“It’s been crazy around here.” It’s one of the most common sayings we hear from our clients—and for good reason. A thriving and growing business is a busy place. It’s easy for the marketing tactics needed to keep growing the business—the social media posts, image collection, reputation management—to get lost in all the buzz. After all, who has time for marketing? If you’re reading this, you can relate—and you can use these tips to keep up with your business marketing.
Don’t over commit to social media.
There are many things a marketing plan should be: effective, measurable, audience-focused. One of the items that often gets overlooked is manageable. While there is some value in ambition, there are also tons of blogs and social media channels abandoned because of a lack of time.
To avoid this, focus your efforts on social media sites where your audience is (use this chart as a reference). Your business does not have to be on every social media channel, especially when there is not enough time to manage all the sites. Put simply, it gives your business a black eye when they come across an abandoned social media site or sends a message through social media that is not answered. Choose your social media sites carefully (or contact a marketing firm that can assist in the process), and allocate your time carefully.
Schedule and automate as needed.
To make the most of your time and execute a solid marketing plan, sign up for a scheduling tool, such as Hootsuite and Buffer that can save you time. This recommendation comes with a warning; don’t schedule social media posts too far ahead of time. Your business needs to stay on top of trending topics. Be flexible with your plan when needed. If you want to stay relevant, share timely content from other sources and links to your original content.
Look for opportunities to be efficient.
As often as possible, organize your efforts. Use a marketing plan as a resource to ensure the efficient collection of information and images with customers and staff members. Include deadlines and responsible parties to the marketing plan to ensure a prompt and seamless execution. Make your marketing a team effort; ask other staff members to send pictures or videos to you to be included in future blog and social media posts.
Don’t hesitate to outsource.
Can’t keep up with a marketing plan? It’s okay to admit that you need assistance with executing all the steps of a multi-channel marketing plan; the first step is identifying whether you need a marketing firm to completely manage your marketing efforts or complement existing efforts. Keep in mind that outsourcing doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. If you can keep up with image collection or blog posting, but need assistance (or expertise) with other areas, contact a marketing firm that offers supplemental marketing plans.