The do’s and don’ts of marketing

From target audience to budget – there are a million moving parts that will inform your efforts. However, there are some definite do’s and don’ts when it comes to marketing best practices. To make things a little easier we’ve gathered a handful of best and worst practices and created one master list of marketing do’s and don’ts. Without further ado, here it is:

The marketing do’s

Let’s start off with what you absolutely, no questions asked, should be doing. A recent study conducted by Forbes contributor Jayson DeMers provided some serious insights into what marketers are doing that works. These findings combined with what we’ve learned here at Moving Targets over the years boiled our do’s list down to three key marketing moves.

1. DO invest in SEO:
   SEO has been (and continues to be) a hot term in marketing for good reason: it works. So much so that 24 percent of marketers in DeMers’ study claimed that it will NEVER become irrelevant. A well-informed SEO strategy is a MUST for any marketer today – big or small. And the survey shows it is going nowhere soon.

   A considerable 94 percent of participating marketers claim they will either expand their SEO spending or keep it the same moving forward. There is serious potential for marketing improvements both short and long term with SEO and because of this marketers should definitely put SEO investments on their do’s list.

2. 2DO post consistent, quality content: 
   Two of marketing’s main principles are consistency and quality. So, it only makes sense that the duo makes the list of major marketing do’s. Businesses should never fall off the face of the earth in terms of their content – this rings especially true for social media pages.

   According to Business 2 Community contributor Jonny Rosen, the rules of just how often to post vary by site but Twitter generally warrants eight to 10 posts per day and Facebook three to five. However, your team should never sacrifice quality for quantity. If you can only post one really good post per day versus five ‘decent’ posts, stick with the one.

3. DO use Facebook – and social media in general: 
   If your business is not on social media in general yet, it’s time to start. But if you’re not using Facebook for marketing at this point it’s time to seriously reevaluate your marketing strategy. We’ve written in length about the positive effects unique Facebook marketing tools can have on your overall marketing efforts, as well as the benefits social media as a whole can have on things like visibility and user engagement.

   Turns out, marketers agree. According to DeMers’ survey,  over 90 percent of participants cited Facebook as their most profitable platform. Social media marketing in general is also predicted to continue to grow in terms of importance. In the next five years, 65 percent of respondents believe social media channels’ significance in marketing will continue to grow.

The marketing don’ts

Okay so now that you have an idea of what you SHOULD be doing, what are thing you need to steer clear from? Here are our top three picks:

1. DON’T ignore user comments: 
   As with most things on our do’s and don’ts list, we’ve covered this area in depth before. When it comes to the age of instant communication ignoring user comments (good or bad) is one of the worst things a business can do in terms of marketing.

   ALWAYS respond to comments from your customers whether it is on a social media post, via email or a voicemail left on your company phone. More often than not, all your customers really want is a response so they know you are listening – make a point of providing them with just that.

2. DON’T neglect link building: 
   While the majority of marketers understand and engage in SEO they are neglecting one major component: link building. Yet successful ranking is virtually unattainable without this tactic. In fact, Google even recently revealed that links are one of the top two major factors for ranking algorithm, reported DeMers. In order to nail your SEO strategy link building is a MUST – don’t ignore it.
3. DON’T limit yourself to social media:
   Of course, social media is an EXTREMELY useful tool. That is exactly why it made our list of major marketing do’s. However, it is not the ONLY way to engage your customers. Outlets like direct mail are still very viable tools in terms of marketing. You should approach your marketing through a bunch of different channels instead of putting all your eggs in the social media basket. Rosen noted that even if social media is your main player you should always link to your website in your posts as this is where you will generate leads or convert customers.

With any marketing strategy there are a number of constantly moving parts, however, these do’s and don’ts stand strong across the board. SMB leaders should be mindful of these marketing concepts when crafting their next company campaign.