Too Busy to Market, Too Busy for Success!

As small business owners and entrepreneurs it's easy to fall into the habit of believing you're too busy to market. However, this is like saying that you're too busy to invest in your ongoing success.

I think it's human nature to forget about our marketing when we've got clients coming in but as soon as the flow slows down a bit (which it will), we panic and start looking frantically around for ways to get more clients coming in.

By making time regularly and consistently to market, you ensure that you continue to find and keep your most profitable clients. This is what will give you long-term success and growth in your business.

So, how exactly do you make marketing a top priority?

Here are 4 suggestions to try...

1. Make sure you have a marketing action plan

When you have a roadmap that tells you where you're going and how to get there, then actually doing something becomes much easier. When you have a plan of action, you don't have to waste time scrambling around every time you try a new marketing activity.

A marketing action plan allows you to spend less time with your marketing and be more focused at the same time.

2. Create a marketing action calendar

Having a calendar that plots out each marketing action acts as a great visual roadmap. You can see at a glance any "holes" or overlaps of strategies and timing. I plot everything on my marketing action calendar - from newsletter submission dates, blog posting schedule, special email reminders, networking events, teleseminars and so on.

Having a marketing action calendar lets you stay on top of the marketing you've committed to.

3. Schedule marketing appointments with yourself

Set aside at least a day a week to work on marketing your business. Schedule this into your day-timer, PDA or calendar and don't break it! Consider it as important as appointments you schedule with your clients. Take this time to evaluate and track your marketing activities, research new opportunities, tweak your sales goals, write an article or blog post, conduct a client survey, and so on.

By scheduling appointments with yourself, you MAKE your marketing a priority.

4. Do bite-sized marketing chunks throughout the day

You can deal with the bigger chunks (planning, writing, tracking, etc.) of marketing during your weekly scheduled marketing appointment with yourself. However, there are lots of little bite-sized marketing tasks that you can do between appointments or when you need a break from working on a large project.

Here are some bite-sized marketing tasks that can be done in 5 - 10 minutes:

* call up a client and ask for a testimonial

* sign up for your next networking event

* call a program chairperson about setting up a speaking engagement at an organization you're interested in

* email a potential referral source to set up a meeting

* jot down an outline for your newsletter content

* call a new client to find out if they have any questions on their recent purchase

* send an article, with a note, to a client you know is interested in the topic

* order a thank you gift, on the web or by phone, to be sent to someone who just referred a client to you

* submit an article you've written to an article directory website

* send a handwritten note to someone you met at a meeting recently

* write up something for your blog and post it

* check out a company's website that you are interested in possibly doing a joint venture with

Incorporate these 4 tips into your everyday work schedule and you'll soon find it easy and profitable to make marketing a priority.