15 Tips To Create The Worst Marketing Plan Ever

Every business needs a marketing plan to achieve ultimate success. Take a minute to find out how not to create the worst marketing plan ever.   

15 Tips To Create The Worst Marketing Plan Ever

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Everyone makes mistakes, even marketing executives. 

 

There have been plenty before us who’ve made some terrible marketing errors. Although they unfortunately couldn’t achieve their goals, they did leave some important lessons for the rest of us. 

 

Below, you will find 15 tips on how to create the worst marketing plan ever—or rather, 15 things you should absolutely avoid doing if you want a successful marketing campaign.

 

1. Ignore SEO

 

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a fantastic marketing tool for any business, but it’s especially critical for start-ups and small businesses. 

 

However, so many companies push this strategy to the back burner, perhaps because it takes a great deal of time, money, and effort to achieve the desired results. 

 

Ignoring SEO tactics is a bad idea, because a high ranking on a search engine like Google can lead to a significant increase in the number of website visitors. This not only creates brand awareness, it can lead to enquiries and sales too. 

 

2. Deem a blog unnecessary 

 

Every business can benefit from blogging, whether it be a big or small one. 

 

Plenty of Fortune 500 companies like IBM, Walmart, Marriott Hotels, and Coca-Cola have blogs that bring in visitors, generate traction, and help retain customers. Not creating a blog as a means of touching base and connecting with your target audience is a colossal error.

 

3. Avoid social media

 

Everyone is on social media, which automatically makes it a tool for businesses to engage with their customers. 

 

You need to use social media to your advantage. Set up your business accounts and connect with your customers in real time. This forges a link and creates a relationship that fosters loyalty.

 

4. Forget about mobile users

 

Having a website is simply not enough. 

 

Remember that almost everyone has a smartphone in their pocket. Make sure that you optimize your site for mobile devices so that you’re always accessible to both existing clients and potential ones. 

 

5. Never offer promotions

 

Far too many businesses fall into the trap of thinking that promotions will cause them to lose money. 

 

This is not true. 

 

In fact, it’s important to reward your customers and thank them for their support. Discounts and promotions will encourage people to complete transactions both in-store and online.

 

6. Misuse good feedback

 

It’s always great to have happy customers, but businesses should leverage off of their happiness. 

 

You can turn your satisfied customers into advocates for your products or brand by asking their permission to include them in a case study, instead of just thanking them for their feedback. This generates marketing material for you and helps your customers feel valued too.

 

7. Don’t participate in events

 

When industry events roll around, make a point of participating in them. These are incredibly important as they don’t just put your business’s name in the client domain, they get you known amongst other businesses too. 

 

Take part in events and get to know other businesses while you’re at it. You never know when you might be able to help each other out. 

 

8. Ignore your ROI

 

Businesses often simply throw money at a variety of marketing efforts, knowing that one or some of them may work. But no one takes the time to measure the return on investment (ROI). 

 

This is a grave mistake. 

 

Measure your ROI on each marketing effort so that you know which ones are the most and least effective. Then, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

 

9. Target everyone

 

Getting your business’s name known is important. However, targeting everyone is not necessarily the best way to go about it. 

 

Your product or service isn’t for everyone, so your marketing plan shouldn’t be either. 

 

Narrow down your target market for a more successful marketing campaign. 

 

10. Have a tricky website

 

What’s the point of spending money on a website that isn’t very user-friendly? Avoid getting caught up in the idea of making everything unique and mind-blowing. 

 

Instead, create a website that is easy to use and is intuitive at the same time. A tricky or overwhelming website is likely to do nothing but push potential customers away.

 

11. Don’t use email marketing

 

Email marketing is often overlooked, but it’s a great way to connect with existing clients. This channel gives you a direct line to their inbox and helps you keep them engaged and on top of any new offerings or product expansions.

 

12. Spam your customers

 

Once you have customers on your email marketing list, be sure to only send emails that are helpful, educational, or relevant. 

 

Don’t spam your customers by sending them too many emails. This is a sure-fire way of getting them to unsubscribe from your mailing lists. 

 

13. Disregard abandoned shopping carts

 

Abandoned shopping carts are a direct line to someone interested in your product. 

 

Many factors could have prevented them from completing their online transaction. Perhaps something distracted them, or maybe they just need a bit more time to think about their purchase. 

 

Either way, be sure to send a reminder email about the items in their cart; maybe this time with a discount code to encourage them through your sales funnel.

 

14. Never use CTAs

 

A call to action (CTA) is a way to get customers to help you reach your marketing goal. 

 

You can have an excellent ad, but it could be useless without a call to action.

 

Make use of an enticing CTA that includes links to your website to make it easy for customers to access your company. If you include a deadline in your CTA, your CTA is likely to be markedly more effective. For example, “order within 48 hours to receive an additional 5% off.” 

 

15. Don’t delegate

 

Marketing a business is by no means an easy feat. There are so many different factors to consider, including different marketing channels such as online and offline methods. 

 

Therefore, it’s important to grow your marketing team as you scale up. 

 

Being in charge of too much at once will make it easy for you to become overwhelmed and drop the ball in other aspects of your marketing strategy. The best PEOs can help you find and retain staff who can lighten the load. They’ll help you offer great benefits and take care of new employees, reducing your workload further and freeing up time to focus on other important tasks.

 

Conclusion

 

If you want to be successful in your marketing efforts, these are the pitfalls to avoid. By falling prey to these common mistakes, you’ll reduce your chances of success and limit your business’s growth in a competitive marketplace.