Mistakes. Accidents. Mistakes. Disasters. They happen to the best
and the most prepared of us. In marketing, they happen, sometimes
quite historically and sometimes at great
expense.
An effective marketing campaign sparks conversation about your brand
and what it offers, so one could argue that Coca-Cola made a genius marketing
decision as opposed to a mishap when it shocked audiences with New Coke in
1985. 30 years later we are still enamored with Coca-Cola Classic and thankful for
its return. Does that have anything to do with how the company took the old
version off the shelves during the 80s Cola War, a move that prompted notable negative
response and resulted in a substantial increase in sales? Coca-Cola
hasn’t admitted to such a ploy, but many pundits, fans and conspiracy theorists
think otherwise.
If you have the next great New vs. Classic Coke strategy up your
marketing sleeve, that’s great. But if you don’t, here are 4 marketing mishaps
you want to avoid as you plan that strategy:
1. Lack of research and testing
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Practice, practice, practice. How do you create a campaign that will speak to
your prospects and clients and get them to respond? Testing, testing, testing.
Don’t guess as to what your audiences wants from your brand; research their
needs and test different offers, prices and packages. Begin your research by
asking them; they’ll tell you.
2.
Using too many social networks
Of
course your brand is represented on social media. (It is, right?) But there’s
being on social media and then there’s being on the right social media. Who is
your audience? What platforms do your audience members use?
Research
shows that Facebook reigns supreme as the most popular social media and the
level of user engagement has increased. That’s great information to have, but
what exactly does that mean for your brand? What types of content do the 71% of
online adults who use Facebook best respond to and engage with? More
importantly, what types of content are your audience members seeking to engage
with?
3. Failing to retain customers
Research shows that
71% of customers have ended their relationship with a company due to poor
service and that it companies focus more of their attention on customer acquisition
rather than customer retention despite that acquisition costs 7x more. Don’t
forget that your current customers have needs; failing to retain them as
customer can impact the power of your brand and your bottom line.
4. Failing to use (or optimize) hashtags
There’s
a triangular approach I like to keep in mind when it comes to hashtags:
Hashtagify.me can help you identify hashtags related to your industry, and RiteTag.com can help
you determine if your hashtag is overused. Hashtags are now integrated in multiple
social media platforms and have made a comfy home for themselves across pop culture. Using them effectively makes it easier to find you and your content as well as
provides your brand with a convenient way to be a part of a variety of conversations.
Isn't that exactly what your brand wants?
By: Susan Gail Taylor, Social Media Manager and Copywriter at RME360