Investing in marketing is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an entrepreneur. We all know that we have to market, but many of us are flabbergasted at the thought of it.
Marketing Overwhelm?
When it comes to marketing your business, there are not too many out there that hit paydirt right away. Many of us have to dig quite a few holes before we find that sweet spot.
Nowadays, the pressure to be on every social media outlet is huge. And, it would seem that everyone these days is putting out a ton of content every day, not to mention how many people have podcasts, free downloads, masterminds, webinars… it’s a lot.
Today, there are many gurus and experts in online marketing — all with their special sauce, secret tips, and more tactics than you can confidently execute.
Far too often we can get stuck in learning mode, or even testing mode in marketing before we even get to execution. There are as many right ways to implement a marketing plan online as there are stars in the sky. You could spend a lifetime learning the latest SEO trends, polishing up on email marketing, or listening to podcasts on Facebook strategies.
For one month, I want you to do something radical with your business and your marketing plan.
I want you to execute.
I want you to master something (and do it better than your competition).
I want you to tune out all the digital noise, online gurus, and marketing geniuses out there that may or may not have something to contribute.
Your business growth is up to you.
Too many social impact entrepreneurs leave marketing to someone else, in hope that they have the key to their success, but when it comes to our personal mission business, this isn’t just business; it’s personal.
You have taken on the enormous challenge of using business to solve a social problem, to change the way our world works, and to make a social impact on people’s lives. Your marketing takes on greater significance as the fate of the world rests on you accomplishing your mission and getting your message out there.
Be brave. You can do this.
If you are facing marketing overwhelm, no need to worry, here are 3 things you can start today to take control and discover what works best for you and your company.
1. Create a 30-day plan and stick to it.
We all know what a goal without a plan is, right? A wish. Don’t wish for your marketing to improve, or for your message to suddenly go viral. Sorry, not going to happen.
Craft a 30-day plan, that you can confidently execute and go for it. A lot can happen in 30-days if you are willing to do the work and take action. Take for example. The 30 wildly successful, online entrepreneurs that Russel Brunson, CEO of Clickfunnels reached out to for his “One Funnel Away Challenge”. He asked these 2 comma club entrepreneurs a simple question:
You suddenly lose all your money, along with your name and reputation, and only have your marketing know-how left. What would you do, from day 1 to day 30, to save yourself?
In his book 30 Days.com, he gives each of the 30 entrepreneurs’ strategies. And guess what? They are all vastly different. Some find success quickly with Facebook ads, some with partner outreach — the tactics are different, but what remains the same — the plan. Each and every successful marketing entrepreneur makes a plan. 30 days is enough. Make a new plan each day and execute.
Yes, some days are going to look like this (from Rhonda Swan, 3 Weeks to Webinar Launch from the book 30 Days.com):
Day 4: Execution Day
Things are starting to come together! The early stages are the most important…
- Film YouTube videos (record all video topics).
- Reach out to people and businesses (ground game).
- Reach out to potential affiliates through email messenger (online game).
And, you should plan on having some days that look like this (from Stephen Larsen, Mid-Range Info-Product Launch from the book 30 Days.com):
Day 7
I’d rest and reflect today. Smile. Serve. Meditate. Envision my goal as if it had already happened.
How are you going to plan your 30 days? It’s up to you. Make them count, make them matter and execute. For more information on the book 30 day.com, sign up for The One Funnel Away Challenge!
2. Talk to your customers again.
We ask about marketing in almost every interview we do here at Change Creator. From Seth Godin (of course!) to Jay Shetty, we want to know how to get our messages out there.
Of course, there have been many answers, some tactical and some inspirational but one of the common pieces of advice we heard over and over: talk to your customers.
This isn’t something you can gloss over, or get to ‘later’ either.
Talking to your customers and finding out how they really feel about your brand, your product, and your mission is imperative to your success. Find ways to keep the dialogue open and welcome the negative responses. They will push you to grow and think of new ways to serve.
3. Master one social media channel first.
Last year Adam and I went to a digital media event in New York City. There, we listened to a marketing and strategy expert from CNN. In her 20-minute presentation, she outlined the many ‘touchpoints’ and outlets the CNN brand reaches out to in an intense bubble chart.
While the many outlets and reach was impressive, we have to remember that we are not CNN.
It can be tempting to create touchpoints in every new mode of communication and social media we can find, but this just doesn’t work.
Yes, there are tools such as Buffer and Hootsuite that make scheduling social media easy, just putting out posts isn’t really a strategy.
Before you take to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, What’s App, Snapchat, Kik… I could go on, master one social media channel.
How do I decide which social media outlet to ‘master’?
Think about your company and what you do. Who do you do it for? Again, this is why talking to your customers is key.
Where do they ‘hang out’ online the most? What are they there for?
Generally, Instagram is a great way to grow a fashion brand, lifestyle product, or creative company, while Facebook is where people go to distract themselves at work and dream about a new day!
Dig into the social media outlet you think you should target and commit to making this part of your consistent, 30-day plan.
Don’t assume ‘more’ is better either. Consistency is key. Knowing your audience is key and finding those messages that speak directly to them works best for social media.
After 30-days, you can reevaluate your choice and see if you want to expand to another channel, but I encourage you to master one first, especially if you are the only one on the social media marketing team.
Don’t Let Marketing Overwhelm Stop Your Impact
If you are one of the brave, the bold, the social impact entrepreneur, you’ve got a lot to do. Your mission is important and so is your message getting out there. Don’t just assume that your impact and product are enough to get you noticed. You’ll have to market your company at some point if you want to grow.
The good news: there are things you can do today to start. With these three actionable steps, you’ll be ahead of your competition. Keep at it.
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