subject: Recycle Your Efforts And Maximize Your Marketing [print this page] Youve heard me say by now (maybe even several times) that I believe fully in working smarter and not harder! The problem with most business owners is that technology bombards us from a thousand different directions. Plus, were presented with dozens and dozens of options for social media, and then on top of that, most of us have our marketing, business and social calendars planned out to the max. And then we stand back and wonder how we never seem to get it all done, much less get ahead of the game.
So, heres the secret to maximizing your marketing: You let go of trying to get it all done. Not what you expected me to say? One of the biggest lessons Ive learned when growing my business continuously to the next level (and the next and the next) is to work smarter, more efficiently, and to let go of more and more. Here are 5 ways to start doing this more effectively in your business.
1. Find time to complete minor marketing tasks like writing e-zine articles, blog posts, other articles and promotional materials during what would normally be wasted time. For example, on my three flights this week, I pre-wrote multiple e-zine articles, finalized upcoming marketing campaigns, tweaked intern requests, fine-tuned my summer calendar, and still found time to start reading a new book on intuition). This was time that would have otherwise been wasted, but the key is maximizing these stolen opportunities.
2. Say no. When I was building my business, I volunteered hours and hours of my time and energy to fundraisers, charities and boards. And then, even just three short years ago, I was still serving on at least two boards and spending all kinds of precious time in mind-numbing planning meetings. So, in order to go bigger in my business, I did the best thing ever. I let go of all my board commitments as my terms closed, and stopped volunteering so much of my precious time. (I still volunteer, but not in such time-sucking ways). The point is simply this: choose wisely and sparingly what means the most to you.
And when it comes to social media, only choose those sites that you can put time and energy into. Let go of those other ones. New ones pop up every day, but it doesnt mean you must be active in them!
3. Re-purpose it. Once you write it, maximize your exposure. Articles written for e-zines may be submitted to article marketing sites and entered as a blog post. E-zine articles that youve written for a full year can be repurposed following years. Do the work once and use it again and again and again.
4. Delegate whatever you can. Get help from interns, assistants, family and friends. You dont get extra points for doing it all alone - so dont push so hard and stop trying to be superwoman!
5. Schedule definite windows of time for projects. Projects and to do lists tend to fill the amount of time you allow them to. So, schedule them for shorter, focused periods of time. Youll rejoice at how much you get done in such short bursts of time.
Your Bride Attraction Assignment:
Look through your own business and life. Where are you working harder and not smarter? What is sucking up all your time? What can you release and say no to so that you can put yourself and your business first? Where can you re-purpose your efforts? What can you delegate right now? And, how can you schedule yourself smarter? And then welcome to a much happier world!
2008-2010 Natalie Bradley, BrideAttraction.com
Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:
Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: "5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Wedding Business...Starting Today!l" at www.BrideAttraction.com
