Well the great news is, I’m not – and you too can get a very quick handle on automation and outsourcing in your business.
I have a simple rule in life – anything that can be digitized …. should be.
Most importantly, email newsletters and well maintained databases are vital for engaging with your valuable stakeholders but developing and delivering content can be expensive and time consuming if not handled right.
I always guarantee with my clients when we first start out, that I will find 5 extremely cost effective on line solutions that will free up time and provide valuable data to analysis and track marketing efforts.
As always, I start the process with a tool. This time it is the Marketing Automation Checklist.
See image above
It is quite simple.
- Down the left hand side, list the activity (or campaign) that you are doing now. Be honest about how much time it takes you per week (or period).
- Answer a simple question – can we automate ? Yes or No ….. or in some cases, I guess so OR don’t know. This is where I can help.
- Try and find a solution, often as simple as a google search “how to automate email newsletters” or “how to sms market my customers” or “how can I share docs on line with my team” etc
- The time saving per week column can start in a few phases, what you save first up won’t be huge as you still have to set up and get used to using the system and process, but over time, in Phase 2 and 3, you should see some real time saving and effort rewards. Publish once!
- I always throw in an extra one – “Can we get data from this and how will that inform our future decisions?”
Simply, the object of the exercise is to focus on what you are doing now and what you could be doing and given lack of time is our biggest issue, that’s why the focus as a cost centre, your time is valuable.
I often talk to my clients about how much time and effort there is managing social media. Well in the first instance there should not be major hurdles. Once things are set up, like any system, it will just flow. Managing social media is not like it used to be.
Imagine being able to load up one piece of communication and have it delivered to your key audiences on multiple social media platforms while you are sitting on the coach at home in the evening. This is what million dollar marketers are doing.
So once we have interrogated our checklist, we need to find a tool.
My absolute favourite on line tools for managing marketing activities in the cloud are:
Active Campaign – for enewsletters, database management, sms marketing, event management and all automated email (and just about anything) …. campaign sequences. It can do SO much. They have a free trial too. http://www.activecampaign.com/
Calendly – a simple and free calendar integration tool. Just use this for all in your workplace and stakeholders to get access to your diary. Best part is, you block out areas that are a no go zone. https://calendly.com/
Hoot Suite – a tremendous social media platform tool. You write one post and send once, it’s that simple. They have a free trial period too.https://hootsuite.com/
GoogleDrive – the best free way to securely share docs and activities with your team. One doc always updated. You don’t even need software to run this, they have their own “office” suite of programs. https://www.google.com.au/drive/
Just some thought starters.
Having worked for large multinational companies in senior marketing roles for over 20 years, I’ve now fit my own mask and have turned my skills to helping NFP marketers……
- Focus
- Create more thinking time
- Cut through the clutter
- Automate and outsource
and ultimately
- Get more bang for your buck !
This is for the organisation and for you, personally.
The above is some of the areas we focus on in Week 4 of my Program.
In my 6 week on line program, I help you discover and start to unpack, a simple 5 Step Plan that increases your professional worth to your boss, whilst freeing up time for you to plan and execute new ideas for your Not-For-Profit organisation and review your future career prospects. Learning new skills is part of that.
My aim is to help Not-For-Profit Marketers become a Million Dollar Marketer on a NFP budget !
After having helped many hundreds of Not-For-Profit marketers really excel at their work in recent years, this 5 Step plan helps alleviate some of the frustrations and concerns that can shackle us down and to rise above, to think and act like a million dollar commercial marketer.
You can learn too.
As a taste, this week, we are giving away a FREE copy of the “5 Step Plan: Become a Million Dollar Marketer, on a Not-For-Profit budget” Blueprint. In it, I break down the exact 5-steps to deploy in your NFP business. Click here to download your free copy www.milliondollarnfpmarketer.com
The attached worksheet is typical of the style of hands on learning we engage in, in these on line workshops.
Fit your own mask first, and you will be able to help others!
If you want all the details of the 6 week program, get the details here https://milliondollarnfpmarketer.com/5-step-program
It’s just $447 for x6 one hour webinars. We hold the at lunchtime and early evenings, mid week. Next session intake is soon.
That’s the first step involved in becoming a Million Dollar Marketer on a Not-For-Profit budget.
I hope you received something from the above ideas, please drop me a comment and tell me what might have benefited you most.
Until next time, all the best.
Steve
