Last summer I celebrated my birthday by getting back to my creative roots.  I always wanted to learn to paint watercolors. I think I may have posted something on Facebook about my idea and shortly after found myself walking out of Valley Art Supplies in Easthampton with my first watercolor painting kit. A friend of mine invited me to her art studio to "play" with my newly acquired paints and we spent a relaxing, fun afternoon together while she taught me how to prepare my paper, lay down a wash and plan my painting. Watercolor must be applied from light to dark, so before the first brush stroke is laid, you really need to plan the entire project.

What does this have to do with marketing, you may ask?  Well, whether you're creating a watercolor painting or marketing your business, both require careful planning. 

Here are some signs that you may be in need of a strategic digital marketing plan:

• You are behind getting your newsletter out - again.
• You posted 3 times to Facebook last week, but forgot to post at all this week. Sigh.
• You don't know how to curate good content. Who has time for that?
• The last blog post you did was 6 months ago. Time flies.
• You have trouble finding things to post.  
• You aren't sure who your audience is or how to reach them
• You are having difficulty figuring out what to do first.

If many of these signs sound familiar, it's probably time to assess how you're spending your time marketing your business.  There are many tools available that can help you plan and execute a digital marketing plan that carries your message professionally, concisely and in a timely fashion.
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We all do it.  Psychologists study it. There's even a National Procrastinators week! I usually procrastinate about sending invoices. It's not that I don't like to get paid for my work, it's that I don't ENJOY the task. I put the chore in the same category as filing or shredding paper.  

I've asked many small business owners what they liked least about running a business and often I'm told, "Marketing. I don't feel comfortable doing it and I don't know what to say, so I put it off." Sometimes we procrastinate when things feel out of balance, or when we don't have an efficient system in place.

The problem with putting off your marketing is that you are missing opportunities to grow your business by creating strong, lasting relationships with your customers.

Start with your mailing list.  

You have people who already want to hear from you and you've promised them that you'd stay in touch regularly. There ARE ways to help avoid procrastination. Here are just a few tips to help you get past the urge to put off doing what feels hard.

1. Print out a blank calendar for each month of 2017. Outlook makes this easy. Think of it as a blank canvass waiting for your creative touch.
2. Now, jot down major holidays and don't forget to add your business aniversary date.
3. Download this handy guide from Constant Contact. It contains a starter list of recognition days that can help you plan content. You can find other major dates and even some outrageous dates (like national popcorn day, or take your dog to work day) online. Just make sure you Google "2017 recognition days." You can also find week or month long awareness dates.
4. Next, use the guide to create a schedule for your email newsletter. Monthly is most common. Remember, newsletters don't need to be sent on the first day of each month. In fact, you may get a better response by choosing another day. Just try to stick to the same day to be consistent.
5. Finally, plan your content. Now that you know WHEN you want to deliver your content, it's time to think about WHAT to say and HOW to say it. The good news here is that you don't need to write a lot or tell everyone everything you do at once.  In fact, you don't have to write at all. Using video, or audio, can be very powerful ways to create lasting relationships. If you find it hard to come up with content, think about 12 questions you are frequently asked about your product or service then answer each one.  You've just created 12 months of content!

 If you need to get back on track with your marketing, there is help available. I'm always happy to chat about your challenges.

What if I told you that every email you send could help grow your business naturally, and it wouldn't cost you a dime? Here's how:

At the bottom of any email message you have the opportunity to add a custom signature.  A professional email signature should always include the basics - full name, title (optional), company, address, phone(s), fax (optional), hyperlinked email address, and hyperlinked website address.

Everything below that is FREE marketing space.

​I add a link to Join My Mailing List. 

You can also add a message, maybe a mention of a special event you have coming up, or a discount you're offering on a product or service. You can even create multiple custom signatures with different messages.

PRO TIP:  If you have staff, make sure that all signatures contain the same information.

If you need help, here are a few support sites.  You can also Google "create custom email signature with hyperlink Outlook 2013" (include which version you use).

Outlook support: support.office.com/en-us/article/Add-a-return-e-mail-address-link-to-a-message-aa26c703-5c94-4be8-82cd-1839f3cd8934

Gmail support: https://support.google.com/a/answer/176652?hl=en

AOL support:https://help.aol.com/articles/Add-an-email-signature-using-the-AOL-Des-USH811