Quick fixes and one-offs just don’t work. You might have a great response to a last-minute promotion, but then the band-aid approach doesn’t work for the next one.
Busy entrepreneurs and business owners know, in their frontal lobe, that a marketing plan is important to long-term success. But there’s always a daily fire to put out, and marketing planning gets shoved to the back burner, over and over again. And then comes the panic … “Why isn’t anyone buying this product? Why won’t anyone sign up for my event? I’m not getting enough new clients! I better do a quick ad or post!”
There’s no substitute for thinking ahead. A marketing plan doesn’t have to be hard, it just takes prioritizing. Here are a few ideas that can help you stop using so many band-aids:
Set an achievable goal that’s trackable. For example: 2 new clients this month, or a 2% increase in sales this quarter, or a 5% increase in attendance for your next event.
Choose your top two social marketing tools and focus on those. Plan at least a month ahead for your posts and stick to a schedule.
You know your business’s sales cycle. Plan promotions in advance for the times you know are usually not as profitable, to help boost sales during slow seasons.
Network. Go to as many networking meetings as your schedule allows, but at least once a month.
Be sure to try and set aside an hour or so every week to review and monitor your marketing efforts. Change course when you notice that something you’ve tried multiple times is not driving the results you expect. By making marketing planning a small part of your work week, you’ll be less stressed and your band-aids can stay on the shelf.