Marketing successfully isn’t easy, no matter how big or established your business is. However, small businesses, especially new ones, are prone to making mistakes that can lead to wasted time, lost money, and a brand that isn’t hitting how it’s supposed to. Let’s check out the 4 most common challenges new business owners face when marketing their brand and what you can do to avoid these blunders from the start.
By Team Savant
Image: Alper Güzeler
No Clear Target Market Or Niche
One of the most important things for a new business owner to have in place is a brand that stands out. In order to do that, you need to think about who your brand is for. Trying to appeal to everyone, as broadly as possible, is the best way to make sure you don’t appeal strongly to anyone. Define your target market, the people who are most likely to use your products and services, or the niche that helps you stand out, and focus on it. It differentiates you from your competition and helps you create a message that is more likely to resonate with those who can help you grow your business.
Not Having Enough Time
As a business owner, you’re likely used to wearing multiple hats, from CEO to customer service to marketer. However, when it can’t be your priority, marketing tends to get squeezed between urgent tasks until you don’t have the time to dedicate to making it as successful as possible. If your social media is going silent and email campaigns are going unsent, then working with a digital marketing team may be just what you need. You can also pull away from the nitty-gritty of the work to focus more on strategy and growth.
Inconsistency In Brand, Tone, And Visuals
When you have your brand identity set up, you need to make sure that you stick to it. If you’re working across different media or with different marketing professionals, then it’s not difficult for your advertising and brand efforts to look very different. However, this can also make your brand harder to identify across different touchpoints. Creating a brand bible can make sure that you have a set of visuals, principles, and even language that helps you stay consistent across the board, making it easier to build recognition.
Lack Of Data And Analytics
If you want to learn what really works with your marketing, it’s not enough to try and guess what is a success or not. A rise in sales or conversions isn’t enough alone. You should make sure that you’re tracking your marketing efforts using analytics, whether provided directly in the medium itself, such as with social media, or with analytics tools. Reviewing your data helps you make smarter decisions, allocate resources better, and avoid repeating costly mistakes, and analytics aren’t really as hard to read as they might appear.
Marketing your business successfully is going to require some learning on your feet as you find what exactly makes people respond to your brand. However, with the tips above, you can hopefully find that path without as many wrong turns on the way.