Four Marketing Blunders That Will Cost You

marketing blunder showing a confused person looking at a whiteboard

Running a business comes with a lot of uncertainty. While some things are more definite than others, there are a lot of aspects of a business that can’t be measured or evaluated accurately. Marketing lies in the ‘less definite’ category - while there is a lot you can do and measure to build a better campaign - there’s no hard and fast answer on what will be the end result. That said, marketing has developed exponentially over the years, and we know have the ability to measure the effectiveness of campaigns quite seamlessly. However, companies still tend to adopt a traditional mindset when it comes to marketing that is costing them a lot of money. Here are some of the common marketing mistakes that is costing your company:

Ignoring micro influencers

Macro influencers can create a lot of exposure for businesses. However, you don’t need a Kardashian to get your product out there. Famous influencers might have millions of followers, but engaging macro influencers is expensive and results might not be as impressive as the price tag. Rather than spending all your budget on a macro influencer, spend your money on a variety of micro-influencers on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram who are more likely to have a niche audience who resonate more with your brand.

Strictly focusing on customer acquisition

Let’s look at the numbers. The book Marketing Metrics estimates the probability of selling to a new customer is between 5-20%, while the probability of selling to an existing customer ranges between 60-70%. This means keeping current customers satisfied and coming back for more is a more profitable strategy than trying to get new customers. Don’t get caught up solely in customer acquisition. While getting new customers is essential to business growth, don’t ignore your existing customers! Richard Van Staden, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Quantum Solutions, says “There’s often more money to be made in expanding offerings to your existing customer base than there is in new business developments.”

Not optimizing your website for mobile

Smartphones play many roles in people’s lives. In addition to playing the role of an actual phone, they have taken over other roles from cameras to computers or laptops. So, when people are looking at your website, they most likely doing it from their phone. According to Pew Research Centre, 77% of Americans owned smartphones in 2017, a rise from 35% in 2011. This explains why Google has been giving SEO priority to websites optimized for mobile phone users. Brands that don’t make this a priority will inevitably fall behind and lose momentum over their competitors who have adopted mobile optimization.

Lack of appealing visual content

The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than plain text and most of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. This needs to be taken into account when creating content. If you want your business and product to remain relevant, then content needs to include visually appealing content such as graphics, images and videos.

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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