Have you ever invested heavily in advertising just to have it fail to generate a return? You may have set your expectations too high, or you may not be getting the desired outcomes. Don’t think you’re the only one; lots of business owners have the same problem. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why your marketing might not be working so you can put measures in place to turn things around.

You’ve Not Given It Enough Time

The fact that marketing takes time is a truism that few people like to hear. Every CEO wants marketing to be more efficient and spend less money, so they want it to happen fast. When they don’t see the results they had expected in the timeframe they initially mapped out, they might assume their marketing isn’t working when in fact, just by being a little more patient, they might start to see that it is working after all.

Photo, Kaleidico.

You’re Selling Features, Not Benefits

When businesses talk about their business on social media or in person, they always talk about the features of their service or product, which is not helpful. Even though it’s important to have a good product, your intended audience will probably hear the same thing about other products from your competitors. The client-to-be hasn’t tried either of you, so they have no idea who is better, who may have exaggerated, or how your products are different.

Instead of just talking about your product’s features, it’s better to talk about what it can do for people – the benefits, in other words. Case studies and testimonials can help you build credibility. In essence, when you’re trying to sell your product or service, you should focus on how it will make your potential customers’ lives better.

You Don’t Have A Plan

No one ever said that marketing was easy. If you really think about it, it’s pretty hard. But if you don’t have a plan to keep you in check, you’ll quickly see that you don’t have many options, and it will get even more difficult to deal with effectively.

Set yourself up for success by making a good plan for your entire marketing strategy. At the very least, this means you need to know your business’s vision, business model, and target customer. If you start marketing without a basic understanding of these three things, you’re asking for trouble. If this is something you find difficult and you want to ensure you get it right, getting expert help from a marketing company like KAT Marketing is a sensible idea.

You’re Not Targeting The Right People

Spend some time determining who your target market is and who could be interested in purchasing your product or service. What are some distinctive aspects of their demographic make up? Why should they do business with you rather than someone else? Why do you feel it would be beneficial to conduct business with them? By providing thoughtful responses to questions like these, you’ll give yourself an advantage over other competitors.

You can take your information and create a marketing campaign that speaks to the people who are most likely to buy from you, ensuring that your marketing budget goes further and your success comes more easily.