I’ve seen my share of people think that the medium is the message.  It’s a common mistake that I believe happens too much.  Business owners think that if they have a website then people will come.  Or if they put an ad on the radio then by Saturday people will be knocking down their door.  I beg to differ.  What’s on your website that will compel people to use your services?  What is the compelling content of your radio ad that shows people why they should be knocking your doors down?

I recently had a friend call me to ask me if the radio station I worked at actually worked?  I told her that it does, but she has to recognize that we’re a medium and not a message.  She was a little confused so I asked her what her marketing campaign was that she wanted to put on the radio.  She didn’t have one.  I told her that if she put an ad on the radio that just talked about what she does and (technically) that the business exists, it may or may not bring people to her door.  But if she offered a e-book on her website with the pitfalls or loop of her line of business, then her chances would be a little bit better.  That would be her marketing campaign.  Then the radio message would talk about a free e-book on their website (which is trackable,) then state that if anyone see’s these pitfalls, then they would be welcome to call the business.  This will help people to remember her business and also establishes her as ‘The Source’ or professional in her line of work.

It takes work.  I told her that I’m responsible for putting together a compelling radio ad, but the work of writing the e-book and getting it on the site is her responsibility.  That’s always the hard part.  Most people see the importance, but when it comes to getting it done, people just seem to run out of time.  It’s not necessarily anyone’s particular fault but I wish more people would recognize the importance.

Think about your marketing plan and always look to take it one step forward.

As per usual, I went off on a rant and forgot to talk about the real reason I started typing this post.  Same theme, but different medium.  I came across an article from Marketing Prof’s called “The Eight Common Mistakes of Promotional Marketing.”  Below is the short list, but I’d recommend you go to the site and check out the reasoning for it.

  1. Ineffective Distribution
  2. Not Allowing Enough Lead Time
  3. Ignoring What People May Want to Receive
  4. Not Having Clear Goals for the Product or Promotion
  5. Focusing Only on Price
  6. Giving to the Wrong People
  7. Ineffective Information
  8. Not Dealing With a Reputable Company

Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2011/6668/eight-common-mistakes-of-promotional-marketing