Marketing Mistake Part III: Wasting Time

Not knowing your audience well enough and wasting money are the first two biggest marketing mistakes. The third is wasting precious time. Opportunities to waste time are endless, but time is not.

Writing can also be a huge waste of time, especially if it does not come naturally.

Many people believe that because they can write the annual family Christmas letter they are good writers. That is like saying that you’re qualified to be an accountant because you can balance your checkbook.

Ineffective content wastes time. Always assume you have one shot to reach a reader. Most people will not read your material over a second time to understand it – especially on web pages where the first mental inpatient reaction can involuntarily click the mouse elsewhere.

Besides failing to get your message across in a compelling way, ineffective content risks unintended consequences like misleading reader.

Think of the last time you were staring at a blank screen wondering how to get started with whatever you needed to write. You looked at the clock and noticed that somehow another half an hour had gone by. You had only a couple of sentences to show for that half hour, and it was obvious that the sentences didn’t communicate what you truly wanted to say.

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Many people believe that because they can write the annual family Christmas letter they are good writers. That is like saying that you’re qualified to be an accountant because you can balance your checkbook.

______________

Perhaps it was a difficult memo to employees or a letter to clients about a change in management. Or maybe you have written so many marketing letters or materials for the same product and/or service that you need someone objective to breathe some fresh life into the text.

Lipold Communications specializes in business-to-business communications services. Business communicators are a rare breed. They are practical enough to understand the business world, but creative enough to offer innovative ways to make a point without pushing too far.

When you hire Lipold Communications, we will ask you about your audience, the purpose of the work product and necessary information. We also pay special attention to how you express yourself. If we have a better approach, we will explain why.

Next week I will cover the 4^th biggest marketing mistake: Not investing in business fundamentals. These include business, marketing and communication plans.

In the meantime, try this: Keep track of how much time you spend writing. How could your time have been better spent? Please let me know what you think by writing me at Annmarie@lipoldcommunications.