5 Ways To Fix Your Marketing Today

Ahhh! You've downloaded all the “right” eBooks, read and absorbed the “secret” tips, listened to the “experts” talk endlessly, and implemented everything you've learned. You've literally DONE everything you can but nothing seems to work, and you’re at your goddamn wit’s end.

What gives? Why are you failing at making your marketing work?

There's only one reason why things aren't going right for you: you're making one of these 5 common marketing mistakes.

Here are five marketing mistakes you need to avoid if you want to start seeing results.

1. You’re Not Choosing a Target Audience To Focus On

Are you like a lot of well-meaning business owners who just want to help "everyone"? If I asked you who your target market is, and you replied with something generic like: "Well, everyone" or "Moms who are stressed out" or "People who like crystals and stuff". I’m gonna know straight away that you’re not where you need to be. Sorry, but trying to help “everyone” doesn’t work.

You must know exactly who your audience is! This means leaping out of your comfort zone and narrowing down specifically who you can help with your offers. #YouCanDoIt

Read this blog post to get clarity on who it is your services or products are for. 

2. You’re Not Doing Real Research or Testing Out Your Ideas

Is this you? You have an idea for a super cool class or product. You toil perfecting your copy, your branding, and finding the perfect software...only to have little to zero sales. Ouch! Many business owners create offers without having a specific or proven audience in mind, and then they jump right into trying to sell it to people they don’t know even exists. Please don’t do this to yourself!

Smart business owners know that research and testing is important to creating products or services that actually connect and sell.
 

3. You’re Not Communicating with Your Audience

Okay, so you probably listened to everyone’s advice about building an email list and a solid social media following. Cool beans. Now the real work begins: consistently communicating with them. Don’t make the cardinal sin of ignoring them until you have something to sell. Keep the connection going at all times on social media platforms and on email. The better you get your audience to know you, the easier it will be for them to know, like, and trust you.

Read this blog post about the difference between marketing, promoting, and selling. 

4. You’re ONLY Focusing on Features

When it comes to marketing your products or services, it’s super easy to just talk about the features (60-minute launch strategy calls! Pre-planned gluten-free menus! Email templates!) and forget about the benefits. Don’t know what benefits are? Benefits are the underlying reason WHY the feature is important.

Example:

Feature: 60-minute launch strategy calls

Benefit: To guide step-by-step on your coaching program launch

Feature: Pre-planned gluten-free menus

Benefit: To cut down on time when grocery shopping and what to make dinner

Feature: Email templates

Benefit: Copy and paste professional customer service responses your VA can use today

Don't list the features of the product, tell your audience point blank what's in it for them. They really don't care about you or anything more than how your product makes their life better.

When writing your sales copy it’s important to speak directly to your client avatar (remember Mistake #1?) and explain to that person what your product does for them. Your copy should also describe the kinds of problems your offer solves for them.

Read how to update your client avatar for 2017. 

5. You’re Not Understanding Your Why

So, you’ve probably heard about Simon Sinek’s famous Tedx speech about discovering your Why. If not, you can watch it here. It’s a fantastic basis for you understanding why you are doing this. Why should you understand your why? Simply put it will help you come from a place of purpose and genuine service. Online customers today have little patience for bogus claims and “fake it till you make it” leaders. If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of the many business owners who truly want to make a difference in their clients’ lives. So, understanding your why will be key to authentic marketing.

If you’re stuck, start with these two questions:

• Why are you the one your customers should turn to for help?

• What more does your audience need to know about you in order to convince them that you're the person who can help them?

If you get stuck with trying to figure out your why or with how to fix your marketing you can comment below.

You can also download my free Be Better At Marketing Cheatsheet below. It will help you directly clarify your marketing plan and help you prioritize what you should be doing.