You've been there, I've been there - life happens, your busy gets busier with your own hustle and bustle and when you come back to your desk, whether from the weekend or a long vacation, you don't know where to start un-digging yourself ESPECIALLY when it comes to your MARKETING initiatives. So WHAT DO YOU DO to get your online marketing started or re-started?
Get Your Marketing Organized
First thing is first -- you've got to get yourself, your mind, your desk, and your email organized. In today's norm, you're working with a smart phone, laptop or desktop, digital or hardcopy calendars, cloud storage, notebooks, etc... and if you don't begin with organization, files and memories can get lost very easily (digitally and in your brain).
Flag or File Important Emails & Notes
Specifically for marketing, flag and file any important marketing related emails or memos. Categorize your emails and notes based on relevance and priority. If you can't complete the tasks required that have sprouted from the email or your thoughts you just opened, mark it as unread and flag. Getting yourself organized now will help save time later. This goes for just starting out, too. And if you need help keeping everything straight, look into a platform that helps you get organized and stay organized. My personal go to is Trello but there are so many options out there.
Create & Set Rules in Your Email
All those new tools and resources you've just signed up for, don't forget those passwords or how about the subscriptions? OH MY! Create yourself some rules when it comes to email to avoid bombarding yourself with unwanted spam emails. You can set up rules within your email or simply have separate emails that enables you to clearly mange incoming inquiries to your primary email.
Block Time on Your Calendar for Marketing Meetings
Whether with yourself or with a team of marketing members, schedule within the first week, one hour to start **thinking** about your marketing. In the meantime, write your thoughts down throughout the week using sticky notes, iPhone notes, logging journal, etc... So when you **sit down** for that 30 minutes-hour, you can quickly remember your thoughts and make that time as productive as possible.
Create Time for Brainstorming Your Marketing Strategy
Marketing Meeting 2.0 BRAIN DUMP! Whether you're a solo-preneur or you're working with a few individuals, sit down for an hour or consider blocking off a couple hours to regroup on what's been happening and brainstorming about what's coming. Get creative and start typing or writing away! When it comes to putting together the start of a marketing strategy, start thinking about what your goals are. Also, put yourself in your customers shoes, what's going in their lives that your business can help them with? What will make your customer happy? What questions does your client have for you? Thinking in your customers shoes will help gain perspective on how to answer their pain point questions and how to orient your messaging exactly for your target audience.
BONUS TIPS:
Review old marketing related emails, notes, or articles you've sent yourself.
Start building in weekly 20-30 minute time blocks to collect your weekly thoughts (on life) or business to help prepare for the next week. Simply add meetings, appointments, thoughts, or questions to your calendar so when you have a moment to think or get started on your day, you have a few ideas ready to go.
What is Your Marketing Goal & Strategy?
Set a goal. Is there **something** in specific you're trying to achieve? Are you launching a business for the first time? Re-branding your business? Pivoting? Or just needing a jumpstart/refresh on your marketing all together? Setting a goal will enable you to outline objectives to achieve your goal and also helps see through a realistic timeline.
Use a content calendar. Whether you are old fashioned and have a written weekly calendar, use Google calendar or a CMS software, start brainstorming by looking ahead up to three months (even if your goal is to survive the week or month). This makes revisiting next month's meeting and thereafter, so much easier!
Incorporate multi-channel tools that enables cohesiveness across your business. I.e - if you have a promotion, build your marketing initiatives around this promotion. Make the promotion orient around a big sales holiday, creating urgency and use your different platforms to cross-post on your social outlets, email marketing newsletters, and website. If you don't have any tools or platforms, identify which ones you're curious about and add it to your list!
Start implementing your STRATEGY. Wait, what strategy? Take one step at a time. What is that goal again? What's the first step to achieving that goal? Is that step mapped out on your calendar? Now, just do it already!! And check it off your list of things-to-do.
Seek Help from an Online Marketing Professional
Get outside perspective. If you are having a hard time setting time aside to run through this checklist, seek help from a professional... I'm not a talking a therapist, but someone who **knows** their stuff. You're an expert on your product and/or service, so why wouldn't you work with someone you is an expert in a marketing field? Having an expert can help work through some obstacles you're having whether it's a free business service or a paid consultation. Getting outside perspective can help you reset, take a step back, and hear it from someone who hasn't been mulling over the same text or obstacles for an extended period of time. If you've found yourself here, consider booking a free consultation with me today!