A few months ago I was sitting in the waiting room of my local medical lab waiting to have a routine blood test done. At the front of the room was a large screen on which a rotating loop of images was being shown, primarily ads for the lab company’s services.

I thought the image pictured above, along with the image that came after it giving the details of the program, deserved the “Most Poorly Thought Out Marketing Tactic of the Week” Award. How did they expect a blind person sitting in that waiting room to see this silent message that was clearly meant specifically for them? 

This marketing tactic simply did not make sense! 

Are you thinking through your marketing tactics before implementing them? 

Here are some things to avoid… 

Nonsensical offers – Is your offer something that your target audience would want, appreciate and/or use? A “buy one get one half price” offer on coffins or king size mattresses is not likely to bring in much extra business. Neither is an offer of same-day delivery of incinerators, which typically require a government permit – and, I’m guessing, a fair amount of planning – to install. 

Irrelevant content – If you’re going to publish a newsletter or blog, your content needs to be of value to your target audience and relate to what you’re selling. Remember, your ultimate goal is to sell. If you’re selling financial services to young adults who are at the beginning of their careers, you should be writing about financial services – not office etiquette tips.

Inappropriate locations – Are you advertising/posting/showing up in the places that your target audience is likely to be? For example, if you are marketing to emergency room nurses, you’re not likely to meet prospective customers at a meeting for local small business owners. 

Shoddy promotional items – Giving away items emblazoned with your logo and contact information can be a great way to stay top of mind. But if these products are shoddy, prospects may think that your offering is shoddy, too.

Irrelevant SEO keywords – When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), always remember that it doesn’t do you any good to be #1 on Google for keywords that your target audience is not likely to use when looking for whatever it is that you’re selling. For example, I sell marketing content writing and book ghostwriting services. I don’t want to come up as #1 for “graphic design.”