When you talk to folks with a brand new business, it is pretty common to find a frustrated entrepreneur hidden underneath all that passion they bring to their business. They're so passionate about 'their widget' or the service they provide, but they almost never know how to tell everyone else.
© Andrey Navrotskiy ' Fotolia.com
When you ask them what their plan is to get the word out, you will often be met with a puzzled look. Not only does this lead them to be extremely frustrated, but it very often leaves them with an empty bank account. So what are some ways you can jump-start your marketing?
Marketing Is the Lifeblood of Your Business
In order to have a successful business, you have to have customers. Marketing is what makes it possible for customers to find you. Without marketing, you will never have any leads coming in the door. And without a steady stream of leads, you will be out of business in no time. But somehow, marketing seems to be one of the last things entrepreneurs are able to consistently focus on.
Marketing their business happens after they have:
' Checked email
' Straightened up their workspace a little
' Taken a few minutes to post on facebook
' Decided on the bills to pay this week
' Reorganized a couple of files etc., etc., etc.
Stop doing this! If you want to succeed, you have to put marketing first.
Do It the First Thing Every Day!
If your business is going to be successful, your marketing has to get done first. My recommendation is that you spend at least 2 hours a day marketing your real estate business. For some of you that have a full time job, this may seem impossible. It's not impossible, but it just might be inconvenient. 'But I really love watching Grey's Anatomy and NCIS' you might say. This is one of those times where you have to make a choice and do the hard thing; the thing you would rather NOT do.
You don't have to do it all at one time. You can split up those 10 hours a week into a couple of nights and some time on the weekend if you want. Just get it done. Remember that you don't have a business if you don't have leads and sales coming in the door.
Create a Schedule and Keep a Marketing Calendar
I know from personal experience that if you don't schedule your marketing activities, most of them won't get done on time if at all. So here is the first thing you need to do to jumpstart your marketing; get a calendar. Not just any calendar, but a great big old wall calendar from one of the office supply stores. If you want this plan to work, the calendar has to be visible. Don't fill it out and put it away in the drawer. Hang it over your desk. You need to see this every day; you need to be reminded of all the things that have to get done. You need accountability. The ability to take ownership of your actions whether they are good are bad, is one trait that separates entrepreneurs.
Put down all of your marketing activities on this calendar. Work in 90 day increments. Doing just these couple of simple things will have a profound effect on your business when you look back 12 months from now. There is no magic pill for growing a successful business; that magic pill is YOU!
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