This is a line from one of the great songs by Simon and Garfunkel.
Enjoy listening to the song as you read this post.
If you can’t see the video click here.
At times it can seem that when marketing your brand you are on a high speed train with no way to get out and see if all the effort is worth it.
The advice of just jumping in and trying marketing activities is misleading and part of the problem.
The reason is that the advice leaves out some fundamentals that if not done can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed. And you just get busier and busier with little reward.
It doesn’t mean moving slowly and miss opportunities. Instead take a little time to consider the elements that will be important to get results and strengthen customer relationships.
These include:
1. Why you are actioning your marketing activities?
What results do you want? Have the execution of the activity mapped out then it is must easier to action.
Nothing is worse than starting a newsletter or blog for example and then finding them getting cobwebs from neglect because you started 3 other marketing activities. It can really do damage to your customer relationships.
2. Use technology wisely
There are a lot of free or low cost tools available. If you are happy with the one you are using then why try out new ones as they do take time to learn? Automate what you can to save time.
3. Service delivery
Before you agree to turn a project around in two days, is it this the best way to start a long term relationship? Unless it is for a good reason, the customer may expect this type of service all the time.
4. Set up the tracking measures
Before you commence any email campaigns or do a newsletter for example make sure you know what results you are looking to achieve. This way it is easy to track the results.
5. Bundle similar activities together
For example if you post articles to different networking sites then do it all in one go. You may be surprised at the time you can save.
6. Choose the networking sites wisely
If you are part of forums or networking sites then choose wisely and make sure they are relevant. Having a consistent presence in a few rather than have a guest appearance once in a while can make a difference.
There are no easy answers and ultimately only you can decide how to manage the marketing of your brand. Slowing down and being focused actually frees up time and saves you from being in that state of always being busy.
Your thought as always are welcomed.
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I’ve experienced these, because I tend to jump in without fully planning.
# 3 – for me, this comes from having a freelancer mentality. What I discovered when I transitioned into business ownership is that this doesn’t make sense from an operational standpoint. You simply can’t expand that way. It’s tempting, but doesn’t work in the long run.
Thanks for another great post.
Tia
Hi Tia,
I think we all have.You are right there is a different mentality when you see and have a business. I have seen a number of people especially when they start having the freelancer mentality. One question for you is why don’t they start with the mentality of being a business owner? Is it due to lack of training or understanding or is there another reason?
Hmm, I think because freelancing for some people is seen as a temporary thing. A business is more permanent. Maybe that’s why! I think it was that way for me. I didn’t really know what the heck I was getting into! lol
That makes sense and I think many can identify with the way you started.
Good point. Scheduling your marketing activities does help especially if we stick to it.
Hi Alex,
Good points, especially trying to expand your time. Apart from everything else planning does take the pressure off and I find I get much more done in a shorter time.
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