Online anonymity is becoming less of an option due to searches and cross referencing. What we write impacts others. The following make my list for the top 4 marketing faux pas...
1. Never bad mouth your competition.
This can be sometimes difficult. We all know a jerk or two who might be in the same business as us, and it is hard to keep our opinions to ourselves. But not only do we waste good energy in a less than positive manner, what we are also doing may be illegal. So as the old adage goes, if you haven't got something good to say....
2. Never bad mouth your product.
There is no perfect business or product in my opinion on the face of the planet, but concentrating on the positives rather than accentuating the negatives is good practice. This does not mean that you can not mention the negatives, but spend more time on the pros rather than the cons. You are representing your company and your product, if at all possible, be the best ambassador that you can be.
3. Never fire sale your product to eliminate your competition.
Discounts and special offers are part and parcel of marketing nowadays, but by reducing your price to a level where not even you can make a living, is not only unreasonable but it is in the marketing sense unethical. Instead, try adding value to your offer. Adding bonuses will help move your product and will not affect your bottom line so drastically.
4. Keep to your offer expiration dates.
This is one of my pet peeves. You see an offer that you can't live without and sign up before the expiration date, only to find that the date has been extended, due to an email glitch or another lame excuse. If your word is to mean something, stick by it.
The online world is as real to many as the real world in every sense of it. What we write is read and believed by others. Self regulation is the best option.
If one was to imagine just for a moment, that there was no limit to the wealth one could generate, and there was more than enough for everyone, would we market our businesses in the same way as we are doing now? Just a thought...
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