The world of marketing is one that is filled with trial and error; mistakes and successes. We are all bound to make a mistake every once in a while, with the result normally being a loss in revenue for said attempt or wasted time on the part of the individual leading up the project. There are some mistakes, however, that can fundamentally undermine any marketing attempts you are engaged in if you do not correct them, or preferably – never have them manifest in the first place. Below are five of the biggest, careless mistakes you can make that will have profound negative impact on your marketing efforts.

Improper Requirements on Forms

When someone is filling out a form for a free trial, additional information about a product or simply joining your contact list, there is already some information that is mandatory – at least from the perspective of the individual running the marketing campaign. If every part of the form is left as optional (not requiring content in the input field), then chances are people will omit information that you need.

Not Offering Unsubscribe Options

If you fail to offer the ability for your subscribers to unsubscribe from your newsletter or periodical, then you may be in for a rude awakening. You will probably have multiple people contact you at some point or another, pinging your blog or website with bad comments about receiving “spam” with no option for them to stop it. It is also illegal in many countries to not offer an unsubscribe features, so be sure that this is included and featured in the header or footer of every email you send to your subscribers.

Using Content Without Permission

We can all get so wrapped up into creating a good marketing campaign that we may sometimes forget to verify that the content – whether it be text, image or video – can be used without violating any copyrights or be consider plagiarizing. Those who do not make sure that the content they are using can be freely distributed may find themselves receiving a warning from the owner of the intellectual property. Search engines also frown upon websites and blogs that appear to be copying content.

Failing to Offer Plain Text Distribution

Some people cannot receive emails that include images or data, and others may prefer a text-only format. Whatever the case, providing a text-version option for each email you send will ensure that everyone is able to view your content in the form they wish to see it. This also helps avoid any situation in which an individual who may wish to view your regular email cannot for some reason; they will then still have the option to read it in a text-only format.

Incorrect Scheduling

Whether you are scheduling your social media status updates or setting up blog posts for the next day, always be sure that your time is correct. If you are trying to reach an audience in another country, then be sure to use times that correspond to their normal browsing routine – and not the one in your home country. You can continue pinging your blog and status updates all you like, but they are worthless if they do not reach your audience.