Though marketing is a crucial mouthpiece for businesses, not everybody embraces everything organisations have to say. Instead of key campaigns drawing customers in, they can actively push them away. 

In the UK, GP surgeries, call centres, and shopworkers have all reported a rise in abusive behaviour directed toward them from those they’re trying to help. While these behaviours are never justified, it’s fair to say the UK is becoming a bitter and angrier place. People are more easily annoyed. 

So, how can you take precautions to ensure your marketing doesn’t annoy customers? Keep reading after the jump for some suggestions. 

Know What Deters Customers

People can see through bad marketing quite easily today. Because so many companies get things right, those that don’t tend to stick out like a sore thumb. 

The main bad marketing traits that deter customers include: 

  • No device optimisation – Ads that don’t format properly to smartphones can be a bothersome irritation when they pop up. 
  • Excessive keyword use – If keywords are stuffed into digital content, readers will know their time is being wasted and that no valuable information will be learned. 
  • Interrupted experiences – Customers enjoying your website can be aggravated if they’re suddenly bombarded with popups. 
  • Repeat ads – A consumer might like your Twitter ad. If they see it on Facebook, and then Instagram, and then on YouTube, it may lead to frustration. Constantly seeing the same average advert can lead to harsher opinions than would otherwise be, too.
  • No opt–in solutions – Consumers being repeatedly targeted for marketing campaigns without giving their consent can soon become annoyed. 

Most of these problems can be solved by respecting the consumer’s time and patience. Good marketing is about convenience; anything that detracts from that should be reviewed. 

Download Dynamic Tools

Great marketing is about finesse and precision. Analytics are integral to the process of creating quality advertising. 

Read this 12-minute guide titled ‘What is HubSpot? Here’s a Plain English HubSpot Guide For Everybody’. It explains that it’s a suite of interconnected marketing and sales tools. Its Marketing Hub enables you to manage PPC advertising, social media data, calls to action, email marketing, and landing pages from one central login. There are tools to build more attractive web forms in mere minutes too. 

Convenience matters not just for consumers but for you too. If you can manage most of your marketing concerns from one platform, your efforts are far more likely to be effective. These tools also facilitate greater interconnectivity between sales staff and marketing teams, which can also improve how products and services are advertised. 

Gauge What Customers Think

Annoying or great marketing often invites online debate and discussion. You must try to gain an understanding of the consensus around your practices. 

Search social media hashtags related to your marketing campaigns. What do people have to say about your efforts? Thoughts on these forums are unlikely to be filtered much, and though opinions can be harsh, you can at least gain an honest impression of how others perceive your work and whether you’re reaching the right people. 

Send out brand awareness surveys. Ask whether they recognise your brand, if they’d recommend it, or if they are more likely to shop with a competitor based on their marketing.