As you pass through childhood, many of the fears you had slowly fade. What your kid brain thought was the literal monster under the bed gradually transforms into a metaphorical one. And there are quite a few scary notions for our marketing selves. But, hey, what is October without a few frights? *Insert evil laughter* These ghoulish ideas are the subjects of only the most terrible nightmares.
HELP! You’re Trapped… in the Past!
“Marketing moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” That’s how that Ferris Bueller quote goes, right? Anyway, one of the kick-yourself marketing mistakes is missing out on leading tech and techniques.
How to Prepare:
- Stack your inbox with the latest marketing newsletters (like our What’s Hot Wednesday). This will help you stay up to date on the latest news.
- Attend industry conferences and webinars. Social media platforms almost all have some sort of live webinars running at least monthly.
- Look for different courses/certifications. Of course, there are all the basic ones like Google Ads, Google Analytics, Meta, etc. LinkedIn Learning has a very extensive list of course topics in all industries. Hootsuite has, also, some interesting social media certifications.
No One Knows You…r Brand
In the fiction book, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the main character makes a deal and trades away everyone’s ability to remember her. Imagine your brand being the brand reincarnation of this tale! #YIKES
How to Prepare:
- Many social ad platforms offer brand lift tests (like LinkedIn and Facebook) to see how your audience is recalling your brand/advertising. This will help confirm or deny your suspicions.
- Spreading brand awareness takes time. Be clear and realistic with your marketing goals.
Losing Control… of Your Internet Speed
Come on, this report’s been downloading for the past 30 minutes… and it’s only at 7.8%!
How to Prepare:
- Have ready backup options if the internet is playing turtle. Confirm if there is a wired hookup to the internet in your residence.
- If you’re on the go, there are some reliable hotspot tools out there. Make sure to look at all the options and read the fine print before agreeing.
- If your internet is going to be out of commission for a substantial time, look for a co-working space nearby. The facility should have a secure internet connection, but you should check beforehand.
Being Chased… by a Persistent Platform Salesperson
*Receives 30th email this week on switching social scheduling platforms*
You: 😤
How to Prepare:
- If you are interested, try looking for the company online before clicking any links. See if there are reviews from others in your position (i.e., other small business owners or marketing pros).
- If you aren’t interested, you don’t have to listen. Set that sender to “junk” and say goodbye to those pesky notifications! 📂⬅📧
Falling… Into Deadlines
🎶 “Monday, I could wait ’til Tuesday / If I make up my mind
Wednesday would be fine / Thursday’s on my mind
Friday’d give me time / Saturday could wait
Sunday’d be too late”
Sting’s “7 Days” may be about something completely different, but it applies to the ever-constant temptation of procrastination. Sometimes waiting just a little too long can cause a plan to go kablooey.
How to Prepare:
- Deadlines approach quickly in marketing. No one wants to be a Procrastination Pat. Blocking out time in your calendar may be what’s needed to keep you on track with tasks, decisions, and deadlines.
Being Naked… on Data
You look in your data dashboard and everything is EMPTY. *duh duh duuuhhh* 😬 What a woe!
How to Prepare:
- Before calling in the rest of the marketing brigade, is it simply a connection issue or a platform update. No platform is perfect and things get outta whack every once in a while.
- QA. QA. QA. Don’t want to make a mistake? QA it yourself AND have another team member look through your data connections and tracking setup. We all love the peace of mind a solid QA process gives us!
Powering Through the Fright
With spooky season comes frights and horrors, 👻
but to make it to tomorrow, 📅
follow these simple tips ✔
and you’ll be prepared for any slip! 😎
