Tiny Marketing Actions: Habits that improve marketing success
Marketing requires more than strategy, says Pamela Slim. You have to integrate it into your business routine on a regular basis.
Pamela is a big believer in Tiny Marketing Actions, i.e. a series of small daily marketing actions delivered consistently over a long period of time that add up to measurable business growth. However, Tiny Marketing Actions only work when you apply them–as Pamela says–consistently.
Pamela says that the key to transforming yourself into a consistent marketer, is adjusting your mindset.
In her class, “Habits That Improve Marketing Success”, Pamela teaches a simple process to get past the most common mindset issues. These often include lack of organization, procrastination, or self-doubt–all of which can be detrimental to your company’s success.
Revolutionize your marketing strategy with the ripple effect of Tiny Marketing Actions
The easy way to become a consistent marketer
Set your environment up for success
In her class, Pamela explains that your physical environment is an integral part of developing the marketing habits you want. If you have a disorganized desk and a cluttered mailbox, it can create a sense of overwhelm and distract you from completing marketings. Even tasks as simple as sending out a thank you email to your customers.
Setting up your environment for success is simple. Start by cleaning up. Remove distractions and clutter from your workspace. Put things away.
Many people find it helpful to set up a process to log your actions and track your progress. If you’re a tech-oriented individual, a spreadsheet is a great place to start. If you’re someone who prefers something more tangible, try something you can place on the wall or on your desk.
One of Pamela’s clients tracks her process via a jar of marbles she keeps on her desk. She adds one marble to the jar every time she completes a marketing task. The growing number of marbles in the jar gives her a sense of accomplishment and inspires her to continue her streak.
Drive your own bus
Pamela recommends that you organize yourself and your environment using the Bus Driver approach. Just think of your business as a bus and ask yourself: who’s on that bus, and who’s driving it? If you’re not the driver of your own bus, you need to identify what the issue is and use one of the following strategies to fix it:
1) Mental distractions:
Are you easily overwhelmed by work? Does your stress lead you? If you feel like each marketing effort is too much, and that none of them work well for you–you may be suffering from mental distraction.
How to deal with it
Stop, drop, and organize.
To get rid of mental distractions, you need to take a step away from your stressors and take a deep breath. Grab a pen and paper and create a realistic schedule for the day, focusing on what you can achieve without adding to your stress.
Once you have your list ready, try adding one Tiny Marketing Action to your day. Select something that’s easy, quick, and won’t require a lot of effort.
2) Emotional distractions:
Do you let your emotions lead you? If you’re upset or anxious, do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your work and letting your feelings get in the way of your decision-making?
How to deal with it
First of all, don’t ignore or push your emotions. Instead, take the time to recognize your feelings and write them down. Ask yourself why you’re feeling this way and establish a possible cause for that emotion.
Once you’ve recognized your emotions, try to turn them around. If you’re scared that a Tiny Marketing Action might not be received the way you intend, tell yourself that rejection is okay, and that the important thing is to get your work out there. You owe it to yourself and your work to shift your thoughts to align and support your goals.
3) Knowledge distractions:
Are you an overthinker? Do you let your own thoughts distract you from achieving your goal? Are you someone who is enthusiastic, but often has trouble following through?
How to deal with it
If you struggle to complete marketing actions, Pamela suggests taking a step back to complete this process:
Think about the Tiny Marketing Action you are trying to implement and rate your experience level with it from high to low. If you gave the marketing action a high rating, try being creative and bring something new to the table. If you rated your experience as low, think of that action as part of your learning curve, and tell yourself that everything you try is a prospect for growth.
4) System distractions:
Do you let the promise of new ideas and tools distract you from the process and the goal? Do you struggle with decision-making because you feel overwhelmed by all those shiny, new marketing ideas and tools out there?
New tools and ideas are great, but don’t let them make you second-guess your decisions and distract you from achieving your goals.
How to deal with it
Get a thought partner, who can weigh in on what you’re thinking, suggests Pamela. Knowing that you don’t need to make all executive decisions about growth yourself can reduce the pressure substantially.
Start by listing your main business obstacles. Next ask the members of your inner circle of experts what they would do in your position. Establish a criteria for decision-making and set self-imposed goals for yourself to ensure that you do not get distracted. Then listen to your colleagues’ different perspectives and make your decision.
3. Simplify your actions
Now that you’ve learned how to take control of your environment and appropriately deal with the distractions around you, it’s time to address your actions. How are you working to get your customers’ attention? Are you overcomplicating your marketing tactics to the point that you’re unable to keep up with them?
Keep things simple, Pamela says. Focus on the small details first. For instance, if you want to increase customer retention by the end of the quarter, instead of focusing on the end goa, think about what small steps you can take to get there.
Simple steps might include sending out appreciative messages to your regular customers. Offering in-store discounts on your customers’ next purchases to keep them coming back. Handing out a free sample of your best product.
These simple Tiny Marketing Actions are actionable, drive results, and don’t require a lot of preparation or effort.
Transform your marketing by establishing good marketing habits today!
Pamela’s advice, applied consistently has the potential to achieve big growth for even the smallest business.
Interested in more details about Pamela’s super-easy, super-quick marketing recipes? Check out more of her resources below and get started on your Tiny Marketing Action strategy today:
Qasim is a senior editor at PosterMyWall. Qasim is a reader and writer during and after work, and likes to explore a wide range of topics and niches. Outside of work, he likes to meditate, listen to good music and journal.
