When you do it right, marketing can take an organization to new levels. However, marketers aren't flawless. Many make the same mistake over and over. Or, they look at what others are doing and think it must be worth trying too, right? Not at all, according to Reshu Rathi, an online marketing and conversion rate enthusiast who writes for several global publications.

Rathi says marketers must wake up to these common marketing mistakes if they want their marketing to be truly effective. We share Rathi's thoughts on the marketing mistakes to watch for in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

1. Relying on gut over data. Many marketers make assumptions about what will work and what won't, which is a costly mistake. Rathi says that with so many data-gathering and analytics tools readily available to businesses these days, there's really no excuse to make decisions based on intuition. The deeper you delve into data, the better your marketing performance will be. Rathi says the problem is when marketers rely 80 percent on their gut and 20 percent on data. When it comes to marketing, it should be the other way around.

2. Following the herd mentality. In the world of marketing, many are like sheep who follow the rest of the herd around. If your fellow marketers use a marketing channel, then you will likely use it too. This is called the herd mentality. Rathi admits there's nothing wrong with exploring what's working. However, copying what's already working is not always the best way to achieve success.

3. Trying every marketing channel but not giving them enough time to produce results. Most marketers these days are distracted by the latest shiny object and when they don't get immediate results, they pull out quickly. This is a quick and easy way to burn your marketing budget, says Rathi. If you want to get good returns from marketing, you should focus on providing customers an omnichannel experience. According to a report from Omnisend, customers who engage with an omnichannel experience spend 13 percent more on purchases.

4. Not applying Kaizen's approach to marketing. If you're unfamiliar with Kaizen's approach, simply put, it says we should aim for continuous improvement with the idea that small, incremental changes can yield a major positive impact. Referring to marketing, it means no matter how successful or knowledgeable you may be, you cannot afford to rest on past wins and stop learning and experimenting. This is especially true in today's world where technology and AI are changing the way marketing is done. Remember: consistency is key to successful marketing.

5. Forgetting your No. 1 audience. When it comes to boosting marketing ROI, marketers are often focused on what they can do to win new customers. So much energy is poured into bringing more visitors on the site and converting them into customers that it's easy to forget about your No. 1 audience: existing customers.

If you're not mindful about your marketing, you could be making one of the mistakes above. Reflect on how you approach marketing to get the best return on your investment.

Source: Reshu Rathi is an online marketing and conversion rate enthusiast. She provides thought leadership for a variety of global publications.