Marketing horror stories to keep you awake at night

As if this year wasn’t scary enough, it’s now Halloween. To get into the ‘spirit’ of things, we’ve blown the dust off of some of the darkest marketing horror stories we’ve ever heard. Read on if you dare…

The Curse of the Broken Link

A true modern-day horror story. You’ve poured your heart and soul into a piece of email marketing, only to realise that it contains a broken link - after you’ve sent it to thousands of subscribers!

So how do you break the curse? Well, as good doctors everywhere say, prevention is better than cure - so make sure you proofread and check all the links in your email template thoroughly. Get an extra pair of eyeballs as well and get them to read it too. If you’ve already sent it, we recommend following up with an email that really grabs people’s attention. There’s nothing quite like a ‘Sorry, we made a mistake!’ email header to pique people’s interest - which will help you to resurrect that open rate and save the day.

The Terrifying Typo from Outer Space

Did you hear that blood-curdling shriek? That was from someone who had written the perfect tweet, sent it out, received good engagement - and then spotted an alien typo that had somehow invaded their brilliantly written prose!

How do you battle these terrifying typos? If you’re on the front foot and notice it quickly, a sharp delete and repost with the correction is the best way to defeat the beasts. Otherwise, the best thing to do is let it fade beyond the veil - and recognise that it’s not the end of the world (even if it feels like it).

The Plague of the Website Hackers

Is there anything worse for a marketing agency than hearing that one of their websites has been infested with hackers? Aside from an exorcism, the best thing to do is to react as quickly as possible and identify the source - where are the hackers gaining entry. Your web team or developers will be able to help you vanquish those pesky hackers and also safeguard your website from future attacks.

The Phantom of Poor Engagement

You’ve created some really great content…only to find that your page is like a ghost town and there’s nobody out there. While sometimes there’s an explanation such as timing, tone, or the type of content, other times the reason is shrouded in mystery. The best thing to do is keep going; eventually, you’ll learn the best way to create content that will have people swarming like zombies.

The Silence of the Brand

Brand guidelines - they’re there for a reason. When we work with brands, we always preach consistency. So there is nothing more horrifying than when the brand you’ve created has vanished into thin air, and in its place is an imposter - a poorly-designed piece of creative which could belong to any old company.

If you don’t want to fall into a similar trap, make sure you’re always creating visuals according to your guidelines, and if you’re bored of them, consider speaking to professionals who could inject new blood into your brand (professionals like us).

Have you fell victim to any of these horrifying marketing mishaps? Do you need help exorcising the demons in your promotional activities?

You could call Ghostbusters but they won’t be as helpful as us. Instead, put down the ouija board and get in touch with us here.