Where to focus your marketing efforts when there is too much on your plate
So many of us have bought into this idea that we have to be on every social platform under the sun, blog weekly, and email our list even when we don’t have much to say. Often, we feel the pressure to come up with something to say, just for the sake of sending a regular email.
Certainly there is merit in being predictable and staying constantly in front of your audience. But sometimes, life and business overwhelms us, and we need to take a step back. In these periods the key to survival is prioritising those marketing activities with a quick return on investment, meaning just the things that bring in new customers directly.
As a content marketer, much of my work is ‘playing the long game’. I focus on building audiences, building relationships, and writing awesome content to improve SEO. As a content marketer, my quickest route to my next customers is usually via referrals and emailing my list, not through writing another blog post, although I do love writing.
So as I’m currently in that place of needing to prioritise (I’ve somewhat over-subscribed myself this month with work and marathon training), I wanted to keep it short and sweet today. Let me share with you my 3 top tips for where to focus your marketing efforts when you have too much going on to do it all.
- Ask yourself this question: “What’s paying the bills right now?”
I don’t have a crystal ball to see into your business, but if I had to guess what it would be for you, I’d say this. Your social media activity can wait another day – sending a sales email to your list is a priority!
2. But if you are doing some social media…
You can prioritise your social activities too. As a general rule of thumb, when you talk to the fans of your Facebook page, you are talking to a relatively cold audience. In simple terms – these people might buy from you in 6 months, but they won’t pay your bills today.
Instead, if you do one social media activity today, go and check in with the warmer audience in your Facebook group (if you have one). You have a better relationship with these people, and if you were to post an offer or pitch something, your group members are more likely to take you up on it.
3. Lightening DOES strike twice!
Repeat customers and referral from existing customers are worth their weight in gold. Repeats and referrals take the least marketing work to achieve, and also have the best chance of conversion. With a repeat customer, and often with a referral, you need to do less proving yourself before this client is ready to work with you.
We often focus so hard on finding new customers that we forget who we already know and enjoy working with. Always look after the customers you have and you will go far.
I hope that was helpful! If you would like more tips from me then do come over to Facebook and join my friendly little group, Small Business Marketing Made Simple.