As a business owner you’re often bombarded with new messages, marketing strategies and ways to grow your business.

Sometimes it’s hard to know which strategy to use, which strategy works for your business and what’s just a waste of time.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed. Maybe you steal a few strategies here, and a few there and you may feel like you’re on a scavenger hunt – constantly searching for new ideas to use in your business.

One of my new clients came to me after spending a lot of money on advertising. It was working okay as long as she was paying for it, but the fees were high and the return on investment pretty low. As she started to run lower on cash she realized she didn’t have a marketing system set up for her business.

Do you have a marketing system? Do you have a way to consistently draw new leads into your business so that you always know how to get more clients? If you don’t it’s time to set one up now.

Here are 5 costly mistakes business owners make when choosing a marketing strategy:

1)      Not being clear on your goal. Before choosing a strategy it’s important to know what your goal is and why you want to use that strategy. Will this strategy help you achieve this goal? If not, you may want to find other strategies to implement in your business.

 2)      Copying what they see other people do. Some business owners copy strategies they see other business owners use. If you are doing this, the problem with that is that the strategy may or may not be suited to the type of business you are in, the level you are at in your business or the overall goals you have for your business. In fact, the strategy may simply not be in alignment for you. All these aspects need to be considered before choosing a strategy. One size does not fit all.

 3)      Not playing on your strengths. Are you playing on your strengths when choosing your strategies? If you’re really good at writing, write a blog, if you’re great behind the camera, use video. If you’re a great speaker, go speak. Don’t make things harder than they have to be. There are tons of ways to market your business, pick what feels right and most natural to you.

 4)      Using too many strategies. Another mistake business owners make is they have too many strategies they are trying to implement. The danger with this is you may be spreading yourself too thin, and you’re not really doing any of them very well. Instead, focus on a few strategies and get really good at those strategies. Even if you only focus on one strategy and become really good at it, it can be super effective. For a long time I was getting all my clients from one simple strategy that took me less than 10 minutes per day 5 days a week. When you simplify and focus on what you do best, you can reduce the time you spend dramatically.

 5)      Don’t measure results. Are you measuring the results of your efforts? If something is not working, stop doing it. If it works, do more of it. Keep in mind that sometimes it takes a little while until you can see if it really works, so don’t stop after one try just because it didn’t give you any return. Keep tweaking until you see the results you’re looking for.

And here’s the kicker. If what you’re doing is not working, it may not be the strategy that’s not working, it may be you. Be mindful of your mindset and the energy you put into your work. Two people in the same business with the same starting point can do the exact same strategy and one person will succeed and the other fall on her face. Why? Because of the difference in their mindset.

Before you drop it all saying it’s not working, look inside. Is there something you need to change about who you are being? How is your mindset contributing to the results you’re getting or not getting?

What are some mistakes you have made in your business when it comes to using marketing strategies? Feel free to leave a comment.

If you feel a bit confused or want some support, I invite you to apply for a strategy session with me here. We’ll figure out what’s not working for you and create a plan to get you back on track.