Have you been trying to market your business but none of it’s sticking? Do none of your ideal clients come knocking on your door?
If you feel like you’ve attempted all the marketing trends and there’s something not quite right, this blog post is for you… I explain the 5 most common marketing mistakes (and how to fix them!).

1. You’re not being specific about your ideal customer
I’ve been working with clients for a couple of years now as a freelance copywriter. Before that, I had another business of my own and worked in a b2b marketing role in between, too. The common mistake I’ve seen people make throughout is not having a clear and specific marketing message.
Have you heard the phrase “if you’re marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one”?
It’s an easy trap to fall into. You’re not talking to your ideal client, so your marketing messaging isn’t resonating with the right people.
How to fix this marketing mistake
Start by profiling – in as much detail as you can – your ideal customer/s.
There might be different profiles depending on your products/services. For example, if you offer interior design services, you’ll probably work with a different range of customer types, from residential design ideas to full commercial planning.
Break your business down into these categories and gather information about your ideal customers. Sift through customer reviews/feedback and look back at your previous and existing clients to find this information.
2. You’re not present in the places your customers hang out
Now you have a better idea about your ideal customers, do you know where they spend their time?
For example, are they business decision-makers who are likely to be on LinkedIn? Or will they spend their lunch breaks scrolling through Instagram? Would they sign up for a trade publication?
How to fix this marketing mistake
Do some research based on your ideal customers. See who’s active on each platform and spend some time thinking like your customer.
Let’s stick with the interior designer example… it would appear your customers are most likely to be on Instagram. But if you’re looking to build your brand awareness to gain more large-scale commercial work, LinkedIn might be better.
Consider other forms outside of social media, too. Advertising in magazines, on TV, at bus stops, and on the radio are all traditional marketing tools that can work especially well for certain customer types.
Remember – YOU are not your customer.
Looking for inspiration to write better copy?
Download the FREE guide here – 5 easy ways to add personality to your website.
3. You’re sharing the wrong content for their awareness stage
Another common error is sharing content that doesn’t match your customer awareness. If you are new to the scene or are building an audience, you need brand awareness content that’s at the top of the funnel. That means it needs to be more educational.
Image source: Web Ascender
How to fix this marketing mistake
Create a range of content types and test out what works best for you. The more sales-focused pieces will convert loyal followers, but it’s unlikely strangers to your brand will trust you yet.
Review the content you’ve already used in your marketing and note what worked best. The way you judge this will depend on your goals, as high engagement posts aren’t necessarily what drive sales.
4. Your offer isn’t what your customer wants
This one is a hard truth to swallow. But sometimes, your customers don’t actually want what you’re offering.
It could be wrongly positioned to your audience and that’s why your marketing could not be working. It could be you’re overcomplicating matters or not fully representing the value your offer has.
How to fix this marketing mistake
Conduct customer research. Ask people what they really want. Is that in line with what you’re offering? Review your offer until it becomes irresistible to your target customers.
Ask existing customers questions about your product/service and guage their satisfaction. Go back to leads that didn’t go anywhere. There’s more information on doing voice of customer research for a more compelling message here.
5. Your brand messaging is bland and the same as everyone else
The final mistake in this article is to do with your brand messaging. The words you use are important – and so is having a brand personality.
If your audience doesn’t find your content interesting, inspiring, or useful, they’ll switch off. To stand out from your competition you need to say something different. It also needs to be consistent across all marketing you do.
By capturing your brand personality and tailoring that to your ideal customer, you’ll build trust and authority in your space. But if you’re saying the same things as your competitors in your messaging, why would people choose you instead?
How to fix this marketing mistake
Spend some time working out what your brand personality is and what makes you different.
Who do you help? Why do you help them? What makes you right for the job?
You need a good value proposition (VP) and know what your unique selling point (USP) is. View some great examples of value propositions here.
These short, snappy statements should sum up who you are in an easy to understand, succinct way. An important thing to remember is people won’t know your back story when you tell them your VP. It should make sense with no context.
Do you have tone of voice guidelines, or any copy prompts written to help your marketing?
This is a great place to start. If you lay the foundations of your brand voice and create a guide to refer to, you’ll have a consistently strong and unique message.
Need help with that part? Get in touch and we can work out your brand personality, your value proposition, and how to capture that in your brand voice together.
Get more clients with improved marketing
Now you should have a good idea of which areas of your marketing need the most work. It’s useful to have a general overview of your marketing activities regularly to tweak and adapt as needed.
If you need tailored advice on getting customer research, finding your tone of voice, or how to tailor your messaging, get in touch. I offer both done-for-you website copywriting and copy consultancy services to help craft the right message to get more clients.
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Helping misunderstood creative business owners to capture their personality, connect with ideal clients, and sell themselves better.