OMG! When I hear about marketing “hacks” and other trendy words that, really, mean nothings, I roll my eyes, throw my head back and think Whaaat the F…!
Marketing is easy! People have just made it hard over the years.
You have to know your metrics. You have to be able to track your ROI.
While yes, I agree that you need to know what’s working and what’s not, marketing is just about connecting to people – the people that want what you have.
When I think of “marketing hack”…aka shortcuts…my mind goes to running. I’ve done 5k’s, 10k’s, mud runs and half marathons.
I put in the time and effort to train.
It’s not hard, it just takes practice. It takes time. And, it takes a lot of patience!
Whether training for a ‘couch to 5k’ or training for a marathon, it’s basically the same thing.
You have a goal. You evaluate where you are now in your physical condition. You create a training program that will get you from where you are today (how far can you run today) to where you want to be (your goal run.)
Each run takes practice.
Couch to 5K
Day 1: You have to get up off the couch and put on your running shoes. You open the door. You go outside. You go down the driveway. You run to the corner and back.
Day 2: You have to get up off the couch and put on your running shoes. You open the door. You go outside. You go down the driveway. You run to the corner and back – twice.
You add a little each day (you train) and by the end of 9 weeks, you’re ready to run your 5k!
A Half Marathon
Day1: You have to get up off the couch and put on your running shoes. You open the door. You go outside. You go down the driveway. You run 3 miles.
Day 4: You have to get up off the couch and put on your running shoes. You open the door. You go outside. You go down the driveway. You run 4 miles
Week 3 Day 1: You have to get up off the couch and put on your running shoes. You open the door. You go outside. You go down the driveway. You run 3 miles.
Week 3 Day 2: You have to get up off the couch and put on your running shoes. You open the door. You go outside. You go down the driveway. You run 5 miles.
Week 3 Day 7: You have to get up off the couch and put on your running shoes. You open the door. You go outside. You go down the driveway. You run 8 miles.
You add a little each day, and by the end of 10 weeks you’re ready to run 13.1.
It’s a process.
It’s an easy process.
It’s a process that takes time and patience if you want to cross the finish line.
It takes time for a long run, I would never – EVER – think about a running “hack” to get me to the finish line.
A shortcut will only end in injury of one type or another. ( I broke my ankle because of a shortcut.)
Have you ever talked to anyone that has run a race?
There are 2 types.
The runner and the hack. Just think about the fable of the tortoise and the hare.
Who was the hack and who was the runner? Who knew how to get to the finish line without pain and suffering and who didn’t?
Your Couch to 5K List
Your marketing is really the same.
It takes a process. It takes time. It takes patience.
When you run your marketing race like the tortoise, you take time, you connect with your ideal audience, you ask their permission, you get names, emails and customer data.
You nurture them!
Day 1: You have to get up off the couch and put on clothes. You open the door. You go outside. You get in the car. You back down the driveway. You go to a networking event. You meet ONE new person. You exchange cards.
Day 2: You have to get up off the couch and put on clothes. You go to your computer. You get on Facebook, Linkedin (or your favorite social media platform). You connect with one new person – and send a private message of introduction.
Day 3: You have to get up off the couch and put on clothes. You to your computer. You write a blog post. You ask your new social media friend to share – you would be so grateful if she did.
Your Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint.
When you cut corners and try to take to shortcuts, the hacks, in your marketing, you may be like the hare and grow your list from 12 to 12,000 in a flash but…
Do any of them buy from you? Do they read your information? Do they share it with anyone?
Probably not, because they’re not your ideal people!
Feel the burn?
Like the tortoise, you may add 5 people your first week. You’ve met them in person. You’ve IM’ed back and forth or you were recommended by a friend. If you add 15 new people to your list/your community that are super qualified and SO happy to be part of your tribe, by the end of the year you’ll have 780 people that have join you!
Year 2: Those 780 people all told ONE person about you and they joined you…now you have 1560 very qualified people that are SO happy to be part of your community – and they buy from you!
Year 3: Those 1560 people all told one person about you and your fabulously gorgeous products. They joined your list. Now you have 3120 that LOVE what you do! They buy from you AND they tell people about you.
Do you see the point of the story?
Like the fabled tortoise and hare. The hare may have sprinted his way through the race, but wore himself out and finished exhausted, broken and tribe-less.
The tortoise crossed the finish line in his own time…with a loving tribe cheering him on!
Keep on movin’ on!
If you need a little help planning your ‘Couch to 5k List’, let’s have a virtual coffee and chat. Check out Content and Coffee with me HERE.