We all  most definitely have a ‘To Do’ list in our marketing strategy ….Not enough…We need to add a ‘Not To Do’ list at the bottom of this list to avoid  errors and traps and avoid wasting time over ineffective activities…specially in our peak sales periods when we have so much more ‘ To Do’

Do Try and avoid these ‘Slippery Slopes’ while marketing

Do not err ignoring either advertising for marketing. They are alike but not substitutes for each other…You need both in perfect synergies, so focus on both. Leverage both in each other’s plans…Let your advertising give you marketing leads and your marketing lessons help you target your advertising better.

Do not load too much information at one time. It’s hard enough for people to retain few key messages…your key punches should be spaced appropriately among the few message, leave a window to restart a bit later.

Do not create bulky marketing materials or messages for customers that you wouldn’t want to read. Just as bulky stuff bore you while reading it as a customer, so will your customer get bored to? Let it be simple but Effective!!!

Do not lose patience with customers slow to respond. Find reasons to stay in touch but allow them to arrive at decisions at their own pace. You can indicate a ‘Best Before’ date and
Make clear what they lose for a late response.

Don’t let one difficult person irritate you. Acknowledge the problem, take a deep breath and move on. You have many more “leads’ to work on

Do Not spend too much time or resources  on the design of your website, on your  rollout  plans till the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that you ignore about creating value in  your product. Customers come to you for value…Tech FEEL IS ONLY AN add on…. Good if you can manage ALL. But remember, Timing a product well…specially if around Festivals/Mega Sale Shows are more important.

Do not start with Generic /Motherhood Message. Parroting a generic message that you have great brand, great value, and a great selection says you have nothing unique…. Start with your USP maybe; a compelling value-based answer to “So-what?”

Do Not waste Time, Networking blindly in large groups of stranger as they are rarely productive. Try small groups and build networking, who can take you around in bigger groups. This will work better.

Do not dominate the conversation with the customer, let him talk. If he talks and you reply satisfactorily, you have made your sale.

Do not indulge too much on Mass Mails/Cold calls, they rarely work these days. Research based connects, Customer specific dialects, Value/Solution to a customer’s specific problem works. Don’t annoy people with email that they don’t even care about.

Do Not overuse automation tools in responses on social media. Social media automation is a great way for a business to save time, measure their efforts, and improve the consistency of their social media marketing. Automation, however, lacks social and cultural insight.  You may end up with major Errors… like selling a Wedding Paraphernalia to 60 Plus or continuing to promote an Event on Auto…even after the event was cancelled.

Do Not try to use every social media channel or rely on just one marketing channel, either way can prove detrimental. Try to balance it out sensibly.

Do not ignore to ‘Research’ the cultural context of your content. Check the spelling, usage of the term, context, and the links with some of the phrases that you use.  Can have similar hashtags that convey entirely different messages.

Do not ignore either your Business Mentor/Financers messages or your front line Messages. Your business survives when you clearly understand the environment from all fronts that includes the boardroom as well as the customer feedbacks.  Use both data to build a stronger business.

All the above may seem ‘Too Much To Care’ But Yet as most marketing experts would say

Do Not Get scared by it all … Just Be ready to Learn and Adapt
Marketing can seem like a complex thing. To some degree, it is. Businesses now have to maintain a good website, social media channels besides the regular marketing channels, a demanding customer service, and much more. All of this is part of marketing and all of it constantly evolving all of the time. The best thing you can do in the face of such change is to proceed forward with a plan, be ready for continuous learning, and persistence. Just pick only that which works for you. Pick the Essential and leave the Unimportant

MOST IMPORTANT. As said by most Marketing Geniuses…

Do not get Stressed out over marketing

Stress impedes creativity. As a marketer or business owner trying to get more sales, you might feel predictably stressed over everything you have to do to get a customer. Marketing, , is still the same thing as it has always been, a conversation. All you need to do is find the right medium to tell your story.