6 Bad Marketing Habits to Nix

When it comes to marketing, everyone has his or her own opinion of what to do and not to do. But, there are some online marketing habits that hold everyone back. You may not be aware that have these habits, but once you are, nip them in the bud to save yourself time and get better results.
We have gathered six marketing practices that are outdated and better left in 2014. Every company is different, but we think your time is most likely spent on other tactics.
1. Winging It
While marketing can feel more right-brained and creative at times, do not leave out the left-brained aspect of your creative plan-emphasis on the word plan. From email marketing, to social media management, to St. Louis web design it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  That is why a marketing strategy is key. Make a plan, schedule and budget this plan. Even plan the little things down to days and times to tweet.
2. Skipping the personal touch
As your client list grows, so should your relationship skills. Small businesses pride themselves on their ability to develop customers and client relationships. If you’re an agency that works with businesses like these, remember how important relationships are to them. Make sure to connect to them whenever possible, adding a personal touch to emails and always calling them by name on the phone. Treating your clients as a list is a habit that needs to go.  In this day and age of technology, everyone feels as if they get lost in the crowd. It’s vital to make sure your clients know they aren’t lost in your list.
3. Trying to do everything
Just because you have a plan, doesn’t mean everything needs to go in it. You may have a stellar foundation in place, but you need to be able to follow through. Don’t try to do everything and be everywhere. You don’t have to utilize every social channel, for example. Think about what is best for your audience, what fits into your time and plan that way.
4. Feeling Obligated
Don’t approach marketing strategies out of obligation because everyone else is doing it, or you feel you have to. Your audience will be able to tell if you approach marketing without authenticity.  If you are a small business that is just dipping your toes in the water of content, start by being real and talking to your audience as if you’re talking to a close friend. This means being friendly, approachable and interpersonal. In each post or email you send, think of your audience as your friend and only share what you think is valuable.
5. Wanting instant gratification
Since the digital world is constantly changing, you can’t expect every approach to work overnight. The things you spend the most hours on might end up not performing at all. While, the small things you barely thought about, could end up pulling you through. You can never know for sure what will work until you try, several times. Marketing is similar to fixing a car, there’s always something to be done, and you can never be sure you won’t get a flat tire along the way. Pay attention to your audience, and think big picture.
6. Talking about yourself too much
Start speaking directly to your audience about what they care about and not just about yourself. Find out  what matters most to them and create connections. This is an easy fix that will pay off in great lengths. Count the pronouns on your website, cut a few out, and change it to relate to your customer.
We hope you will nix these bad marketing habits this year to help your business succeed. Think about how changing your ways can shift your approach and give you the results you want this year.
Do you have any other tips? Share with us on Facebook or tweet @SeafoamMedia!