5 Ways to Simplify Your Marketing
And Steps You Can Take Today
A quick internet search will show you that anywhere from at least 30-50% of businesses don’t have any documented marketing strategy, yet those who are proactive in their marketing are 331% more successful and 674% more likely to report success than their peers.
Marketing truly is a jungle, so having a guide through it is vital to make it successful. When Mane Impact receives a marketing strategy inquiry, the number one request we hear is: “I’ve no idea where to begin or what marketing really entails. Can you just tell me what to do?” So we’ve outlined 5 ways to simplify your marketing that we use both in-house and for our clients, along with examples to start implementing.
1. Start with small campaigns
We’ve all bitten off more than we could chew. This is quite possibly the biggest hurdle I hear from small to mid-size businesses. “We used to do marketing,” but they couldn’t keep up with it. And it’s not surprising because starting a marathon without ever having run is a sure-fire way to set yourself up to fail. Start with simple projects you know you can complete. Little wins will snowball and motivate you as you check them off.
Examples You Can Do Today:
- Build a list of 10 social media possible (not necessarily final) ideas for the next 1-2 months.
- Design and schedule 2 social posts per month.
- List your upcoming events to include on your website and email campaigns.
2. Know your audience
I’ve talked before about building your brand, and the process is similar for marketing decisions. At the end of the day, you want your marketing to resonate with the right people so they become your customers. Knowing your audience — their likes, frustrations, hang-outs, turn-offs — takes the guesswork out of building a marketing strategy. Your content becomes tailored to and draws in your audience.
Examples You Can Do Today:
- Research which social media platform your audience spends the most time on (here’s a freebie to start with).
- Install Google Analytics on your website to gather data about your users.
- Write down 10 frequently asked questions about your business to build podcast content for your next season.
3. Document your marketing strategy
Start by outlining the marketing campaigns you’re already doing. Once you have a rhythm with your current campaigns and feel ready to add more, begin to plan the next marketing phase marketing (keeping step one of “start small” in mind). Plan before you start to reduce burnout and increase your rate of successfully implementing and completing your marketing campaign.
Next, write down past campaigns that were successful. These can be the building blocks for future marketing campaigns and A/B tests. Keep this in a document and add campaign results to it as you continue marketing to monitor and adjust your strategy moving forward. Whether you keep this in-house or outsource it, you’ll set your team — and thus your business — up for greater success.
Examples You Can Do Today:
- Write down past marketing and design campaigns.
- Write down current marketing and design campaigns.
- Track current campaign results to analyze for future campaigns.
4. Make marketing fit your schedule, not the other way around
My biggest tip to anyone handling marketing on his or her own is to, in the words of Socrates, “know thyself” and remember who’s the boss, i.e. don’t let marketing control you. Marketing is not, and has never been, a one-size fits all approach. Burnout in this area often comes from unreasonable expectations, which applies to both the results you hope for and your approach. We see it all the time: our clients with the greatest marketing and design success commit for the long-haul and prioritize investing time, money, and energy.
Examples You Can Do Today:
- Add marketing and design into your business budget.
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Schedule marketing and design projects on your calendar.
You know best how much you can take on at a time and what your strengths are, which leads me to my final point…
5. Play to your strengths (and outsource your weaknesses)
When my car breaks down, I don’t call a plumber or a baker — I call a mechanic because I trust they’ll find the problem and fix it. The same goes for marketing. If you love showing up on social media, keep it up and stay authentic. If you have no technical bones in your body, you shouldn’t build your own website.
But don’t be discouraged if you’re not keeping up with all the trends because — plot twist — no individual can. You don’t have to do it all on your own (props if you do — I’ll take what you’re having). I often remind clients that there’s a reason corporations hire full-time social media managers, content creators, and email marketing experts: because every aspect of marketing is a ton of work!
Examples You Can Do Today:
- Find a peer group to keep you accountable and motivated.
- Or, hire an agency (like Mane) to manage your marketing and design.