by Jessica Swanson

Oftentimes marketers make simple mistakes in their marketing campaigns that cost them both time and money.
Common marketing mistakes can usually be avoided through planning, attention to detail and ongoing tracking and measuring of marketing efforts.

Before you launch your next marketing campaign, whether online or offline, make sure to avoid some of the most common marketing mistakes.

1. Failure to Write a Powerful Headline. Whether you are writing a newspaper ad, email message or press release, you will need to create a powerful headline. Research suggests that your headline is the most important part of your ad. It is absolutely essential that you draw your prospective customer or client into your ad and keep them interested in what you have to offer. Spend quality time creating your headline and you will notice much better results.

2. Absence Of An Irresistible Offer. In marketing, 40% of the response that you receive from your prospects is directly related to your offer. In today’s competitive marketplace, you need to present your client or customer with an offer that they can’t resist. Offers can range from discounts to "attending a free webinar", but the fact remains that your marketing should always contain some sort of irresistible offer. If you have an irresistible offer, people will respond.

3. A Weak Or Non-Existent Call To Action. Every single time you create an ad, you want to direct your prospective client or customer to take a specific action. This action can be to call a toll-free number, visit a website or place an order. If you fail to tell your prospect exactly what you want them to do, they will not do anything. Take your prospect by the hand and show them what they need to do next in order to move them smoothly through all parts of the sales process.

4. Not Having A Great List. Even if you have the best product since sliced bread, you will need to have a list of highly targeted and responsive prospects. This can be accomplished by building a list. There are dozens of tools that will allow you to build a list quickly and efficiently. You can either rent or purchase a targeted list or build your own by asking prospects to supply you with their name and email. Most marketers agree that growing a list is perhaps one of the most important jobs for any small business.

5. Relying On One Marketing Message. On average, consumers are exposed to over 3,000 marketing messages every day. Recent research suggests that your clients and customers will need to see your marketing message between seven and twelve times before they even take notice! That means you can never rely on sending one message to your prospects; instead, you will need to send repeated messages to them over and over again. Decide how you will deliver your message and then make sure to develop and continue a relationship with your prospect in an ongoing process.

6. Failure To Measure Campaign Effectiveness. There are literally hundreds of ways to market your small business. Over time, you will most likely tap into dozens of these marketing platforms. However, it is absolutely vital that you take time to measure the effectiveness of your various marketing campaigns. This can be done with simple spreadsheets or fancier CRM systems. No matter how you measure your marketing, it is essential that you understand what is working and what is not working so that you can be extremely effective.

7. Not Communicating With Your Current Customers. It is vital to provide ongoing communication with your current customer base. Most likely you have spent time and money acquiring new customers. Moreover, research solidly suggests that about 20% of your current customers will purchase from you again. Make sure that you communicate with your customers on a regular basis, invite their feedback and provide value to them over the long-term. This will help build your business over time.

Whether you are a brand new marketer or established veteran, it is essential to avoid some of these most common marketing mistakes. To be successful over time, you must continually work to improve your marketing effectiveness. If you do, you will soon find your business growing quicker and easier than you ever imagined!

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Jessica Swanson, "The Shoestring Marketer," has helped entrepreneurs, all over the world, explode their businesses using cutting-edge, proven, NO-COST internet marketing strategies. To receive your FREE Marketing Kit,  which has helped thousands of entrepreneurs, just like you, learn the exact techniques for marketing their businesses for NO-COST, visit: http://www.ShoestringMarketingKit.com