Every day I see the same marketing mistakes coming up time and time again.
With everything else we need to do, marketing is often a last-minute, hurried affair. In the spirit of helping you make every minute count, here are the top mistakes I see – and how to fix them.
1. Trying To Market To Everyone
This is the number one mistake. Trying to attract anyone and everyone – because any customer is better than none, right?
Not really. You have limited time, money and energy, so you may as well market to the people you’d LOVE to attract – your ideal customers.
Practical fix: Write a detailed description of your ideal customer. Give her a name. What does she search for on Google? What Instagram accounts does she follow? What podcasts does she listen to? Once you know this, create content specifically for HER.
2. Being On Every Platform, Badly
Trying to post on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube AND Threads – while also running your actual business? That’s a recipe for burnout and rubbish content on every platform.
Practical fix: Pick TWO platforms maximum. Where does your ideal customer actually hang out? If she’s a mum in her 30s, she’s probably on Instagram and Facebook. If she’s a corporate professional, try LinkedIn and Instagram. Master two platforms before you even think about adding a third. Use a scheduling tool like Later or Meta Business Suite to plan ahead.
3. Stalking The Competition
Hands up if you’ve spent hours doom-scrolling a competitor’s Instagram feed, feeling miserable? When you’re watching THEIR business, nobody’s running yours.
Practical fix: Mute or unfollow competitors who trigger comparison-itis. Instead, follow people in completely different industries for fresh inspiration. Put that energy into your own content, your own relationships, your own customers.
4. Expecting Instant Results
Marketing takes 3-6 months to gain traction. You need to show up consistently – posting Reels, sending newsletters, sharing valuable content – before people trust you enough to buy.
Practical fix: Commit to a 90-day marketing plan. Post 3-4 times a week on your main platform, send a newsletter weekly or fortnightly, and don’t judge the results until the 90 days are up. Most people quit at week 3. Don’t be most people.
5. Listening To Mind Monkeys
Those little voices telling you you’re not good enough, nobody will pay your prices, you’ll make a fool of yourself on camera? They’re lying.
Practical fix: Film that Reel. Post that story. Send that email. The first one is always the scariest. By the tenth one, you won’t think twice. Your audience doesn’t want polished perfection – they want real, relatable YOU. That’s what builds trust and makes people buy.
You’re already awesome because you run a business. Now go avoid these five mistakes and watch what happens!