10 marketing mistakes that fundraisers make too

Here’s some high-level wisdom from Roy H. Williams’ Monday Morning Memo. It’s not specifically about fundraising, but all ten of these are issues to us as much as they are to commercial marketing: The 10 Most Common Mistakes in Marketing. They are:

1. Inappropriate Use of Social Media (those boring, self-focused brags are getting you nowhere!)
   
2. Overconfidence in the Value of Targeting (targeting is good, but it’s not everything)
   
3. The Assumption that Every Message is Relevant
   
4. Fear of Criticism (your best work will always generate complaints and even anger)
   
5. Measuring Ad Effectiveness Too Quickly (some media need time and repetition to become effective)
   
6. Unsubstantiated Claims (including overuse of adjectives and adverbs)
   
7. Believing that “Old” Media No Longer Works
   
8. Assuming “The Decision Maker” Is The Only Person You Need to Reach
   
9. Believing that “Millennials” Aren’t Like the Rest of Us
   
10. AdSpeak (failing to sound and act human)