It's easy to let the lure of summer let us kick back a little, slow down, unplug, maybe take a well deserved vacation. This is a good thing, assuming we've let our marketing continue on auto-pilot, as I wrote about in my last post. 

September is right around the corner, which means that the last quarter of the year also looms on the horizon. What you do NOW to create and maintain your marketing strategy and campaign execution can make a profound difference in your end of year numbers.  

So, what can you do in the middle of August to prepare to hit the ground running when it's "back to business" in September?​

The first thing to do is create a visual roadmap for September - December.  This calendar will allow you to map out everything that may affect your business and marketing campaigns throughout the holiday season.

Begin by adding special dates (Thanksgiving,  Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday (if you sell online), Giving Tuesday (non-profit giving), etc.  Look for special recognition days, weeks or months that are important to your industry and could be used in social media.

Will you be planning any special events, ie. customer appreciation day, a sales event, workshop, pop-up shopping day?  If so, look at your calendar to strategize a date that is far enough in advance to be able to market sufficiently. 

Once you know what event you will hold, break out the tasks that need to be done. You can do this on paper now and add it to a digital task list later, or an excel or Google sheet which can be shared with others. What is the task, who is responsible, when is it due? If you're depending on others to create print material, update your website or create a campaign online, be aware that they may be busier as well. Don't wait until the last minute to place the work order.

Your social media, email, and traditional marketing campaigns need to support your seasonal "offer".  Timing is everything. Don't overlook the time needed to produce, print and ship marketing collateral. What can you pre-schedule and what must you do manually?  Inboxes are inundated with offers at this time of year. Do you have a strategy for resending an email to your subscribers who did not open your offer?

It may feel a bit overwhelming now to think about fall and holiday marketing, but with a little planning now, you can reap the benefit of a fatter bottom line on December 31st. You can do this!!!

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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I publish a motivational quote on Facebook every Tuesday at 11:11 AM.  I've often been asked how I chose the timing of the post and I respond, "There is no magic significance. It just helps me be consistent." The image shown here was from this week's post. As I turn the calendar to September, I've been thinking a lot about time. September signals a new season, one that's filled with renewed energy and, for small businesses, often comes with a renewed commitment to end the 4th quarter of the year strong.  

Timing counts.

Scheduling an email campaign, sales promotion or event all depends on the best timing for your audience. We tend to underestimate how timing can affect the outcome of our hard work.  I've been asked twice in the last couple of weeks to help promote an early September event for which no outreach had begun. The timing for the first event was difficult as it was to occur the day after Labor Day, after a long weekend, in the midst of school starting.  The second event required a tremendous amount of foundational structure, including a website that needed to launch prior to the event. The first session was planned for September 11.  My advice was to push the start date out a week due to the sensitivity of holding an event on the anniversary of 9/11.  Unfortunately, change meant that the last session would be held over the Columbus day long weekend. 

For many small businesses owners, the 4th quarter represents their highest income during the year. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and for non-profits, Giving Tuesday are all opportunities for not only big retail, but also for small retail and service-oriented small businesses.

By now, you should have your 4th quarter goals in place.

What will you offer - a discount, a customer appreciation event, etc? How will you promote - print paid advertising, local calendars, email promotion, Facebook events, groups, paid advertising? Do you have the in-house staff to support your efforts or will you outsource?   

If you're unclear about your goals, I'm always happy to chat.  

Last month I blogged about making a decision based on a task feeling "light" or "heavy". You can read about it here. This month, I'd like to dig deeper into why many small business owners put marketing on the "heavy" list and what could help you re-frame marketing so that working on this important part of your business feels "light", or at least lighter. Sounds good, doesn't it.  I can feel the weight being lifted as you read this.

The reasons that marketing may feel heavy fall into a few categories. Do any of these reasons resonate?

• The Cart's Before The Horse.  As an entrepreneur, you don't know the meaning of doing things slowly. You hatched your idea for your business in a week, ordered business cards online and hit the ground running. Along the way, you created a website and a Facebook page but NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT A MARKETING STRATEGY.
• Organization Isn't My Strong Suit.  You work hard in your business and are realizing some success, but it comes at a cost.  Because you HAVEN'T SET UP SYSTEMS to help you stay on top of your marketing, it has become really heavy.
• Ain't Got No Time For That.  You wear many hats - CEO, CFO, CMO, COO, and CBO (Chief Bottle Washer). You know marketing your business is critical to your success and you are pretty tech savvy, but you just DON'T HAVE TIME to devote to doing it. Hello, there are only 24 hours in a day.
• I Need Help Programming My VCR.  Totally with you on this one. Maybe technology isn't second nature and trying to figure out every social media platform has you fondly remembering the good old days. Relax. You got this, with some help. And, you don't have to be everywhere . . . you just need to be where your customers are.
• Let It Go! (no, I'm not launching into a Frozen songfest) You know what needs to be done, could do most of it yourself, but CAN'T DO IT ALL. You need to save your creative juices for other aspects of running your business. Maybe it's time to outsource some of the tasks.
• I Need To Try Something Else.  Whoa, before you throw out how you're marketing your business, do you really know what's working, what's not, and what needs more attention?  IT'S TIME TO LOOK AT THE METRICS. A critical look at your data should give you the information you need to decide where to focus your marketing energy. 
• My Business Is On Fire! Well, this is a good thing.  Growth is great, but sometimes getting to the next level causes a bit of angst. Now is the time to REFINE YOUR MARKETING PLAN, developing a deeper understanding of what your customers want and learning how to reach new markets, build lasting collaborations. You're up to the challenge.

I'd love your feedback. What speaks to you here, if anything? Is there something I've missed? If you need help, you know where to find me.

Remember, Marketing Should Be Fun, NOT Painful.

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.

My grand-puppy is learning to walk on a leash.  As we begin our outings she is very excited, a little fearful, eyes darting everywhere, weaving back and forth, stopping to sniff, and unable to focus on the task at hand. After a few minutes she settles into the rhythm of my pace, looks straight ahead, trots at my side and occasionally looks at me for guidance. There are moments where she gets off-track - the scary postal truck (how do they know its the postal guy, anyway?), a romp with another dog, or other distraction. Eventually, we return to the walk and pick up where we left off.

So, what does this have to do with marketing, you ask?

When I work with a new client who has jumped into the world of digital marketing I often observe a similar pattern. There's an initial excitement and enthusiasm to be everywhere, darting from one social media channel to another without a clear understanding of strategy, unable to focus. As we work together to develop and execute the marketing plan, things begin to fall into place and a rhythm forms. Blog, email, share, repeat. Blog, email, share, repeat. There are the occasional moments that upset the strategy, but after a little guidance, we're back on track.

Here's a tip.
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The important thing to remember is to start small and develop good habits. Plan time to devote to your marketing plan, pay attention to your metrics, and don't be afraid to reach out for help when you need it.

How much time do you spend working ON your business? Do you set aside time each week devoted to marketing? Is it difficult to maintain consistency in your marketing? Do you sometimes struggle with technology or the ever-changing features of Facebook?

For many small business owners, putting on the "marketing hat" feels like wearing an itchy, woolen winter hat -  downright uncomfortable. Yet, marketing is not an option. It's a critical component of your business.   So, how do you decide what to do? It all begins with ...

A PLAN.

The good news is that marketing tools today are affordable and easily accessible to small businesses. The first step is to determine your marketing strategy.

1. Who is your customer? (and don't say everyone)
2. What does your customer need? (your products and service solve problems)
3. When will your customer respond? (what are their habits, likes, hobbies?)
4. Where will you find your customer? (including what social channels they use)
5. How will you focus your marketing efforts to meet your objective?

Once you know the answers to these questions, it is simply a matter of choosing the right tools to reach your market. Don't be afraid to ask for help putting it all together, organizing and executing the plan. ​