistent on a few platforms that make sense for your audience than try to do too much and be sporadic.
4. You have to post ALL THE TIME.
Quantity does not equal quality. A large number of posts does not guarantee engagement. Not to mention that the odds of being blocked by your customers increase when you are pushing out 20 tweets a day.
5. Disable commenting to control negative people.
No! People will simply find other avenues to speak their minds. Better for it to be on your site or profile so you can professionally and courteously show the world that you are ready and willing to make things right for your customers. Unless it’s obviously crazy talk – don’t waste your time or energy trying to fight crazy! Simply thank the person for the feedback and move on.
6. Email is antiquated and doesn’t need to be a part of your marketing plan.
Cost-effective with a high ROI…email is GOOD! It’s personal and you can include specialized calls-to-action or URLs to meet each customer where he or she is in the buyer’s funnel. It is also the preferred channel for many consumers when it comes to keeping track of special offers or discounts.
7. It’s all about being memorable.
Okay, this one is half-way correct. You want your marketing to be memorable but for the right reasons – not because you thought purple apes riding orange unicorns across the desert was a good way to sell your products. Memorable, yes, but also relevant and effective.
8. You don’t need a social media strategy – just do it.
Set goals, establish metrics, analyze efforts, tweak, repeat – just like every other part of your marketing plan. And it goes without saying that your social media efforts should be a part of and aligned with your larger marketing strategy.
Weigh what each person has to say. Look at advice through the specific lens of your organization and make decisions based on the goals outlined in your marketing strategy. The experts at Strategy Driven Marketing are ready to help you navigate the world of marketing advice. Contact us today!