The biggest mistake in advertising is failing to understand your audience.

Everything—your message, your medium, your timing, even your budget—hinges on knowing who you’re talking to. When advertisers make assumptions or try to speak to “everyone,” their message ends up speaking to no one.

Other common but closely related mistakes include:

• Focusing on features, not benefits – People don’t buy products; they buy solutions.
• Inconsistent messaging – Confusion kills conversion.
• Stopping too soon – Advertising is about repetition and trust. Most businesses quit before their ads have a chance to work.
• Choosing the wrong platforms – Don’t run radio ads for a visual product or use Instagram for a retiree audience without a strategy.
• Not tracking ROI – If you don’t measure, you can’t improve.

If you’re clear on your audience and stay consistent with a message that resonates, you’re already ahead of 90% of advertisers.

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