Fast Content Marketing Wins When You Have Zero Time
Running a business while trying to market it effectively is tough.
We know the struggle and have watched countless entrepreneurs face the same challenges. You open your office, store, or restaurant, hoping today is the day sales finally take off.
But how will that happen if you’re short on time and lack the budget to run the marketing program you need?
Most of the time, you’re stuck putting marketing aside for operational tasks like ordering inventory or cleaning your storefront.
Marketing is relegated to an occasional post announcing your latest sale or discount, hoping to capture the attention of more than just friends and family.
Here, we’ll dive into some quick ways to get the ball rolling on a content strategy for your business.
Key Takeaways:
Look at your current marketing efforts to identify what works.
Set clear, achievable marketing objectives aligned with your business goals.
Start with cost-effective marketing channels to maximize reach without stretching your budget.
Assess Your Current Marketing Efforts
When you have a free moment, probably just before or shortly after opening, jot down what you’ve been doing to market your business so far.
Make this a quick assessment that you can go back to later.
Start by evaluating your tactics and learning whether your target audience is responding.
Can’t picture your target audience yet? No problem, here’s something to help.
Evaluate Your Existing Strategies
Begin by reviewing your current marketing tactics.
What are they?
Which methods have yielded positive results, and which have fallen short?
This evaluation helps you allocate your time and resources more effectively.
Analyze Audience Engagement
Understand how your target audience interacts with your brand.
Are they more engaged on social media, through email newsletters, or on your website?
This insight helps you focus your efforts on the most impactful channels.
If you struggle to create consistent social media content or newsletters, check out your competitors' strategies to see what works for them.
Set Clear and Achievable Marketing Objectives
Just like your business plan, whether written down or not, you need goals, objectives, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure you’re on the right track.
Define Specific Goals
Establish measurable targets, such as increasing website traffic by 20% over the next quarter or gaining 50 new social media followers each month.
Specific goals provide direction and a benchmark for success.
We started hyper-small, creating one blog post and three social media posts per week, hoping to get just 10 visits and “likes.”
Align with Business Objectives
Ensure your marketing goals support your overall business aims.
For instance, if expanding your customer base is a priority, focus your marketing strategy on lead generation and conversion tactics.
Note: If you want immediate sales, consider pay-per-click advertising instead. Here’s why.
Leverage Cost-Effective Marketing Channels
Start with social media. It's virtually free, and if you’re good at it, it may be all you need early on.
From there, you can ramp up to email marketing and eventually build a complete content marketing strategy.
Use Social Media
Focus on the platforms where your audience is most active.
Share engaging content consistently and interact with your followers to build a loyal community.
Social media marketing gives your business a personality and is a cost-effective way to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website.
Implement Email Marketing
Create email campaigns that engage and inform your customers. Email marketing enables personalized communication and drives higher conversion rates.
Building an email list and sending out regular newsletters or promotions is a cost-effective way to connect with your audience.
Create Media Content
Create valuable content that speaks to your audience's needs and interests.
This can include blog posts, videos, or infographics that provide useful information and establish your authority in the industry.
By focusing on these key areas, you can develop a marketing strategy that fits within your limited time and resources, ultimately helping your business break even, grow sustainably, and reach profitability.
Want to learn more about building a content marketing strategy? Like, follow, and contact us. We’re here to help.