Marketing is the customer facing aspect of your business, and because of this it is a highly important to know how to avoid marketing nightmares before they even happen.
And while, hopefully, you’ve never been in such a situation, that doesn’t mean you could possibly be in danger of finding yourself in such a nightmare scenario. Here are 3 simple tips that can save you a lot of time and worry in the future from marketing nightmare scenarios.
1. Never Act Too Quickly
Reviews
We always talk about how we should have a short response time when it comes to dealing with customer complaints and issues, especially online. But we tend to forget the part where we should comment neutrally, without offending anyone or claiming fault.
So instead of reading the complaint once, writing up a quick response and posting, it is important you take the time to really think about the complaint or review and understand what the person is saying. Don’t allow emotions to rule your response, and don’t assume you understand all the facts from this one brief review. Instead, hold off judgment, post neutrally, and even allow someone else to read what you are going to post before you do so.
Social Media
The same principles go for social media. Confused about something a person tweeted you? Don’t respond too quickly, instead ask another persons opinion and decide if its worth responding to. You are not obligated to respond to everyone.
Another very important thing to avoid is trying to gain publicity on events like the Kenneth Cole and #Cairo situation. It might be funny in the moment, but its extremely offensive to others and is one of the worst marketing mistakes you can make.
2. Don’t Get Caught Off Guard
To some of us it seems ridiculous that several websites crashed after their commercials were aired on the Super Bowl. Big names like Coca-Cola and BlackBerry couldn’t support the amount of users visiting their sites after having spent vast amounts of money on advertising.
Don’t be these companies. Instead, plan for spikes in website traffic. If you know you have a major ad running, have created a contest that will drive traffic to your website, or received some media attention, it is important that you be prepared for the potential customers who might flood your website, wanting to check out what you have. This could be your only chance to really hook their interest, so don’t let poor website load time or even an website crash ruin your marketing efforts.
Instead, take precautions to handle the spikes in traffic, and have someone designated and ready to respond to social media and other attempts customers may have to reach out for any issues or questions.
3. Don’t Put the Wrong People in Charge
It is important to have people who will see the entire picture, and think through the consequences of each marketing campaign. Having individuals who will think through the marketing tactic pitfalls before they happen will greatly reduce the likelihood of them actually happening.
While experience can play a key part in this, creative thinking is also important. Having creative individuals who are familiar with the digital world and the problems to avoid in marketing software will enable your company to have a complete strategy for your marketing campaigns.
Conclusion:
Some of these biggest marketing problems could have been easily avoided if only there was more time and effort dedicated to carefully planning marketing campaigns and responses. Don’t let your company be on the list of worst marketing fails of all times: invest in quality software and quality people who will get the job done right.