Horrible Things You Do in Marketing (And How to Fix Them Fast)

Let’s be honest—most marketing efforts fail. Not because of a lack of effort, but because of dumb mistakes that keep repeating. The worst part? You don’t even realize you’re doing them.

If you’re guilty of any of these, don’t worry—you’re not alone. But if you don’t fix them now, your competition will eat you alive.

1. You’re Talking to Everyone (Which Means No One)

“If we market to everyone, we’ll get more customers!” Wrong.

Trying to reach everyone is the fastest way to be ignored by everyone. The most successful brands go ultra-specific—laser-focused on their ideal customers.

? Fix It: Define your buyer persona. Who are they? What do they need? What keeps them up at night? Then craft your messaging as if you’re talking directly to that one perfect customer.

2. You Obsess Over Vanity Metrics

Likes. Shares. Comments. Who cares?

Marketers love feeling good about numbers that don’t pay the bills. If your engagement isn’t leading to actual leads, sales, or conversions, it’s just noise.

? Fix It: Track real performance indicators—CTR, conversion rates, customer lifetime value. Optimize for revenue, not applause.

3. Your SEO Strategy is Stuck in 2010

Keyword stuffing. Ignoring mobile optimization. Forgetting local SEO. These are marketing sins that make Google hate you.

If your SEO game is weak, you’re invisible online. And invisible brands don’t make money.

? Fix It: Follow YOAST’s best practices. Focus on user intent, long-tail keywords, and high-quality content. Update old pages, fix technical SEO, and earn backlinks from authority sites.

4. You Ignore Email Marketing (AKA Free Money)

Marketers chase new traffic while ignoring their existing audience. Big mistake.

Email marketing is the highest ROI channel—but only if done right. If your emails are just “Hey, buy this”, don’t be surprised when they get ignored.

? Fix It: Build an email list yesterday. Send value-packed emails (not just promotions). Nurture your audience, and the sales will follow.

5. You Play It Safe (AKA Boring Marketing)

The worst marketing crime? Being forgettable.

If your content looks like everyone else’s, why should people care? Playing it safe is a one-way ticket to irrelevance.

? Fix It: Be bold. Have an opinion. Stand for something. Brands that challenge norms, entertain, or inspire always win.

Final Thought: Fix These Now or Get Left Behind

These are the horrible things you do in marketing that are silently killing your success. The good news? You can fix them.

?? Market smarter. Stand out. Stop wasting time on what doesn’t work.

Your brand deserves better. Now go make it happen.