As one of the initial posts on Marketing and Tonic, I wanted to keep the topic simple yet relevant. With this in mind, I've put together a list of ten marketing practices to rethink as some of these practices can be harmful to your marketing strategy. If you are currently utilizing any of the following, you may want to reevaluate the usage or implementation of these.
We'll put these together although they're slightly different. While pop-up forms are the lesser of the two evils, they can be annoying at best. When implemented strategically, pop-up ads and forms can help boost opt-ins, etc. however, this is usually not the case leading to frustration and higher bounce rates...even more so on mobile devices. If you absolutely must use pop-ups, be smart about placement, timing, etc. and always make them relevant.
This practice can erode your brands trust and reputation faster than __________(insert your favorite quote here). This should be a no-brainer for any reputable brand. If you find yourself in a marketing position where this is an acceptable or encouraged practice in your organization, run.
We've all been subject to this at some point, so keep your email blasts and push notifications relevant and don't over-saturate your segmented audience with unnecessary communications.
While this may be the least offensive on this list, these words and terms become meaningless when overused. We are all familiar with words such as "cutting-edge", "Synergy" and "Disruptive" to name a few. Spare every one of the Elizabeth Holmes terminology and express clear and effective communication to your audience.
To make matters worse, Auto-Play Videos with sound on. Even worse, Auto-Play Videos with sound on below the fold. Below the what? "Below the fold" refers to the portion of a webpage that is not visible without scrolling down. This term originates from the concept of the lower half of a folded newspaper that is only seen after unfolding.
While worthy of its own post, overuse (sometimes any use of) influencers can, an often feel fake and inauthentic which leads me to #4.
Trying too hard to create viral content typically backfires, feels forced and comes off as inauthentic. Instead, create genuine, relatable content and stop trying to "play the viral lottery".
This tactic is worn out a majority of the time. Unless you're selling McRib's, Mickey Mantle Baseball Cards or ultra-high-end products or services (in which case those sell themselves), there's no need to implement this strategy. The pundits will scream the Scarcity Principle and point to the Price vs Quantity chart and say it's a tried and true tactic that "just works dammit" while throwing their fists in the air.
In the age of data privacy and new regulations on the horizon, unsolicited phone calls and messages are NOT welcome by most people and businesses alike. Permission-based marketing and respectful outreach builds TRUST, better customer interactions and relationships.
Chasing likes and followers can (and often) leads to misguided strategies and wasted resources. Marketing strategies and metrics should always align with business goals or objectives. Repeat that again and strive for meaningful engagement and conversion rates. There's nothing wrong with getting followers and likes, but it should not drive your marketing efforts. Additionally, you (or your company) do NOT own your followers on social media...unless of course you have all of your followers email address in a place that you own (i.e. spreadsheet, marketing automation platform, etc.). Put your effort into building your marketing lists and treat it like gold. When LinkedIn or any other social platforms decide to make a sweeping change to their algorithms to further push you to rely on their advertising, you will have the upper hand.
Keith Kimble