Navigating Marketing Pickles: How to Handle Mishaps and Move Forward
My top brand and marketing advice for Addressing Mistakes
If you're a pickle lover like me, you know the feeling of finding yourself in a perfect match with someone who hates them. It's a bittersweet relationship. On one hand, you get all the extra pickles you want. On the other hand, you can't always indulge in pickle-heavy recipes without some pushback. But as they say, when life gives you pickles, make a pickle martini!
Or better yet, use the situation as a metaphor for the many marketing pickles we find ourselves in.
Marketing is a vast and ever-changing field, and even the most experienced marketers find themselves in sticky situations from time to time. Maybe it's a mistake in an email you just sent to your entire list, a tech glitch that caused your reel to load without audio, or a post or caption that has a mistake or isn't clear. Whatever the case may be, there are ways to handle these situations and come out on top.
How to Handle Marketing Mistakes (or Pickles🥒)
As someone who has worked in brand and marketing for over 20 years, I've learned a thing or two about getting out of a marketing pickle. Here are some tips that have helped me:
Address the problem quickly: When you find yourself in a pickle, the worst thing you can do is let it sit and fester. Instead, address the problem as soon as possible. This means owning up to any mistakes you've made, fixing any errors, and moving on.
Don't let perfection ruin your day: We all make mistakes, and marketing is no exception. It's important to remember that mistakes happen and not let them ruin your day or bleed into other activities. Be kind to yourself.
Know that it's never too late to follow up: If you've been sitting on an email or DM for far too long, don't despair. It's never too late to follow up with someone, whether it's a potential client or a networking opportunity. Send a quick note acknowledging the delay, and respond to their message like normal.
Don't be afraid to edit: If you've posted something that has a mistake in it, or is raising questions in the comments, don't be afraid to edit it. While algorithms don't like you deleting posts, you can edit them. If you do make a significant change, note that it's edited and why.
Move on: Once you've addressed the problem, it's time to move on. Don't dwell on what went wrong or beat yourself up over it. Instead, focus on what you can do to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.
Let's take a closer look at some specific marketing pickles and how to handle them:
Top Marketing Mishaps and Fixes
Mishap: There is a mistake in an email you just sent to your entire list.
The Fix: Not many people will notice, and the ones that do won't think much of it. I only resend an updated version if a critical piece of information, like a key date or a key link, is wrong. Add UPDATED to the start of the subject line, and at the top of the email, note why you are resending it. "Updated: The previous email had a bad link. The correct link to rsvp is www.correctlink.com."
Mishap: Your Reel loaded without audio.
The Fix: This is frustrating, but don't delete the post. Deleting any posts on Instagram will kill your engagement on your other posts for a bit. You can always add a note to the caption or download the video and rework the reel and upload it again with another cover image in a couple of weeks.
Mishap: Your post or caption has a mistake or isn't clear.
The Fix: Edit it! This goes for any social media account. While you shouldn’t delete, you can edit. If you've posted text that has a mistake in it, is raising questions in the comments, or isn't sitting well with you, go ahead and edit away! If you do make a significant change or you are editing based on feedback in the comments, just note that it's edited and why.
Mishap: That email or DM has been sitting in your inbox for far too long.
The Fix: It's never too late to follow up with someone! Whether it's a potential client or a networking opportunity, you don't have to miss out on building a connection just because your life got in the way. Send a quick "sorry this took so long" note without further explanation and respond to their message like normal.
Mishap: Your ad campaign is not performing as well as you hoped.
The Fix: It can take time for ads to hit their stride and perform well. So before making any drastic changes, give it at least 4-5 days. Then consider small tweaks to the target audience or ad copy. Slowly test different variations to see what works. If it's still not performing well, consider pausing the campaign and working with an ads expert before launching a new one.
Mishap: Your website is down.
The Fix: This is every marketer's worst nightmare! But often, if your website is down, so are many others so don’t panic right away! First, check to see if it’s just down for you, or for everyone using this Website Planet tool. If it is down for others, you’ll want to contact your web host and find out what the issue is. There could be a global issue out of your control or a simple fix. If it does require more to time and resources to make it live again, consider creating a temporary landing page with a message letting visitors know that your site is temporarily down and when it will be back up.
Mishap: You receive negative feedback on social media.
The Fix: Negative feedback on social media can be tough to deal with, especially if it feels like a personal attack. However, it's important to remember that it's not personal, and that negative feedback can be an opportunity to improve. Take the time to read the feedback and respond in a respectful and professional manner. If the feedback is valid, acknowledge it and let the person know what you're doing to address the issue. If the feedback is unfounded, respond with kindness and move on.
Marketing pickles can happen to even the most seasoned marketers. The key is to stay calm, own up to any mistakes, and take steps to address the issue as quickly and professionally as possible. By doing so, you can turn a pickle into an opportunity to improve and grow your business.
