Crain’s Cleveland Business feature article by Laura Sheridan: Eight marketing mistakes to avoid in 2018

Is email marketing part of your 2018 marketing plan? Then it’s important to know that in 2017, 54% of all emails were opened on a mobile device. What does that mean for you? Delivering a fabulous mobile experience is no longer a brand differentiator. It’s table stakes.

Today’s consumer digests media on multiple screens. So, when your agency sends you creative to approve, don’t just look at it on your computer, review it on all your devices.

The effectiveness of your marketing efforts is dependent on the quality of your talent. We live in a fast-changing and uncertain environment. Your marketing team needs to be made up of analytical, agile, curious types who are passionate about your customer. They need to embrace the notion of being a support function for sales and have the company’s goals imprinted on their foreheads.

Is the leader of your marketing team strategic, analytical and proficient at digital marketing? Have any “B” players on the team? 2018 is the year to trade up. Hire superstars. That’s what it takes to win.

Sitting down? According to the American Marketing Association, 90% of marketing materials are not used by sales, and salespeople spend 30 hours a month searching for and creating their own marketing materials.

Marketing’s job is to help an organization meet its goals. Sales’ job is to help an organization meet its goals. Imagine if they worked together? Enough said.

When your board and internal colleagues beg you to change your logo or colors, give high fives all around. If you’re doing it right, internal stakeholders who see your logo and colors all the time should be sick of them. Your customers, on the other hand, don’t stare at your logo or see your colors every day. Repetition and consistency are fundamental to building and maintaining a healthy brand.

2017 was the year for ad blockers, ad-free movies, and other ways consumers have found to avoid commercials. Influencer marketing, however, is an effective ad-free and authentic way to reach your target audience. Messages from influencers such as niche bloggers (think moms and sport bloggers) are far more powerful than paid ads. 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations, while only 33% trust advertisements. Find the right influencers in your niche, and your influencer marketing will deliver a far better ROI than paid ads.

Did you know that YouTube is now the second-largest search engine? How about that adding a video to your website can increase the chance of a Google result by as much as 53 times? While video marketing is frequently an afterthought, its value demands a front-runner position in your marketing plans.

Social media platforms are increasingly exploring ways for companies to move beyond simply sharing content by allowing them to publish their own content. LinkedIn has been growing in popularity as a publishing outlet, as companies have been using the platform to boost their B2B marketing via expert articles. Snapchat and Instagram now offer features that allow users to swipe to read articles.

Content marketing is no longer just about creating great content for your website. It’s about getting your content in front of customers where they are. Using social media as a publishing outlet is an effective way to do so.

Reread the other seven mistakes above. Note the theme? Consumer media habits are changing faster than ever, so you need to make your decisions on this year’s reality, not last year’s.

Avoid these eight mistakes in ’18. Learn from others and increase your marketing ROI.

Laura Sheridan is president of Viva La Brand, a brand and marketing strategy and ad agency search firm.