Every year, there are a tonne of content and posts that talk about the latest trends and what you should be doing that year. Because let’s face it, we are all the same and should think like sheep, right? (yeh, insert sarcasm here) 😑
I disagree that you should aimlessly follow a trend or use the latest bright & shiny gadget just because some guru or expert tells you to. That is insane.
Heck, I am not even telling you to do everything I am suggesting either because every business is different and so are the people you are targeting.
So, how should you approach your marketing efforts in changing times?
- Start with educating yourself and find out more about the plethora of options that are available. The experts selling webinars will tell you that you MUST do them. The experts selling podcasts will you that you MUST do one. The experts selling social media management will tell you that you MUST be all over socials. You get the picture. These experts have an agenda which is to sell more of what they do.
For sure, look at the trends and the new platforms but always do this with a veneer of your business or clients over it. Not everything you hear will be right for you or your business. It won’t be right for your clients and how they want to communicate with you either so read, watch, listen to a bunch of different content, and learn about the options available. - Shortlist the marketing tactics that you think are best for you. Be realistic in the amount of time you can dedicate to each one though. Example: Do you have enough time to create and do a weekly podcast? Might be an awesome idea but unless you can commit to the time it requires, there is no point. You need to factor in all the time you need to think up topics, reach out to experts, conduct interview, edit, upload, promote…. A 30-minute podcast requires much more than 30 mins to create.
- Which brings me to the next point of “How much time do you realistically have?” Committing to anything that is going to require 4-5 hours a week, which you just don’t have available, is doomed to fail. If time is an issue, consider how you can outsource some or all of the tactics you want to deliver. Be honest with yourself.
- Does it align with your overall business goal? If you are considering a marketing tactic that actually doesn’t help you achieve your overall goal, then it might not be a good fit. Eg: if one of your goals is to learn how to use LinkedIn more effectively, then spending a bunch of time learning Facebook ads, is not an aligned fit and makes little sense. By understanding what you want to achieve, you can filter out the stuff that is simply not relevant at this point in time.
- Can you commit to it consistently for the year? A very common mistake made by busy business owners is having a grand plan in January with lots of good intentions then getting busy and by 2nd quarter it has all stopped as you are now ‘too busy’ (or you perceive yourself to be). Consistency is super important on any marketing channel so can you commit to something, even when you are busy or not feeling motivated to continue.
We all know there are hundreds of options to market your business, both online and offline. Plus, you can waste a huge amount of time and money by following trends or the latest craze that doesn’t work for your business.
So, this year don’t make the same mistakes. Keep it simple, realistic, and relevant. After all, you want to enjoy what you do and that starts with not feeling overwhelmed by something that should be fun.
Now over to you to create a plan (shout out if you need some help)
