It’s long. It’s daunting. It’s too much. It’s your marketing to-do list! Every day it’s looming over you and shaming you for not knowing which item on the list to complete first. Often times, you cover the list with other papers or even pretend it’s not there.
The fact is: You know you need to do something. The other fact is: You don’t know which one to do first.
You are not alone
I work with business owners who run into this challenge all the time. It’s not that unusual to find myself working with a business owner who practices what I call, Hope Marketing. Hope Marketing is the practice of essentially throwing paint at the wall marketing-wise and hoping that something works. You expect that the thrown paint (or marketing tactic in this case) to stick and become a beautiful, smooth coat of paint (aka yield more customers). What really happens is that the paint leaves streaks, misses important areas of the wall and becomes an instant eyesore. Simply put, it’s not an effective way to market your business- especially if you’re a results-oriented business owner.
Even when the list seems simple, it’s so hard to make time to get it done
So, back to that darn list. It’s got three items on it.
Item #1 reads: update Facebook. Item #2 reads: update website. Item #3 reads: Write blog.
Each item has two words on it.
Two simple words. So why is it so intimidating?
Business owners are busy people
You have a business to run, right? What’s more- those 3 items don’t focus on the content for each one. How do you know what to post on Facebook? How do you know what kind of content to update your website with? Further, which topic do you blog about?
Slow your roll
First, take a deep breath. Then another. Ok, now that you’re a little calmer, it’s time to peel back the layers. Look at what you’re trying to do and say with your business. Think of what your target audiences care about and want to read. Big question: What matters to them? Build trust with your audiences and prospects through compelling content that means something to them. It will increase the possibility of them buying from you.
If you have challenges communicating- either because you don’t know what to say or how to say it, it’s time we talk. I coach business owners to take a step back to look at their business from a higher level. It’s important to get perspective before making a plan. And a plan is always needed!
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
A to-do list is only as good as the planning conversation it stems from. It’s critical to set goals and objectives. Know where you started from, to determine your progress, and to know when you’ve achieved a goal you’ve set. Plus, once you have a plan of action in place, those items on your to-do list will check themselves off the list without too much thought.
Knowledge is power
Imagine knowing what to do and when to do it. As a coach and a strategist, I have a lot of tools and proven concepts that help make planning a breeze. If you’ve got any questions, let me know. You don’t have to do it alone!
To learn more about small business marketing and planning, check out my program The SMART Marketing Method.