The world of marketing is taking new forms in the online digital platforms. The online marketing field is moving at such a fast pace that the traditional methods of marketing are slowly becoming obsolete. There are so many tips and tricks that are floating around to get you on the top of your game. However, sometimes we tend to get so caught up doing the right thing that we forget to watch out for the things that we’re not supposed to do. Here are a few things that you shouldn’t do for successful marketing online.
Being that best in the market and bragging about how exceptional your services are may get you to a certain audience. Bragging about the technological expertise to address the needs of the market might be an impressive document to read. But in reality, people are looking for solutions for their needs.They need solutions that can work for them. There is a thin line between bragging about your work and communicating the services you offer. Pushing ideas that a certain product is a must, is not going to get you anywhere. You can be out there through online media and give the right answers. But not engaging the real needs is not going to help people who are looking for simple solutions. Just helping customers find the right answers helps build relationships and trust. Give customers things that they can engage with, give them what they need and not what you want them to need. Customers don’t want to read something that is irrelevant to them. They need things that they can use. Providing answers to what people are asking and pointing people in the right direction helps build a genuine customer base. Which in turn builds loyalty with the company over time.
Many a times you lose interest in shopping because everything you buy is so easily available and there is nothing unique about it. This happens mostly because of the promotional pricing and special offers at stores all around the year. Which tends to make customers more spontaneous. Customers are more likely to make spontaneous decisions and buy things only when they are on sale. Also, it is all the more likely that the customers will come back for a refund. Which in turn affects the profits because of the discounted pricing and no sale of the product either. Sometimes it is better to have surprise sales and discounts to keep the surprise element of sales going. Because this then would instill the FOMO (fear of missing out) factor alive in the customers for them to come back for more. Having a sale every now and then takes away the element of surprise and gets customers so used to the trend that sales are always going to happen. And therefore deject the urge for shopping itself.
Not just that, but overdoing promotional events and discounted sales affects brand value. Having endless discounts on products makes the brand come across as a pretentious brand, eager to move products and nothing more. Which then brings down the brand value and tags it as a less fashionable or exclusive brand. Having predictable sales and promotional events do more damage than good. Hence it is better to have these promotions every once in a while and not as a regular affair.
When we order a product online or pull something off of the store’s shelves, the first thing we notice about the product is its packaging. And because first impressions go a long way, the packaging designs of the product must be given due importance. A poor packaging design puts off the excitement of a person and chances are that they’re not going to buy this product again.
Imagine if a customer were going to unbox a product in front of a few friends, or give it as a gift to someone. And imagine if the first thing they see isn’t so impressive, what’d you think will go through their minds? It is intimidating to think that isn’t it? Well, the best thing to do in this situation is to rethink the packaging design. And make it impressive so that you don’t lose those potential customers. Gone are the days when packaging didn’t matter much. These days all the minute details of a product are so important and attention-worthy. Because at the end of the day, if a product isn’t up to the mark. People are definitely going to let the world know about it, and thanks to technology, the reviews will be out there for all to see. Anyway, the main point we’d like to convey is that. – Packaging of a product is an important factor that affects the buying decisions of customers. You do it well, you gain the world, while a dreadful design is going to get you nowhere.
USP or Unique Selling point is a differentiation factor that helps distinguish between your business and other companies in that space. This factor enables the product to stand out amongst its competitors and provides an image for itself and increases the value for money. One of Apple’s famous tag-lines was ‘If you don’t have an iPhone. Well, you don’t have an iPhone.’ This was also their selling point. Apple has established itself as a unique brand. Similarly, it is important to highlight that one unique aspect of our product that sets it apart from the competition. Having a USP for your product is sure going to boost the product’s sales and presence in the market.
A marketing plan helps with planning and strategizing the promotion of your business. Quite like a business plan that charts the operational functions of a business, having a marketing plan helps chart out the promotional events and advertising activities of the business. Not having a marketing plan could jeopardize your promotion strategies and events. There are high chances that your events may also seem disorganized when you don’t have a plan. As the wise saying goes: ‘When you fail to plan, you plan to fail’. Having a plan will always give you the time to assess and rethink strategies. Researching the market and target audiences to organize a promotional event are things that need a marketing plan. Not having a marketing plan could get you in trouble with your finances as well. This is because generally, the marketing plan would clarify the budget and expenses. And without a budget in place, you are more likely to lose track of the expenses and end up leading your business to a financial crunch.
A marketing plan would also help keep track of your strategies and best practices from previous events. Without one, you wouldn’t know what might’ve gone wrong and where you need to invest your time and energy. So having a marketing plan is crucial for businesses to build a successful empire.
Ignoring the competition and going old school about being the best in the market is good. However, knowing your competition has its own advantages as well. You may have heard the saying ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’. Though not all competitors are our enemies, getting to know our competitors might be a good idea to build a healthy competition.
It is crucial for you to know your competitors well. Because in the end, finding out what they do, and how they do helps us come up with better innovative solutions. Being aware of the competition helps you explore spaces that have not been explored before. And amid tons of information and solutions in the world. There is always room for improvement and platforms to provide better, quicker solutions. The other advantage of getting to know the competition is that it helps us avoid pitfalls in the future by learning from their failures. And not just that, an added advantage is that you get a headstart in your journey by getting to know the best practices in the industry.
Well, these pointers are just a few helpful guidelines to exercise good online marketing and best practices with customers in the industry. But, at the end of the day, remember that it’s always about the customer and meeting their needs. Always practice ways to build their trust and authentic relationships with them. There is no shortcut to winning customers unless you genuinely provide the right solutions for the customer’s needs.
