Why do tasks get left ‘to do later’?
Mostly because you don’t want to do them. It’s like putting off the vacuuming, mowing the lawn, or that doctor’s appointment you know you should make, but don’t really want to.
It is the same with your marketing. If it feels like a chore you won’t do it. If it feels too hard you won’t do it? If it is something you really hate doing, then you WON’T DO IT.
Most marketing experts will tell you that you have to do A, B & C. I have one big issue with that. If you don’t want to do it, you won’t, no matter what any expert tells you to do and why it is so important that you do.
I hear this constantly with social media, as an example. So many people feel uncomfortable, exhausted by it, and a dis-alignment with everything it stands for. Yet every marketing person will tell you that you need to be on social media (except me).
It is human nature that anything uncomfortable is hard to do. We will procrastinate, push back, and tell ourselves we don’t really need to do it… Blah, blah – whatever it is that we need to feel better.
And that is somewhat OK to a point.
Instead, I suggest focusing on the marketing bits you enjoy. Let me explain…
Example:
If you hate video then I can tell you 5 times you need to do video, but you are unlikely to do it, especially on a consistent basis. But if you love writing, you are going to be much happier writing a blog that can be shared and then actually repurposed as a video, using the right tools (Tip: Lumen5 will help you with that).
If you use LinkedIn regularly, for example, and you feel icky doing video or live LinkedIn, I would suggest you do LinkedIn newsletters instead. You are still on the channel where your audience is (if it is LinkedIn) but you are using a different method to reach them. It is about playing to your strengths and making marketing feel less like a chore and something you will actually enjoy doing and commit to.
Think of it in a fitness context. If I told you that you must join a gym then stand on a treadmill 4 days a week for 30 minutes and that idea makes you demotivated instantly. You won’t do it. BUT if I told you to dance around your lounge room or play tennis or walk on the beach (all things you love) then it won’t feel like a chore and you will commit to doing them.
So much of this is common sense (I think) and you also need to play to your strengths.
But like anything in life, if you don’t enjoy doing your marketing, then you won’t.
About the author:
Marketing maestro. Dog lover. Seasoned traveller. Avid reader. These are just a handful of words to describe Tanya. She has over 20 years of marketing know-how under her belt, and founded “Digital Conversations”, a boutique marketing advisory helping busy small business owners 9 years ago. Her marketing principles are about simplifying marketing while amping creativity to get cut-through to the right audience.
