Common marketing myths and misunderstandings for small business

There are a lot of misconceptions and common marketing mistakes that prevent a small business owner from successfully promoting their business.

Believing your store location or shopping center traffic takes the place of marketing
Even stores in the best locations, even the biggest brands need a well-thought out marketing strategy. There is no substitute.

Fear or misunderstanding of the process and potential results
If marketing isn’t in your wheelhouse, you may fear you won’t do it correctly and ultimately waste time and money. Or you may have unrealistic expectations of what your efforts should produce. Because marketing is measurable, you have the ability to test and experiment until you hit the sweet spot.

Equating lack of results from a particular effort as a failure and then giving up
Getting to success requires tweaking and diligence. Failure doesn’t mean stop. It means try something different or new. Sometimes the smallest change can deliver the biggest results. Doing nothing is not an option.

Launching only one strategy
Marketing is a layered effort and you need multiple strategies across different channels.

Using professionals but not directing them correctly or fully understanding their function
If you’re going to invest in hiring a pro, it is your job to direct them. In order to do that you need to have a clear vision of your goals and a good understanding of how their efforts can get you there.

Out of touch with the competition
As a business owner, you need to know the competition as well as know your own business.

Mass marketing instead of target marketing
Leave the mass marketing to the big guys. Your business will grow small by focusing on hyper-local, hyper-targeted strategies.

You think you know more than you do about marketing
No offense guys, but there are a few of you out there (you know who you are) who are convinced you know everything about marketing your shop. Most of us have a lot to learn and should always be open to that process.