As 2022 gets started, start with a clean slate. Go through this list of old marketing habits that just don’t work anymore and take the plunge to create successful marketing campaigns.

Spending Money on Purchased Email Lists

Where are you getting your email lists? Do you buy a list online? Several companies still believe that purchasing a targeted email marketing list is the best way to attract new customers.

Stop and think about this. How many spam emails do you get each day? Do they sneak past your spam filters, or does your email provider do a great job deleting spam emails before you see them?

The Statista Research Department found that the number of spam emails in July 2021 topped 282 billion received and more than 336 billion sent. This number was worldwide, but the U.S. continues to see the highest amount of spam mail.

If you’re purchasing email marketing lists, you’re wasting your money. You need to know your messages are reaching the right people. Get interested customers to sign up for your emails and newsletters online and make sure they only get emails that relate to their interests.

Avoid being flagged for spam by making sure you meet federal requirements. Make sure your emails have clear unsubscribe options and that they work. You do not want to become that company that everyone talks about online where people have been trying to get off an email list for months and still haven’t gotten “unsubscribe” to work.

Relying on Mass Mailings to Draw Customers

Just as buying targeted email lists is an outdated marketing technique, purchasing targeted mailing lists is another mistake. Most mailings end up in the trash or recycling bins. Only your existing customers are likely to open an envelope or take a closer look at a postcard you send.

If you must use a mailing list and send letters or postcards to a wide selection of people, make sure you include something that will get their attention. Free samples or coupons that offer a substantial discount are more effective than the standard mass mailing. Plus, a handwritten note adds a personal touch that’s hard to overlook.

Skimping on Content

Go back 10 or 20 years, and most bloggers and website content creators knew that a goal of 350 to 500 words was fantastic and would catch search engine spiders’ attention. Putting the keywords everywhere they could go was also crucial in content creation. Plans were to fit in keywords and keyword strings every 100 words.

Times have changed, and that’s not the right approach. Your marketing campaigns for blogs and website articles need to be over the 1,000-word mark. This, too, will likely change over time. Most importantly, your content needs to inform and engage readers. It needs to provide new information. Your social media content needs to inspire people to interact with you. To achieve this, you need copywriters. Even better, hire copywriters who also specialize in shorter social media posts.

Going With Your Gut Instinct Over Data

Do you approach marketing using instincts and ignore data? You’re not alone. The 2019 22nd Annual Global CEO Survey found that more than half of CEOs reported knowing the amount of available data is tremendous, but they don’t always use it. The issue is that they don’t have people who can look at that data and translate it.

Sure, there is a slim chance that your instinct will prove correct, but what are the odds? The wisest plan takes your instincts, compares them to what the data says, and builds a plan from there. To do that, you want to have a strong marketing team skilled in taking data and using it in combination with gut instincts to form a winning campaign.

Going With Old-School Contact Methods

Is your company still insistent on using the phone as the only way to reach consumers? Have you considered what the consumer trends are? Surveys found that age plays a part in the best contact methods. After purchasing a product or service, consumers were asked how they prefer to reach out to the brand or company. Online chat was the top response with adults 18 to 39. Email was the top choice for consumers between 40 to 55. Adults over the age of 55 preferred the phone.

Your brand needs to offer all three contact methods. If a consumer wants more information, they should be able to pick up the phone. Make sure they can connect with you via live chat through social media platforms like Facebook Messenger or a built-in chat service on your website. Finally, make sure they can send an email if that’s preferred.

Failing to Be Responsive to Questions and Comments

Now that you know how to interact with consumers, make sure you make those methods known. Many companies still don’t have proper steps to respond to customer inquiries, complaints, and comments. You have a “Contact Us” button on your website, but is it buried at the bottom of the site or clearly visible?

Once they connect with your customer support, do you monitor the emails you receive and answer them all? If you’re on social media or live chat, do you actively engage with the people who like your posts, ask questions, or leave comments. Are phones answered quickly, or do they ring and ring before they’re answered? Have you considered setting up a system where consumers can leave their contact information and wait for a callback? If so, does your staff call people back on a timely basis?

A Gallup poll found that customers who feel that a company is fully engaged are more likely to spend money with that company and remain a customer. Plus, it can boost productivity. Customers bring more than 33% of their savings to a bank they feel is engaged with them. Shoppers looking for electronic items spend almost 30% more on a shopping trip when they think that the store is engaged with them.

Make sure your team responds to messages and emails on a timely basis. They should tell a prospective customer that they aren’t sure of an answer but will research it and get back with a solution. They then must follow through on that promise. Ignoring the consumer isn’t effective and will lead to a negative perspective of your brand or company.

Expecting Your Established Team to Know Everything

As times change, employees who have been with you for decades may not be as knowledgeable with newer marketing techniques. They ace the older methods, but they may need help with newer marketing strategies like virtual events.

What do you do if you’re not sure your team is equipped for the changing market? You want to take a closer look at experiential marketing, but your staff knows nothing about it. It’s time to bring in the experts to offer advice and assistance.

If you don’t have the workforce or experience in modern marketing techniques, hire a marketing firm that specializes in PR. Factory 360 can help you plan your social media strategy, develop an experiential marketing plan, and create a stellar PR campaign that ensures your customers and prospective customers feel that you’re fully engaged.

We’re able to help you strategize your digital, social, content, and experiential marketing plans. Give us a call and find out how we can make 2022 your best year for bringing in new marketing strategies.