Making Time for Marketing: How To Make Sure Your Marketing Isn't an Afterthought

Is it just me, or has the beginning of this year gone by in a flash?  Between snow days and sick days, it's been difficult to get into a solid work groove.  As a result, the Aglow Marketing team has been keeping up with our clients' needs but (as is the case for many small business owners) not carving out time to work on our own marketing.  It's the same old "the cobbler's children have no shoes" conudrum. 

Many of our potential clients face the exact same issue - they know they should make time for marketing, they believe in the value of marketing, but as duty calls they simply don't make time for it.  As a result, their efforts become reactive or - worse yet - non-existent.  So how do we make sure that marketing isn't an afterthought and that it becomes a part of our daily activities?  Here's a few quick steps to get going:

1. Get A Plan -  It's difficult to make marketing a priority when you don't know what you are supposed to be doing.  Sounds like common sense, but so many people wish to bypass this important step and jump straight into tactics without an integrated plan.  Think through what you are trying to accomplish, who you are hoping to reach, what will move them to act, and how you will measure success.  Take the time to formulate a solid marketing plan rich with well-thought-out strategies to reach your goals - you will never regret it.  
2. Timelines & Calendars - Move your marketing plan into action by plotting out your tactics on a calendar.  Assign due dates and reminders - whatever it takes to engrain marketing your business into your daily life.
3. Be Accountable - By meeting with your marketing team on regular basis and reporting back on your progress, you will ensure your marketing activities are getting done.  Don't forget to track your success through analytics or whatever other metrics you have established in your marketing plan.

Lily and I recently spent a half-day working through our own marketing plan, and although it's not yet complete we are making sure we practice what we preach in 2011.  Stay tuned for some fantastic marketing efforts for Aglow yet this year.