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| 86,400 Seconds… |
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Sounds like a lot more in seconds doesn’t it. The truth is, your competitors have the same amount of time each day. The same amount of time to target your ideal client. The same amount of time to create a targeted marketing system and strategy. The same amount of time to execute and take action. Is your competition out hustling you? This topic came up recently when I was meeting with a prospective client. As I analyzed their marketing system, and started doing some research on their competition I realized they were flat out getting their a#$es handed to them. These guys were just out hustling them on multiple fronts… They realized the economy wasn’t the same. They realized that results don’t come from standing on the sidelines “wishing” they had more leads. It’s a tough reality, but “getting the phone to ring” isn’t a black magic. It is a process of identifying your target, creating a strategy, and more importantly getting stuff done. I highly recommend a book from David Allen called “Getting Thing Done” or GTD. This system has revolutionized how I get stuff done. I want to encourage you as a small business owner to get more done and execute more. Make a commitment to your marketing and sales systems.Spend time away from email thinking about your systems, how your staff answers the phone, what’s working and what’s not working. Spend time thinking, and work on your business a little. To getting more done, Matt |
Posted in 
Tags: | The Social Media “Time Vampires” |
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More than likely you are experiencing them every single day. As Social Media proliferates as a social marketing tool, I see more and more business owners getting frustrated. Is this you? Many business owners jump into the Social Media fray then stop their efforts because they aren’t seeing results. Worse yet, Social Media and Social Marketing become a “time vampire” for them. Sometimes taking time away from marketing efforts that were working well for them. Here are a couple things you need to do now to prevent the social media time vampires from affecting you: 1) Your Objective - Before you start Tweeting and Blogging, start with an objective. What do you want your prospects to do? Are you trying to build your list? Or, are you trying to use a one step sales process and sell your prospect immediately. If it is the latter, I would suggest a two step process if you are moving them from Social Media to your website or blog. Bottom line, get clear on what you want to accomplish. 2) Work In Blocks – Carve time out each day and use automation tools like HootSuite.com and Word Press to create and pre-schedule content. Working in blocks of time with an objective will allow you to leverage your time and not get sucked into real time chats and the infamous Facebook wall. Focus on creating relevant content based on your objective, but have a purpose. 3) Be Consistent – Remember in any marketing effort, it is a marathon not a sprint. Don’t blog twice then quit. It will take a time to build a following, but you need to consistently take action and post relevant content and build a layer at a time. Speak to your prospects about solutions, and get them on your list to build more trust. Go Target, Attack, and Profit!
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| Marketing Advice: Get Militant About Your Time! |
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The solution… Wow, I wish I had one. I have made of couple of realizations. Will power isn’t enough. Time Management systems are somewhat flawed as many of them reside on your computer where used to find myself getting sucked back into my computer ending up in an endless OCD computer loop. I picked up a book written by Kevin Hogan recently called “The 168 Hour Work Week”, which in my opinion is the most simple system to get stuff done I have seen. Pick it up and read that book! You are probably asking “How Is This Related To Small Business Marketing“….It does, trust me. Your marketing should be a system, and your system won’t work if you don’t get militant about the use of your time and actually get the tasks done consistently. A daily or weekly blog post, a daily twitter post, a newsletter, whatever it is…just get it done. Here’s a small exercise…For one day, write down everything you accomplished today. Next go through that list and put a star next to everything that actually made you money, or was a task that will put money in your pocket in the future. I was shocked when I did this exercise. Protect your time, take action, and watch as your leads increase and your profits grow. Now… Go Target, Attack, and Profit! ~Matt |
One of the most common constraints we all face as entrepreneurs is TIME! Let’s face it, we all have the same amount of time but some get exponentially more done than others. This year I set out to get more out of each day, and feel pretty good about the results. What I came to realize is that procrastination is my worst enemy. It chips away at your dreams and starts a vicious cycle of guilt, sabotage, and short changes your efforts as a business owner to realize your dreams…
