Ghosts? Fine.
Haunted houses? We can handle them.
But an outdated website, blurry photos and a brand with an identity crisis?
Now THAT’S scary.
Marketing doesn’t have to be frightening, but we’ve all seen a few things that can make a business owner want to hide under the covers.
This Halloween, we’re shining a light on some of the marketing mistakes that can quietly haunt your business — and what you can do about them.
1. An Outdated Website
Your website is often the first interaction someone has with your business.
If the information is outdated, the site is difficult to navigate or it doesn’t work well on a phone, you could be losing potential customers before they ever reach out.
Your website doesn’t need to be flashy just for the sake of being flashy. It needs to clearly communicate:
- Who you are
- What you offer
- Who you serve
- How someone can take the next step
If your website hasn’t changed since your business cards were a different color, it might be time for a refresh.
2. Blurry Photos
Your business deserves better than a blurry photo someone took six years ago and has been cropping for every social post since.
Photography isn’t just about making things look pretty. Good imagery helps customers understand your product, experience your space and see the people behind your brand.
Whether it’s professional headshots, product photography, lifestyle imagery or photos of your team, strong visuals can make a big difference in how your business is perceived.
3. A Brand With an Identity Crisis
Your logo is different on your website.
Your Instagram uses three different fonts.
Your colors change depending on who made the graphic.
And nobody can quite agree on which version of the logo is the “real” one.
Sound familiar?
That’s when your brand starts to feel less like a recognizable business and more like a collection of unrelated marketing materials.
A strong brand creates consistency. Your customers should be able to recognize you whether they’re looking at your website, a social post, a sign or a video.
4. Posting Without a Plan
Posting just to post can become its own kind of haunting.
Monday: Product photo.
Wednesday: Random holiday.
Friday: “Happy Friday!”
Then… silence for three weeks.
Social media works better when every post has a purpose.
Maybe you’re educating customers. Maybe you’re showing your work. Maybe you’re introducing your team. Maybe you’re building awareness for a new product or service.
You don’t need to post constantly.
You need to know why you’re posting.
5. Video You Keep Saying You’ll Make “Someday”
“We really need to make a video.”
You’ve said it.
Your team has said it.
Someone even has a folder called Video Ideas.
And somehow, six months later, the video still doesn’t exist.
Video can be one of the most effective ways to show your brand’s personality, explain what you do and give potential customers a reason to remember you.
The perfect video doesn’t have to start with a massive production.
It starts with an idea worth sharing.
6. Marketing That’s All About You
Here’s a scary thought:
Your customers don’t necessarily care about everything your business wants to say.
They care about what you can do for them.
Instead of:
“We’ve been in business for 25 years.”
Try:
“Here’s what 25 years of experience means for you.”
Instead of simply listing your services, show people the problem you solve.
Good marketing connects what your business does with what your audience actually needs.
7. The “We’ll Fix It Later” Strategy
This might be the scariest one of all.
The outdated website stays.
The old photos stay.
The inconsistent branding stays.
The social media account stays quiet.
And eventually, “later” becomes another year.
Marketing doesn’t have to be perfect before you start improving it.
Pick one thing.
Update the website.
Schedule a photo shoot.
Clean up the brand.
Plan next month’s content.
Make the video.
Small improvements add up.
Don’t Let Bad Marketing Haunt Your Brand
The good news?
Most marketing nightmares are fixable.
You don’t need to reinvent your entire business overnight. Sometimes you just need to step back, take an honest look at your brand and figure out what’s working — and what’s stuck in the past.
At Zipline Studio, we help businesses bring those pieces together through branding, photography, video, web and digital marketing.
So this Halloween, skip the marketing tricks.
Let’s focus on the treats.
Because ghosts are spooky.
But bad marketing?
Now THAT’S scary.