Avoid the 15 Biggest Marketing Mistakes in 2010

As a marketer are you ready for the challenges of 2010, Part 3?

This is the third in a series of marketing mistakes to avoid in 2010. Find mistakes 1 through 4 in earlier posts below.

5. Measuring takes too much effort.

A critical part of marketing is measuring and benchmarking - metrics. How do you know if your marketing is improving or needs to change unless you know how it has performed? Start simply and track several basic elements such asnumber of leads generated, where leads came from, Web hits or most visited pages, number of mentions in consumer or trade media. Choose your own items to track and change them as you gain experience. Set deadlines and monitor performance. If you don’t have a CRM tool, use a simple spreadsheet.

6. Not thinking like your customer.

Marketing your company by simply pushing out information to sell what you have may be a sound approach. But is it what your customers want? Think of your marketing from your customers’ point of view. Stay in touch with the needs and wants of your customers. Are they aware ofall the services you offer? Develop a set of five to seven needs-based questions and call several of your clients each month and go through the list. You may find that business would improve if you alter a product or develop a new one, and you also are showing your customers you are thinking about their needs.

Jim Thebeau

CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com