Two of my smart, talented friends have asked me important marketing questions this past week.
"Aren't you crazy overwhelmed by social media?"one said.
"How do I find time for marketing when I'm busting my *ss looking for clients?" the other wanted to know.
I get those questions. I struggle with them every day.
Social media, in particular, can be a time sink. Seems like a new site is born every day. Friends are (in good faith and with a cheerful heart) asking me to join this group or that club. Come on, it'll be fun, they say.
Hamster wheels and A.D.D.
Can social media take over your life? Well, yes, as a matter of fact, it can. I was curious (yes, I should have a better plan, I should know this stuff, but I don't).
Exactly how much time did I spend on social media marketing last week? Okay, just to make it more interesting, let's say how much time did I spend in each area of marketing, online and off?
Here are the ugly facts. I estimate that in a typical workweek, I spend 10 hours a day Monday through Friday on work-related stuff (marketing, copywriting, scheduling, working up bids, record keeping, etc.) That's 50 hours. Another 8 hours over the weekend. So, I have 58 hours a week to play with.
This is what I did in online marketing last week:
• Sent out and responded to messages on twitter.
• Participated in the forums on biznik.
• Wrote one post on my own blog.
• Read and commented on other blogs in my industry.
• Wrote an article for online publication.
Wrote and sent out our weekly marketing e-tip.
How much time did it take? Seven hours, or 12 percent of my total workweek. That's a good solid hour a day.
This is what I did in off-line marketing last week:
• Followed up on leads by telephone.
• Hosted a workshop.
• Attended a networking lunch.
• Sent a handwritten thank-you note to a colleague who referred business to me.
• Had a coffee date with a new business friend.
How much time? Five hours, or 8 percent of my workweek.
Simple addition shows that I spent 20 percent of my week on marketing. That may seem like a lot to some. And, yes, I spent a third more of my marketing time online. Am I online too much? Maybe. But it's been that consistent time that has paid off.
What was my return on investment last week?
This is the tough part.
Do we always know where new jobs come from? Of course not. But last week, I was approached about a newsletter project at the lunch, was referred to a new client for a brochure copywriting job at the workshop, and got another new client from the e-newsletter I sent out.
I'm pretty happy with that.
The tortoise and the hare
I used to love that story when I was a kid. You know, the one about the cocky rabbit racing with the turtle. He starts strong and leaves Tortoise in the dust. But then he decides to slack off. He takes a long rest in the grass because he can catch up again quickly and still beat Tortoise, right?
The most helpful advice I ever got in marketing is that there are no shortcuts.No one big thing you can do so you can sit back and take it easy.
Slow and steady wins the race.
How about you?
Are you Tortoise or Hare? Because you know who actually won, don't you?
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