Know What Sticks: Your Quick Guide to Marketing Results

Welcome to the Marketing Missive, issue #2, my Sunday newsletter.

I hope you had a great week. 😃

On Thursday talked about online courses with Nedra Rezinas' group.

Someone mentioned 'throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks' — I giggled at the time because I'm usually the one saying don't do that.

If you're cooking spaghetti noodles, it's okay. They're done when you toss a noodle, and it sticks to the wall (no joke!).

But that's no way to market your business. Here's a quick guide to help you track your marketing with more than a 'gut feeling.'

Thanks again for being here.

Step 1: Establish Regular Marketing Tasks (SOPs)

Last week, we talked a little about operationalizing customer reviews.

This week, we're taking it one step further.

Successful businesses create standard operating procedures (SOPs) for how work gets done.

Here's why you create SOPs for marketing:

1. So you don't have to remember how to do tasks (especially the things you aren't doing all the time); and
2. So you have a ready-made training document to pass tasks along to someone else (neat, right?)
3. Scheduling regular marketing tasks (and holding yourself to it!) makes it a priority whether you're busy or not (helps prevent boom-or-bust months)

Create a Bare-Minimum Marketing Schedule

If you don't have regular marketing tasks now, the worst thing you could do is overburden yourself with too many tasks.

Start small. And add things as you get momentum.

Here's an example of what a monthly bare-minimum marketing schedule could look like:

1. Email newsletter: 1x/month
2. Social media: 2 LinkedIn posts/week
3. 1 social post is sharing the newsletter to social
4. Encourage people to subscribe to the newsletter at least one other time each month

I work with A LOT of busy consultants. And this schedule may be all they can do until they hire help.

That's great; it's building awareness and keeping you front of mind.

Create SOPs to Expedite Execution

Creating SOPs is the step most people skip.

I understand. It's a pain to create a checklist of tasks.

But, once you create SOPs, and follow it, BELIEVE ME. It takes the pain out of doing things you're reluctant to do.

An email newsletter SOP could look something like this:

1. Open MailChimp
2. Click Create
3. Click Design Email
4. Double-check the audience
5. Add email address to From
6. Update the Subject Line
7. Click Design Email
8. .... and so on...

You get extra credit for adding screenshots and creating templates in MailChimp (or whatever email marketing you use).

Step 2: Track Your Results

After you create your bare-minimum marketing schedule and SOPs, you need a simple spreadsheet to track results.

For our bare-minimum marketing example, each month, you might track:

1. Number of email newsletter subscribers
2. Number of LinkedIn connections
3. Update your spreadsheet on the first of the month

This bare-minimum marketing example is for brand awareness (why we aren't connecting it to # of new customers).

The only way to know if these efforts led to new customers is to ask customers how they found you.

Then, you give it time.

You have to be patient and stick with the plan, especially when it's an organic effort (like our example).

💌 That's a wrap.
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See you again next week.

Have a great day,
Jen

Jen McFarland, CEO
Women Conquer Business

P.S. Here's how Women Conquer Business can help you:

1. Join the Strategic Marketing Membership because DIY marketing is hard — this supportive group helps you set your goals, get support, and dedicate time to work.
2. Marketing Coaching, confidence-boosting guidance with a patient teacher, action-oriented goal-setting, and accountability in a safe, confidential space.
3. Get a Marketing Blueprint to position your business for future growth.