Sometimes you can get so wrapped up in the details of your business that you find yourself doing marketing that isn’t very effective. Your marketing has veered off course.
Let me begin with the good news.
If you discover that your marketing is off course, remember that at least you’re taking action with your marketing.
Now all you need to do is redirect your energy to the marketing activities that are going to really pay off for your business. Let’s look at how to do that.
But first, how do you get off course in the first place?
Here are three of the main reasons you might find yourself adrift with your marketing.
1. Distraction
It’s no wonder that you get distracted by the latest fad or new trend in marketing. You constantly hear about something new that works for someone else and think you better try that or else you’ll miss out big time.
2. Avoidance
There are usually some marketing tasks that aren’t your favorite things to do so you avoid them by keeping yourself busy doing something else (anything else).
3. Lack of Clarity
If you’ve been in business for a while you may not have reconnected to the goals you have for your company lately. When this happens, it’s easy for your marketing to become fragmented and disconnected from the actual outcome you want to reach.
Perhaps you recognize one or all of these three situations. Don’t despair, with a little effort you can get yourself back on track.
First off, step back and ask yourself what specific result each of the marketing actions you’re taking will bring. Write them down and then ask yourself these questions:
- Is it a targeted and direct result?
- Is the result short-term or long-term?
- Is it the best use of your time and resources at this moment in your business?
Here are a few examples. You might get distracted by spending time and money updating your website with the latest gizmo when you know you really need to contact potential clients.
Or you may intentionally avoid connecting with new prospective clients for instance by diving into a project to exchange your website link with other companies. Now I’m not saying exchanging links isn’t a good thing, it just may not be the top priority. And taking action with the people you know you want to meet is a more direct path with quicker results.
If you find yourself in a marketing haze because of a lack of clarity, it could be that your action is quite effective but you’re directing it to the wrong group.
In all of these circumstances it’s important to constantly think about how the marketing actions you’re taking will impact your business. Only choose the activities that will bring the results you’re really after.
Your marketing strategy is based on your business model. Review the goals of your business model and decide which ones will lead you directly to your desired outcome.
Once you’ve identified your most effective marketing activities; write them down, prioritize them, and stick to them.
Remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Don’t take the long, twisted road to get where you are going.
Someone recently reminded me the importance of keeping things simple in business. Oh so true. Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective.
So eliminate the marketing distractions, stop avoiding things that you know you can do, and get really clear about the cohesion of your actions. Then you can get into focused and profitable actions and you’ll avoid getting off course with your marketing.
© Stephanie Ward
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to create meaningful and prosperous businesses. Grab your FREE copy of the special report ‘7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: https://www.fireflycoaching.com.
Where do you get stuck with your marketing? Share your thoughts and questions below in the comments section.
