Sometimes “we teach what we need to learn.” My marketing mistake…

I did it. I made a marketing blunder. I got so busy working with my clients that I let a major piece of my marketing strategy fall apart.

Early on in my consulting practice I had a lot more time to write articles for my newsletter, and then later, this blog. But as I got more and more busy with my clients’ projects, spending time on my own “portfolio”of articles fell by the wayside.

Sound familiar??

I know far too well how important maintaining a regular connection with people who are not yet clients is to my marketing plan, but I dropped the ball. While “add newsletter article/update blog” often appeared on my daily to-do list, it never seemed to get to that point of drawing that satisfying line-of-completion through it.

Regular subscribers have gotten about 19 previous articles of marketing tips. People have told me that they  found them to be of great value. But lately it appeared I had dropped that aspect of the newsletter and was only sending out broadcast emails about my time-sensitive announcements e.g., news about my speaking events and/or discount offers (like the one I recently sent out to newsletter subscriber list containing a 50% Valentine’s Day discount for a portfolio editing session).

That was unintentional. I had been keeping in touch with some readers by updating my FaceBook business page, blogging for the ASMP’s Strictly Business blog page, sending out tweets, and LinkedIn updates, and occasionally doing some blog posts.

But the PottsMarketing newsletter was gathering dust. I was oblivious to the fact that I’d not sent out a specific photo marketing tip in the PottsMarketing newsletter since June of 2011!! Some subscribers had not received a newsletter in so long, they thought I’d dropped them!

In the context of no new photo marketing tips newsletter content, to some that appeared totally self-serving. So understandably, I got a few “unsubscribes.”

The fact that I got so busy and overwhelmed with client work that I didn’t pay attention to one of the gears on my marketing strategy, caused a “wheel to fall off.”

I’ve learned a few things from this event (or re-learned, that is):

1. Without a staff, one can only manage a limited number of marketing activities. Don’t try to keep up with every darn marketing channel that there is. Know who you want to concentrate on, where they hang out, and keep filling that channel. A good rifle can be far more effective than a poorly aimed shot gun.

2. “Progress, not perfection” is the key. When you trip, get back up and start back in. Don’t expect you’ll do everything perfectly. Apologize. Forgive yourself. Get moving again.

3. Commit to at least one small do-able item on your marketing plan every day. If  you don’t, the months can fly by and you’ll end up where I just did: sheepish and embarrassed.

4. Commit to someone to hold you accountable. Anyone. Don’t get lost in your own cloud of business and procrastination.

5. The past doesn’t exist anywhere but in your own mind. Create anew in this present moment. Create your future by doing something in the NOW moment to create a different future moment.

6. Thank your fans for reading this far and promise them they’ll be getting more new content soon.

🙂