Marketing looks simple from the outside, but it’s never as simple as it seems. After all, what do you need besides a great product or service, a catchy slogan, and a good deal? Well, sometimes that’s all you need… other times you need a bunch of other factors on your side. So if you, like me, were wondering why your marketing efforts weren’t getting you slew of sales and new customers, these might be some of the reasons.

• 1. You Don’t Know Who You’re Aiming At : If you run a business, you want to keep it as open to the public as possible. Anyone, young or old, men and women, from all walks of life, are potential clients. But when you’re marketing yourself and your business, you need to know who you’re aiming at. Because if you’re crafting a message, you have to ask who’s going to hear it. Are you aiming at older homeowners who need help around the house? Does your product appeal to teens who want to be in on the latest trend? Or are you talking to young, single professionals?
  
  What you say is important. Who you’re saying it to can make the difference when it comes to customer conversion.



• 2. No One Is Listening : If a tree falls in a forest, and no one’s around to see it or hear it, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still lying on the forest floor. What it does mean is that, for all intents and purposes, the tree may as well not exist.
  
  The same is true of your marketing, if no one is actually seeing it.
  
  You can create the most perfect video ad, but if it’s going to have an effect, people have to watch it. Flyers need to be seen, blogs need to be read, etc., etc. That’s why it isn’t enough to come up with a great marketing idea; you need to make sure you get it in front of potential clients’ eyes. That means promotion, and the search to figure out which venues net you the best results.



• 3. You Have Competition : Every business has to deal with competition. Whether it’s that chain restaurant on the other side of town, the big box bargain store, or the corporate heavyweight, there’s always someone trying to do the same thing you’re doing. Your job, in this instance, is to do something your competition doesn’t do.
  
  That extends to your advertising, as well.
  
  Whether it’s offering a deal for new customers, pushing the fact that you’re a local business instead of a chain store, or making your service seem more personable and professional, your marketing has to make you seem different. And you need to deliver on the promises you make.



• 4. You Need A Better Call to Action : A call to action is when you tell your audience what you want them to do. Whether it’s following your Facebook page, calling to make an appointment, or coming into the store to shop, you need to be clear with what you want your audience to do. Pick a single call to action, or two at the most, and put your emphasis on that. Because once you have your audience’s attention, you need to direct it to a specific end. Otherwise they’ll wriggle away, and continue on with whatever they were doing.