6 content marketing mistakes small businesses make but must avoid
When running a small business, it can be difficult to commit time, money and resource to content and marketing. But that can lead to problems. Below, I’ve outlined six mistakes that I’ve witnessed small businesses make and how you can avoid them in the future.
They have a poor, mobile-unfriendly website
Or worse, no website AT ALL. Some business owners don’t think they need a website, especially if they are a local service, but that’s a mistake to definitely not make. A huge proportion of local consumers search online for products and services, so it’s essential that you have a website for them to find.
Websites should be mobile-friendly too; more and more consumers are accessing the internet via smartphones and tablets, so small businesses must make sure their site is responsive.
They try to reach the wrong audience
Some small business owners are so focused on who they want their customers to be, that they are blinkered when it comes to seeing the customers they actually have. Targeting the wrong audience is a surefire way of getting a business into trouble.
Marketing efforts should not be wasted on an audience that will never buy a certain product or service. For a small business marketing campaign to work, owners need to be clear about who they are targeted and where they can find that audience.
They only use social media to promote, not to communicate
As a freelance social media producer, this is one I’ve frequently witnessed in small businesses. Many small businesses use their company social media accounts to promote new products or announce sales and discounts, but they rarely engage with their users outside of this. This is a mistake, for sure. Social media is simply another way to communicate with customers; ask them for opinions and get valuable feedback on your latest products – consumers want to feel involved.
If you don’t have the time, knowledge or resource to improve your social media marketing, get in touch, I have a range of packages available to suit small businesses.
They have no content marketing plan – at all
For many small businesses, marketing comes low down on the list of priorities, usually due to a lack of time and budget, so it’s tempting to skip writing a content marketing plan. But this is a mistake. Planning how much you’re willing to invest and how much time it’ll take will increase your chances of success. Without a plan, it’s much more difficult to track results. And if you don’t track results, how do you know what’s worked (and more importantly, what hasn’t)? If you don’t know where to start with planning, get an expert in – it’ll be well worth it in the long-term.
They don't ask for reviews
Larger companies have no qualms about asking customers for reviews, but some small businesses are still reluctant. They worry that negative reviews will reflect poorly on them and so prefer to not actively request feedback. This is a mistake; according to a study by Econsultancy, 90% of customers who do have a negative experience will return if the problem is resolved quickly and efficiently, and 15% say that they are more likely to do business with a company if they see that the situation that inspired a negative review was properly resolved.
They ignore competitors
Small businesses can learn a lot from their competitors but many are not taking the opportunity to do so. It's quick and easy to search for competitors via Google or social media; simply take a look at what they are doing and what’s working for them. If you need some help with strategy and devising new marketing opportunities, get in touch.
Small businesses have so much potential to really make an impact with their marketing, but it’s these mistakes that can hold them back. Marketing requires effort and time but is well worth the investment. If your small business needs content marketing and social media help, contact me today at katy@katyratican.com.
This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.
