Working out can help you achieve your fitness goals while marketing can help you achieve your business goals. The specific goals are different, but the steps to complete them are the same.
Establish your goals
You probably already have an idea of what you want to achieve, but make sure your goals are SMART.
For example, a SMART exercise goal could be running a 5k in under 30 minutes by the end of the summer.
A SMART marketing goal may include attracting 25 new LinkedIn followers within the next three months.
Document where you are today
Before you can work towards achieving your goals, you need to document where you are today. That way you have a benchmark to work from. How long does it take you to run a mile? Or, how many LinkedIn followers do you have today?
Create a plan
Now that you have your SMART goals and benchmarks, it's time to map out how you're going to achieve your goals. Think through every stage of the journey and what equipment or marketing content you'll need. For a 5k, you'll need running shoes, workout clothes, and a weekly running plan that builds up each week until the race. To attract new LinkedIn followers, you'll need valuable web content (i.e. a blog), advertising content that links to that web content, and a defined audience to target.
Gather your resources
You can't snap your fingers and go from zero to 5k without lacing up your running shoes. The same is true when it comes to marketing your business. You can't start advertising your new blog without writing it first. Take an inventory of the webpages, videos, and other marketing resources that you already have available. How will these resources help you achieve your goals? Do you need to create new content?
Bring in the pros
Just like you'd hire a trainer to guide you through your workout plan and keep you motivate; you'd hire a marketing consultant to help you with your marketing goals (psst... that's what we specialize in). If you'd still rather do-it-yourself, follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn for the latest marketing tips.
Get started
When you first start out you're not going to be perfect, but it's important to get started, track the results, learn, and adjust. Stay focused on your goals and continue to make progress. Working out and marketing both take planning and patience. After a while you (and others) will start to see your progress.