What does more look like to you? More meetings, calls, social postings, videos…you name it! In a largely digital world, it can be hard to determine when more is no longer “great”er; but instead, just “extra” exhausting.
Perhaps you’re still trying to figure out how to make marketing work for your business. Beyond the latest trend or social channel, it’s important to figure out first how to make marketing work for you! Following are three (3) tips to help you simplify your day-to-day marketing activities and make them work for YOU.
Tip #1: Focus
When it comes to marketing, one of the quickest ways to get overwhelmed happens when you spread your brand and business across multiple channels (e.g., social media networks, blog, podcast, etc.). Typically, the thought is: ‘if I can be present’ on these popular channels, they’ll ‘see me.’ Or, maybe you’re spinning your wheels trying to find the right message(s) to attract the right kind of leads for your business. You may be thinking ‘if I can just say it right’ they’ll ‘hear me.’
I won’t lie to you and say it isn’t important to be seen and heard; but I also know that this isn’t typically what you really want. No, what you actually want is connection; to be seen, heard and appreciated by the people/companies you’ve set out to help/serve with what you do.
To connect, you must first focus on the shortest paths (i.e., channels) to reach these people/companies. Ask yourself, “where do I feel most comfortable when I show up to market my business?” And then, “where would they be looking for the type of product/service I provide?” Hopefully, you find alignment between these two answers.
Now, when it comes to messaging, focus on what sets you apart first. Then, see how that connects with what your prospects’ need/want. This is what will create the greatest (and truest) resonance from the get-go. Stick with a message for at least 30 days. A big part of building a brand is consistency. So, give yourself a chance to be consistent!
Tip #2: Dig & Track
Your business likely has a presence on social media, a website and possibly even utilizes an email marketing platform such as MailChimp. Yet, to effectively maintain all of these channels is a near full-time job (unless you follow Tip #1 above). However, even after you focus, it’s crucial to ensure you don’t get stuck on autopilot with your marketing. Yes, you want to set a course with your marketing and allow it to run smoothly; but you don’t want it to go without attention and interventions.
To simplify your marketing, I say to think of all your channels as trees you are planting. Each ‘tree’ must be watered (i.e., fed) and nurtured to grow. Yet, what is most often overlooked is how those ‘trees’ can support and feed one another. By digging below the surface, you can see how the ‘roots’ are naturally connected. Similarly, from simple cross-posting to more intentional marketing strategies, you can see how one channel can feed the next and create a more natural flow for your efforts.
Furthermore, the best way to see these ‘roots’ is by tracking your analytics. Do you know which social channel is feeding the most traffic to your website? What pages are getting the most views and engagement on your site? Who opened and/or clicked on your last email campaign? It’s important to know track these insights; but there’s other tracking you may not be doing that’s equally important to simplifying your day-to-day. You may feel overwhelmed with your marketing; but do you know how much time you spend on it and what you gain in return? Connecting these dots will help you to better focus on your most valuable marketing.
Tip #3: Discover & Map
You see, sometimes the simple answers are staring us right in the face. The analytics from your marketing channels, as well as the insights from your marketing activities will help you to discover where your time, money and energy should go. Owning a business requires you to wear a lot of hats, and marketing is definitely one of them.
Don’t hold yourself back by simply doing all your marketing, dare to discover what’s most effective. Then, be sure to use that information to map out your path ahead!
Marketing doesn’t have to be a tireless race. Doing more and more isn’t always the solution. When you are willing to focus, dig and discover, you’ll find marketing feels a bit more natural to you and you’ll be able to track and map out the path ahead in the direction YOU wish to go. Implement these three (3) ways to simplify your marketing and, in no time, you’ll see how you can do less and still gain more with your marketing!
Interested in exploring how your business can BE MORE? Click here to access our FREE Workbook.
