Marketing is not like publicity... so the old saying "All publicity is good publicity" most certainly does NOT apply here!
There is such a thing as BAD MARKETING! We'll give you this nugget of wisdom for free, because, well... Life is tough enough without getting scammed, or wasting your money on tactics that bare no fruit.
The worst things you can do for your company are:
1. Inconsistency
Being inconsistent is a major blow to your potential. Consistency in branding, culture, messaging, quality, and service are the backbone to a successful company. If you are constantly changing everything, how can you expect to build any trust with potential/current clientele, or your surrounding community?
Just like when you see the same business posting Job Openings frequently for the same positions... Your first thought is certainly NOT "Wow, this place is doing well"... Your first thought is more likely "Yikes, wonder what is wrong with that place?"!
Making changes to your Marketing Strategies too frequently sends mixed signals to the public. If you aren't sure what you're doing, why would anyone else have confidence in your business?
2. Not Defining Your Target Audience
It's fun to think your product/service is for "Everyone", which it may be, but without honing in on a specific majority audience, you are not letting your budget give you the full return on investment that it could! Defining your Audience will help determine your best avenues for Marketing... In other words, who is the majority demographic that would purchase your product/service and what is the best way to get your messaging directly in front of them?
With so many delivery methods available now, these questions that need answers are enormously important to the success of your business!
OTV/CTV (Streaming) Commercials, Youtube Ads, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok, Billboards, Direct Mailers, Email Marketing, Text Message Marketing, Banners, In-App Ads, are just to name a few avenues. All of these delivery methods hold their own major demographic- Marketing is not a "one size fits all".
3. USING THE WRONG PLATFORMS
First off, YELP is *always* the wrong platform to use, but we will get to that later... One of the biggest mistakes companies make is spreading their focus across too many platforms. Just because they exist, doesn't mean they are meant for you.
Choosing specific 1-3 platforms to channel all of your effort into is an absolute must to see social media success. Every platform offers a different main aspect as a marketing tool. Will your business benefit the most from Image-based, network-based, video-based, or text-based marketing? Do you know what the advantages are for each aspect? This is where you'll get frustrated if you are still trying the "DIY" route for your online presence. You have a business to run- Make sure you are giving yourself the help, or answers to your questions you need most!
Ok, now let's talk YELP...
Yup, we are going after the big bad bully... So many small business owners get sucked into working with this platform and get convinced they need a good rating to help their business. We are warning everyone- Do NOT fall for it!
Yelp uses the "Elite" program to help scam businesses. Their "sales" team uses unethical tactics and persistence to the point of insanity that makes business owners want to rip their hair out and give them money just to make them stop.
If you do not invest money to "boost your business profile", Yelp will start filtering your reviews and stop showing your real 5 star ratings but instead push low ratings to show first on your profile as a way to convince you that you need to spend money with them to help your ratings.
When you do spend money on marketing with them, they actually do not hold up to their promises and lag your ad for the majority duration of the campaign period then the last couple days show your listing as a "gutter ad" which means it's placed at the very bottom of the page, on unrelated material, and they count it as an impression even if someone did not scroll down far enough to actually view your listing.
This is as bad as BAD MARKETING gets. Lawsuits and Federal Investigations have taken place several times into their business practices, and Yelp will say that they won those cases.... but that is not true. There wasn't enough concrete information or evidence found to condemn them in a court of law, which is a huge difference.
Don't believe us? Take it from the documentary made in 2019, Billion Dollar Bully.
This documentary was crowd funded through Kickstarter, 33% funded by anonymous small business owners in fear of retaliation from Yelp. It is certainly worth a watch!
Still don't believe us? Go on Facebook and search groups against Yelp... You will be shocked how many groups have been formed to expose Yelp for what they have done and what they continue to do.
Don't get sucked into this scam. Don't be bullied.
If you see our business listed on Yelp, know that we did not give them permission. But that's how they get you... They add your business on there and tell you the profile cannot be removed...
If you do see us on there, kindly leave us a 1 star review and reference this blog ;)
Cheers.
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