COMMON MISTAKES ENTREPRENEURS MAKE WHEN DOING MARKETING FOR THEIR OWN BUSINESS — AND HOW TO FIX THEM

You have a brilliant business idea and want to build your own path and become independent as soon as possible. However, you quickly face multiple questions: where to start and what direction to take.

You begin learning about business to understand production costs, margins, and how to commercialize your product or service. You try to do everything on your own, but soon realize how overwhelming it is. So you look for guidance and try to simplify every task as much as possible—one of them being marketing.

Marketing often gets oversimplified to choosing a business name, creating a brand, setting up a store (physical or online), and opening profiles on every social media platform. Yes, these elements are essential and part of a marketing plan—but you’ve started from the roof instead of building the foundation.

Here are 3 common mistakes that might make you reflect:

1) Thinking tactically instead of strategically

You start by creating your product based on your own perception. Then you need visibility, so you think about all the possible ways to tell the world you exist: social media, a website, advertising… You also assume that many people could need or want your product. So the conclusion is: you need to be everywhere and reach as many people as possible. Does it make sense? Yes. Is it strategic? No. This approach is nothing more than a collection of tactics without direction, consuming your time, resources, and money.

The reality is that you haven’t defined your strategy. And what is strategy? It’s having clarity about the long-term direction of your business. Tactics are simply the means to get there, and they should adapt along the way.

Until you clearly define HOW you sell your product and where you want to go, your marketing actions won’t make sense.

2) Rushing to activate your channels without properly defining your product

Sometimes you have a product ready to sell, but you haven’t considered key aspects such as: packaging, minimum order quantity, discount structures, perceived value and so on.All of these elements are part of your product and are just as important as costs or margins.Beyond these tangible aspects, entrepreneurs often overlook the intangible ones: what you sell versus what your customer perceives they are buying.

For example, if you sell women’s perfumes, you’re not just selling a fragrance. You could be selling attraction, confidence, or seduction. Your customer may perceive that by using your product, they will attract or “captivate” others.

Until you clearly understand WHAT you sell, both tangible and intangible, it’s not the right time to fully activate your business.

3) Spending on advertising because you think it’s the only way to grow

This point is directly connected to strategy. If you haven’t defined it, you’re most likely spending on advertising rather than investing in it. When you spend, you pay to reach more people. That’s often the main selling point of advertising services: impressions, reach, visibility. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into sales or qualified leads. At that point, you may conclude that “advertising doesn’t work.”

The reality is different: it’s not the tool—it’s the lack of clarity. You need to be very clear about what you offer and who you’re targeting, and then choose the right channel.

If you don’t know WHO your ideal customer is, it will be very difficult to trust any advertising results.

HOW TO FIX THEM

1) Think strategically and with direction

If you sell to other businesses (B2B), set medium- and long-term goals. Sales cycles are usually longer and more complex, often taking 3 to 6 months (or more), as they require approval from multiple stakeholders.

With your goals in mind, define the type of relationship you want to build with your client. How do you want to be perceived? How do you want to be remembered or recommended?

Write it down and condense it into two lines. That’s your strategy.

From there, break it down into the actions needed to move toward that goal.

For example, if you sell B2B software, your strategy could be to become a trusted partner for financial companies. Your tactics would then focus on developing key solutions that make your system structurally essential for your clients.

 

 

2) Define your product through observation

The more clearly defined your product is, the more clarity you’ll have about what you actually sell.

Include everything: pricing, packaging, benefits, differentiation, customer experience, and after-sales service.

But most importantly, observe your customers:

• How they behave
• What they ask
• How they use your product
• What they truly value

Especially when their perception differs from yours. Keep a record of these observations. Once you gather enough insights, make adjustments, test new ideas, and repeat the observation cycle.

 

3) Invest in advertising by connecting with the right audience

There are countless advertising options, both paid and organic. Choosing can feel overwhelming. A useful rule: invest only in what connects with your ideal customer.

Today, attention is limited. We are exposed to constant information, and capturing attention is increasingly difficult.

So how do you connect? First, deeply understand your audience:

• Who they are
• What they do
• What they care about
• What triggers them emotionally

That’s where connection happens. And when you connect, do it creatively. Be different, surprise them, and create a memorable moment—even if it’s brief.

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The entrepreneurial journey is challenging, but also deeply rewarding. Everything you learn becomes incredibly valuable—not just for your current business, but for your future.

Applying strong marketing principles won’t just help you grow—it will help you see opportunities where others only see obstacles.