3 Ways to Kill Your Marketing Efforts

Did you know that there are some small businesses wasting their money on marketing?  I bet that's something you never thought you'd hear from a marketing person!  Unfortunately it's true, here's 3 ways you can kill your marketing efforts and ultimately be wasting money without even knowing it.Poor Customer ServiceI don't care if you have the best product or service on the planet, if your customer service stinks you are wasting marketing and advertising dollars.  Customer service and marketing actually go hand in hand.  If you spend the money to bring people into your business, be prepared to take care of them and send them away as satisfied clients.Tip - Hire a secret shopper to come in and evaluate your business's customer service without your team knowing.  If you're one-man band, ask some of your most loyal customers what areas you could improve on.Untrained EmployeesIf you are not the only person interacting with your clients, be sure that your employees are well trained and knowledgeable about your business, it's products and policies.  Again, your marketing budget is wasted if customers leave feeling like they haven't got the service they hoped for.Poor Marketing MaterialsIf you are going to take the time and spend the resources to advertise or publicize your business, make sure that the marketing materials you share are professionally done.  Potential customers will develop an opinion about your company based on their initial impression of things like your website, your brochure, even your Facebook page, so make sure all are in good shape and being updated regularly.Tip: Freelance professionals are a great way to tap into expert marketing services without incurring the cost of working with a large marketing or advertising agency.  While all the large agencies I know do amazing work, their hourly rate isn't a good fit for most of the small business owners I know.  Freelancers are knowledgeable and less expensive.With more resources being devoted to the essential items every small business must have, creating professional, effective marketing materials is more important than ever.  On a tight budget it may be tempting to try and do it yourself, I'm guilty of trying to tackle projects I shouldn't!  However, if you train your team, provide good service and represent your business professionally with the right marketing materials, you just find that you actually save money in the long run by not having to spend more on customer acquisition.