10 Marketing Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Don't know how to market your business? I didn't know anything about marketing when I started my first home-based business in 1990. It took a lot of time, and much trial and error, for me to find a simple, easy and effective way to market my business. In fact, I have been guilty of every one of these marketing blunders.

Let me share with you some simple marketing strategies that will help drive your business to success faster and sidestep some of the pitfalls that slowed my progress over the years.

Mistake #1 -- You don't have a marketing plan or strategy.

You need a marketing plan to help you stay focused and take action to get the word out about your business. One simple marketing strategy in your plan could be to send a helpful tip or inspirational quote in an email to each of your clients every Monday to start their week off thinking about you.

Mistake #2 -- You haven't chosen a niche or specialty.

If you have many topics that you are knowledgeable about it can be difficult to narrow your focus on just one. However, if you concentrate on one main skill or specialized field it becomes much easier to create a marketing campaign and memorable business brand. Accentuate the part you really enjoy doing and love the most.

Mistake #3 -- You don't know your target audience.

Wanting to serve anyone and everyone is perfectly natural when you first start out in business. Don't let that fool you. Knowing who you like and want to work with makes it easier to identify and meet their needs so that you can capture their attention.

Mistake #4 -- You don't attract new clients.

Thinking that your current clients are keeping you busy is shortsighted. The situation can change without any warning and catch you off guard. Never stop marketing yourself! Keep you name out there in the marketplace by writing articles and press releases at the very least.

Mistake #5 -- You don't follow up with clients and prospects.

The success of your business depends upon following up and building relationships with leads and prospects. Without an effective system to follow-up with clients and leads you can lose clients. The solution: create or purchase a contact management system.

Mistake #6 -- You don't have an email signature.

In today's global economy, email communication has become essential for transacting business around the world: making the email signature a dynamic (and free!) marketing tool. An email signature lets your clients and prospects know how to get in touch with you, and it tells people who you are and what you do. An email signature can even be used to promote an event, special offer, or new product.

Mistake #7 -- You don't publish a newsletter, or not consistently.

Publishing a weekly or monthly electronic newsletter is an easy way to regularly keep in contact with clients, and follow up and build relationships with prospects. There are plenty of inexpensive and easy to use electronic newsletter providers available on the internet.

Mistake #8 -- You don't use low cost or free internet marketing strategies.

There are many ways to build a business platform, attract an audience and the media and drive traffic to your door. Four simple and inexpensive ways are article marketing, blogging, email campaigns and leading teleclasses.

Mistake #9 -- You don't have a website opt-in box.

One of the most important goals of your website is to collect qualified leads. This is done by offering visitors the opportunity to sign up for a free newsletter or some other useful item. When the visitor signs up, you have their name and email address and permission to contact them again to inform them about your products and services.

Mistake #10 -- You don't have a free promotional "gift" to give away.

I am not talking about t-shirts or fancy pens with your business logo on them. I am referring to intellectual property you create such as a report, tip sheet, newsletter or other relevant, practical and useful document(s) you want to share with your clients, and leads. You can give them away at speaking engagements or on your website in exchange for their name and email address.

Taking the time to put each of these simple strategies into place will go a long way toward creating the successful business you deserve.

Small business coach and writing expert Kim Lednum is the "Write Promotion Coach for Business." Kim provides simple writing and marketing strategies and tools self-employed professionals can use to build credibility, drive high quality targeted traffic to their website, and attract more subscribers, more clients, and more sales. A twenty-year veteran, former editor/publisher, and business owner Kim has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. For more tips like these or to get her FREE audio workshop "7 Tips for Attracting Business Now!" visit: http://www.attractbusinessnow.com