If you missed Part I of the series, you’re going to want to take a peek over here first. Consider this part two of my “anti-Marketing list” A.K.A., Marketing mistakes to avoid like the plague (or pandemic, to make this more relatable). Here are three MORE things you should never do when it comes to Marketing your business.

Purchasing Instagram Followers

Repeat after me: do not purchase Instagram followers. No matter what the shiny “instant followers” apps say or promise, doing this will only harm your account. Here’s the deal: having a large following used to be a big thing a few years back, and people were buying followers left and right to boost their count with the swipe of a credit card. This occurred back when your amount of followers meant everything. Over time, Instagram caught on and got smarter at detecting fake followers and bots. If you do that today, your follower count may temporarily increase, but your engagement will plummet.

Instagram has shifted over the years— and one good shift on their part was rewarding real connection and engagement. Remember: social media is about being social. You want real followers who care about your business, will engage with your content, and will convert into customers or clients. Your follower account doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t help the success of your business.

Remember: social media is about being social.

Straying Outside of Your Niche

If you’re a horse farm, chances are your audience isn’t interested in hearing about your best tips for wedding photography. They’d much rather hear about how to get started in the equestrian world, what they should know about boarding at your farm, and the best boots for show riding. When you’re creating content for your business, it should exist to fit your industry and the niche of your specific business. 

Another example: we’re an Advertising & Marketing agency so we share industry tips, how-to’s, and professional advice. Not only does our content establish our credibility and position us to be an ‘expert’ in our industry— it directly serves our audience’s interest (they aren’t really interested in hearing my personal opinions about sports or skincare/haircare routines).

Ignoring Analytics

While I *love* creating content and developing moodboards for our clients’ campaigns, that ain’t nothin’ if it’s not developed with the intent of capturing data. Don’t ignore the analytics on your website or your social media accounts! You need to know what content is resonating with your audience, what pages they’re clicking on, and where potential leads are finding you. Your analytic information will allow you to make the best decisions possible for your business— not based on your thoughts or opinions, but from actual data from the people you exist to serve.

If you’ve found yourself doing any of the above, take a deep breath. There’s plenty of time to get back on the right track— and if you need some help from the pros, my team is here to help.

P.S. If you’re thinking, “Okay, Chelsie— these are things NOT to do. What the heck am I supposed to be doing?!” Great news! I have a ton of free resources on my blog, where I have free Marketing advice, social media tips, content creation hacks, and more to help guide you in the right direction. I also LOVE to help brands and people get unstuck— if that’s you… Send me a note directly here.