Common Mistakes That Businesses Make In Advertising

1. Making decisions based on their own media habits

We have heard many marketing professionals say that they buy certain media outlets because that is what their friends watch, what their family members listen to, or the publications they read. This is a fundamental flaw. Advertising decisions must be based on data to achieve the desired impact on your business. This approach is also a waste of money. Media habits differ by demographics, market, and socioeconomic factors. Remember that just because you watch a specific newscast does not mean that your customers do and isn’t that who you really want to see your ad?

2. Continuing to do the same thing because that how it’s always been done

Media trends change as new platforms emerge and become mainstream. By executing the same media mix year after year (and in some cases decade after decade), you miss out on the advantages new media has to offer. This is especially true if the research shows that your target audience is adapting by consuming that media in their daily lives. As an example, think about the streaming boom that occurred during COVID-19. Consumers who never streamed before were suddenly getting on board. Research shows that even after lockdowns were lifted, consumers continued to stream TV content.

3. Doing it yourself to save money

While it is tempting to handle media planning and buying in-house to save money, it often costs more in the long run. In fact, working with a media buyer tends to save businesses money by getting more efficient ad campaigns, negotiation skills, media trends analysis and a variety of other aspects that these experts bring to the table. Even though it is tempting to handle it yourself, do your business a favor and seek an expert in the field. This will allow you time to focus on all of the other marketing tasks that only you can do.