DIGITAL MARKETING OVERWHELM? Here's What To Stop Doing

Does this sound familiar to you?

I've got to learn digital marketing. There's so much technical stuff to get on top of!

You feel you have to learn to be posting on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. Your website is out of date. And you're told that video is the way to go.

Oh, and you should have your own podcast, right?

So many options! So much tech to learn. And will it work anyway?

Here's where to start:

Pick what not to do

YouTube, website, blog, LinkedIn, Instagram and more.

You can't do it all.

Fortunately, you don't need to.

Just because someone else is "crushing it" on YouTube, doesn't mean you have to go on video.

And no, you don't have to start your own Facebook Group or start getting loads of followers on Twitter.

If you want to know what to focus on, pick what you can say "no" to.

7 Steps to Digital Marketing survival.

#1 Go Where The Clients Are

If you're looking to expand your reach, go where your clients are. There's no point creating a profile and posting on a social media channel if they're not there.

This alone is going to save you a bucket load of time.

#2 Separate short-term and long-term activities

A social media post may be quick to create, but have a very short shelf life. That is a short-term activity, which may require the consistency of showing up every day.

A blog, on the other hand, or trying to build SEO reach, is a long-term activity. It is a slow-burn strategy, or is like a tree that may take months to grow and bear fruit.

You generally want a mix of both activities, but don't invest in a long-term strategy which you hope will get instant results.

#3 Shortcut the learning curve

What can you learn quickly? For that matter, what do you already know how to do?

From my experience in coaching and as a former IT consultant, the more you need to learn - especially about software - the less likely you are to keep doing it.

So, what are you already doing, that requires minimal friction to move to a slightly different platform?

For example, supposing you are used to posting text posts on LinkedIn. You may easily be able to switch to document posts, if you think they will be more engaging for your audience.

Or if you're already doing Zoom calls, it could be a simple step to hit record and turn those into interview videos that you could share on YouTube or post on your website. That's easier than starting to record on your own from scratch.

#4 Look to Past Clients

You'd be surprised just how much business you can get by going back to past clients. You don't necessarily need to pitch your services. You could reach out to them and find out how they're getting along.

You could also ask them for a referral, by saying something like this:

Who else do you know who might be in a similar situation to what you were in, before we worked together?

If you're feeling awkward about asking for referrals, think of it as a way of you helping your clients.

#5 Simplify your website message

If you haven't updated your website in a long time, you may find it worth reviewing quickly. Simplify the message, and make sure it's consistent with what you're now doing.

How does your website line up with what you have in your profile on LinkedIn or other social media platforms?

If your headlines all start with "we" or "our" ("We are the smartest marketing agency in this city"), here's a quick win: change it to "you" and make it second person instead of first person. In other words, speak about your client. (Hint: you're not the hero. The client is.)

#6 Build on what's already working for you

Play to your strengths and build on what you already know works. If people always tell you how good you are at diagnosing problems quickly, then speak about that.

If you know you're a better writer than a speaker, then write! Lots of people wish they had your gift.

And if you're more of a speaker, but struggle to write, then don't make "write an eBook" the top of your Marketing to-do list.

#7 Chase the lowest hanging fruit

This is just a variation on what I've already covered. Look for immediate opportunities. People who you may have sent proposals to. You can ask them: "what did you end up doing?"

You might be surprised at how many people respond with messages like:

It's as if you were reading my mind

Or:

Amazing timing! I was just thinking of speaking to you.

Your past happy clients want you to do well. It's in their interest. You don't necessarily need to be expanding to a new social media channel or start an entirely new marketing channel. (You may do very well by doing that, but you may not have to.)

In fact, I help "Rachels" - professional women running their own business - to own their worth. I'm very active on LinkedIn and I have a YouTube channel that is creeping up to 1000 subscribers. I asked a colleague whether she thinks I should get active on Twitter. We decided not to, because "The Rachels aren't looking for you there."

What channels or marketing efforts are you going to drop? Which one are you going to focus on more? Let me know in the comments.

#entrepreneurship #marketing #professionalwomen #socialmedia #LinkedIn