Breaking Bad Marketing Habits: What Marketers and Business Owners Should Do
(M = Marketing Agency, B = Business Owners/Brands)
Marketing is anyone’s game in 2019, and there is never just one winner in this game. Industry professionals such as Banton Media have recognized that change in this market is inevitable. So, instead of running in the opposite direction, we plan on running full force ahead and catching up to the current marketing trends, surpassing them even. We won’t leave anyone behind because we believe in achieving and sharing success. In this blog post, I will have tips for both marketers and business owners alike, so pay attention to which ones are aimed at you. So, here’s everything you SHOULD do in 2019 to break those old, bad habits:
1. Say ‘yes’ to social media. M, B
You do realize social media has completely taken over, right? 2019 is the time to start saying ‘yes’, and that includes online marketing. Don’t get set in old ways because 2019 will show you that it will leave you behind if you don’t catch up with it. By old ways, I mean TV, newspaper, radio. Don’t get me wrong, as of right now, there is still a market for those areas and they still have a purpose. What I am saying is if you constantly rely on just those markets you’re so comfortable with, you WILL see a decline in positive results sooner or later.
2. Create a budget strictly for marketing. B
There is no reason not to have money set aside just for your marketing strategy. Whether you do it in-house or through an agency, your efforts will have a cost. If a marketing professional asks you how much money you’d like to spend, and you say $100, you should turn around and spend that money on a coffin because that’s where your business will end up. Marketing isn’t cheap, we know! It can be scary throwing your money out there in the world of uncertainty, but if you do it right, you’ll make it back and then some. Giving yourself a reasonable, flexible budget, will allow you to try new things and invest in your business. Unless you don’t care to see it grow, then carry on.
3. Trust the professionals. B
As I said, marketing can be uncertain at times so if you’re a major Type A, it’s terrifying. That’s why there are professionals. These people study and try things and fail and restart. Their life is marketing, photography, internet, content, SEO, sales, etc. (At least at Banton Media, it is). If you don’t trust yourself to market your brand, or simply don’t know how to, just ask. Get advice, help, and guidance. Marketing agencies are built to help you grow and that’s all they want for you (unless they’re the schemey type that just takes your money and never gives you results – stay away from those). All marketers ask you to do in return is to trust them. You hire the professionals for a reason – it’s their job, so let them do it. Don’t half-heartedly hand over the marketing while still trying to control the work because they won’t give you the best they can with that treatment. If you’re going to trust them, trust them 100%. If they don’t deliver – hey, at least you gave it a shot and hopefully learned something, even if it’s what NOT to do.
4. Setting realistic goals. M, B
Goals are something that can motivate you to do better. 2019 should be about wanting to do better for yourself and your brand. Don’t go all ‘New Year, New Me’ because it’s honestly just unrealistic, for anyone. If you’re serious about your brand/company, then setting goals and watching them be achieved will be a win every time. If you’re a business owner, set goals for what you’d like to see in your business every month, and then maybe every quarter. Yearly goals are totally encouraged for those ready to take the steps to achieve long-term goals. Marketers, set goals for your clients and for yourselves. You want to see your clients be successful just like I’m sure you’d like to be successful yourselves. Sometimes it can go hand-in-hand while other times they can be separated. Watching things happen for your clients will be exciting for you because 1. You achieved! and 2. Your clients will be happy, which most likely will encourage them that you’re doing your job and they’ll want to stay with you.
5. Don’t take shortcuts. M, B
To all marketing agencies: Don’t take shortcuts that will not benefit you, your agency, and most importantly, your client. It’s not fair to them if you’re cheating them out of business, money, and results. Eventually, you will get caught up and probably fired. To all you business owners/brands/influencers: Anything like buying followers, likes, comments, whatever, we see you. We know you’re cheating. Obviously, most platforms are cracking down on those types of loopholes, but it’s inevitable that the option will probably always be available. Just stop! This is cheating YOURSELF out of business, money, and results. It’s so not worth it.
6. Embrace change. M
As I said, 2019 is going to bring some BIG change and new ideas to the forefront of marketing, as every year does. Do not be afraid of change. If you’re terrified of making changes, this industry is definitely not for you. Marketing strategies grow and conform to the current times every day, probably every hour. You cannot get stuck in the same marketing loop you were in in 2018 because things are already different! AI and message automation, yes it’s coming out in a big way. Content creation and online platforms – you get more every day! Learning is just a part of the marketing industry so you’ve always got to be ready. I can appreciate that you want to stick with what you’re comfortable with, and that’s OK! You’re allowed to keep parts of your marketing strategy that are working and comfortable, but if you find things that aren’t working, why waste your time? Just because it’s comfortable doesn’t mean it’s functional.
7. Posting with purpose. M, B
Business owners, if you’ve handed your social media over to a marketing agency, you can ignore this. If you’re currently handling social media, please read this CAREFULLY: You must stop posting erratically. Consumers, or ‘followers’, do not want to follow you if you post five photos/videos a day. They also do not want to follow you if you post every three months. It is time that you get a schedule down. Marketers and researchers have spent a considerable amount of time gathering data on when the perfect time to post on each social platform is, for different businesses and brands, so utilize that!
Engage your followers at the time when they’re most active and don’t drown them in content. Keep a constant story that updates them just enough to keep them interested but not too much to push them away.
8. Be consistent. M, B
Finally, this goes for anyone, anywhere, just stay consistent. Obviously, in the marketing world, keep your brand constant and post with a story. Don’t stray to different CTAs (Call To Actions) or the story will get lost and your consumers get confused. Even simple things like colors and fonts are important when letting people know who you are. For example, every person on planet Earth knows a McDonald’s is coming up because of the golden arches – they were consistent and even though things were rebranded and moved around, there was one constant which they still have to this day. If you keep up with the purpose and the story behind your brand, people will know who you are.