10/06/08
	5 Common Pitfalls of Marketing
	1.	Not knowing your audience. The banner ad you designed showing off your new product looks great, but where should you advertise? Knowing your customers isn’t just about the kinds of products you offer. You also have to know the sites they visit, how they search and how they like to receive information.
	2.	Not keeping an eye on competitors. Take at least a half hour each morning to check out what other businesses in your field are doing. Start by googling keywords and see what pops up.
	3.	Not spellchecking marketing materials. We can’t stress this enough.
	4.	Being timid. Try new marketing initiatives in a thoughtful way. You don’t want to spend money wastefully, in this economy or ever, but you really won’t know if something works until you try.
	5.	Ignoring social media. Social media is heating up. Your customers are out there talking and engaging in new ways – blogs, wikis, social networking sites. If you don’t start listening to and joining their online conversations, you (and your company) will be left out in the cold.
View WHY Xtra tips from previous weeks.