19 OF THE BEST MARKETING ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO IN 1 HOUR OR LESS
If you’re like most bloggers and business owners, you probably feel like your marketing activities are never-ending. Just when you think you’ve done it all, you realise there are a few other things you have to do. Can you relate?
One of the best ways to get a handle on your marketing is to make it a habit and set aside just ONE hour a day for your marketing activities. Is that even possible? It sure is and it’s where I recommend all my clients start out. It’s amazing what you can get done in an hour if you are intentional with your time and have a plan.
Think you need more than an hour to do something productive? Think again! In this post I’m going to share 19 marketing activities you can do in just one hour or less.
*Bonus: Many of these marketing activities are 100% FREE and some take far less time than an hour!
#1 | START A BLOG
If you don’t already have a blog, this is absolutely where you should start. Your blog is where you attract readers and get social shares and links to your website. It’s key to establishing trust with your audience through sharing relevant, valuable tips and information. Not sure where to start? Be sure to register your interest for Blog It Boss It Academy...more info coming soon!
#2 | CREATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS FOR THE WEEK
If you follow me on all my social media platforms, you know how much I love posting eye-catching graphics. Thankfully, there are so many amazing tools out there so anyone can create their own social media graphics quickly and easily. This includes:
Cover photos
Profile photos
Blog post graphics
Quote graphics
The possibilities are endless!
I personally love using Canva to create my social media graphics for all my marketing activities. Read a tutorial on how to use it here.
#3 | DO A FACEBOOK LIVE
Facebook Lives are a great way for you to connect with your audience in a more casual, personalised way. Here are some ideas for your Facebook Lives:
Product tutorials
Interview
Q&A’s
Contests and giveaways
Flash sales
Behind-the-scenes videos
Workshops
#4 | CHECK OUT YOUR WEBSITE ANALYTICS
Regularly monitoring your website activity is so important when it comes to marketing activities. It can help you figure out which topics and content-types your visitors ACTUALLY want more of. It can also show you exactly where your visitors are visiting your website from and this can be key to knowing how and where to promote your stuff. Here are some key areas to pay attention to:
Top site content
Top landing pages
Top traffic sources/medium
Monthly users
Time on page
Bounce rate
Discover more about how to use Google Analytics in this blog post.
#5 | WRITE A BLOG POST
Now, not every blog post can be written in an hour or less. But some can. Here are some tips for writing a super quick, valuable blog post:
Write a list post (10 of the best ways to do XYZ)
Cut out all distractions while you write
Create a brief outline before you start writing
Always remember who you’re writing for
If you keep the problems or issues of your readers at the front of your mind, it can help you write lightening fast. For more on how to write an amazing blog post, check out my tips here.
Bonus tip: Use the Facebook Live tip from tip 3 above and have it transcribed for a blog post. This is definitely smart marketing!
#6 | CREATE A FACEBOOK AD
Facebook ads can be a quick and inexpensive way to increase your page likes, build your email list, and get more traffic to your blog. And keep in mind: I’m not talking about the “Boost Post” button - that doesn’t give you nearly enough flexibility.
#7 | SCHEDULE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT FOR THE WEEK
Coming up with consistent content to post on social media can feel overwhelming at times. But doing it ahead of time - especially in batches - can make the whole process so much easier and faster. I highly recommend using a social media management tool to schedule your posts. It’s also important to make sure you’re keep tracking of your social media too - here are the metrics to keep an eye on.
#8 | DO SOME KEYWORD RESEARCH
Many bloggers and business owners think SEO and keyword research is a long, involved process. And while there are definitely aspects of it that can take a while, basic keyword research isn’t one of them. Take an hour to pinpoint a bunch of topics and keywords, and keep them in a document or spreadsheet for future blog posts. If you need help with your keyword research, watch this video for a tutorial on how to use Google Keyword Planner.
#9 | SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO YOUR LIST
The weekly letter that I send out every Tuesday always takes me 30 minutes or less. So, don’t assume you need to spend hours slaving away at your newsletter in order for it to be effective. Here are some ideas for your next newsletter:
A weekly roundup of what’s happening in your industry
A flash sale
A note of support or encouragement
Repurpose an old blog post
Give a list of industry-related tips or tricks
#10 | CREATE A QUICK OPT-IN/CONTENT UPGRADE
Some opt-ins will take longer than an hour to create. But creating a simple one or two-page guide, checklist or template shouldn’t take you more than an hour. Here are some ideas for your opt-in or content upgrades:
Cheat sheet
Worksheet
List of tools
Script
Tutorial
Industry report
Survey responses
Quiz
Resource list
Not sure if your opt-in freebie is performing as well as it could? Check out this video to make some changes!
#11 | FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT YOU ONLINE
It’s super important that you regularly set aside time for social listening when it comes to your marketing activities and online reputation management. Whether people are saying good or bad things about you, you NEED to know so you can respond. Be sure to search for keywords like your full name, business name, product name...and even your competitors names. Some tools I recommend for your social listening include: Mention, Hootsuite, Google Alerts, and SocialOomph.
#12 | FIND TOPICS FOR FUTURE BLOG POSTS
There’s nothing worse than sitting down to write a blog post and having ZERO ideas. To avoid this, take 30 minutes or so to brainstorm topic ideas you want to write about in the future. Here are some ideas to help trigger your inspiration:
Note down popular keywords when doing keyword research
Look at top sites in your industry to get inspired
Do some searches on BuzzSumo to see which topics have already proven popular
Read through your blog and social media comments to look for common questions
For some blog post ideas you can get started on right away, download this free checklist!
#13 | RESPOND TO YOUR BLOG AND SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS
You can respond to so many comments in one hour! Check your Facebook and Instagram comments, Twitter mentions, and blog comments to see which ones need responses. And don’t forget to respond to your social ad comments as well! Agorapulse is a great tool for making sure you never miss a Facebook or Instagram ad comment again.
#14 | FIND AN AFFILIATE PRODUCT TO PROMOTE
Wondering how you can start monetising your blog? Join an affiliate network like ShareASale or Amazon and find products you can promote on your website. Here are some quick and easy ideas for promoting your affiliate product:
Add some affiliate links within your existing content
Write a review post
Add your affiliate product to an existing resource list
#15 | SET UP A CHATBOT ON FACEBOOK
Did you know you can set up your Facebook page to automatically respond to page messages? This means that when people message you through your page, they receive an automated response that you’ve customised for your audience. It’s great because it allows you to provide the best customer service possible, while also freeing you up to focus on other aspects of your online presence.
#16 | REPURPOSE AN OLD PIECE OF CONTENT
Constantly creating new content can be time-consuming and inefficient. Instead, take an old blog post, email newsletter or social media post, and repackage it into a new piece of content.
Here are some ideas:
Combine several blog posts into an eBook
Take an old newsletter and turn it into a blog post
Grab some quotes from a blog post and post to social media
Turn an old webinar into a lead magnet
Break up a list into several new posts (e.g. expand on one point and turn it into its own post)
For more ideas, read my post: Quality Over Quantity, This Is How To Repurpose Your Best Ideas
#17 | SET UP YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE
Use your email signature to promote your business, blog or social media profiles. This can not only be a great way to promote your stuff, but it can also boost your credibility. Here are some things you can promote in your email signature:
Articles you’ve written (especially on big-name sites)
Something in particular you want to promote
Awards you’ve won
#18 | PARTICIPATE IN GROUPS
If you participate in discussion boards or Facebook/LinkedIn group, this is a great way to network and find out what your target market is talking about. Your marketing activities could involve joining relevant groups and introduce yourself, and respond to questions. Your aim should be to generally become a valued member of these communities. If you have your own group, take 30-60 minutes to engage with your members.
Here are some ideas for what you can post:
Real time Q&As
Personal story or anecdote
Note of encouragement
Image quote
Excerpt from a blog post you’ve written
A “hot topic” question that will really get your members talking
19 | CREATE A SURVEY
Surveys are great for gathering data about your audience or getting feedback about your online presence or business. Here are some ideas for your survey:
Customer satisfaction survey
Favourite tools survey
Demographics survey
Research something you want to launch
Some free tools you can use to create a survey within minutes include: Survey Monkey, SurveyGizmo and Google Forms.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The next time you find yourself time blocking with a spare hour, pull up this post and choose a couple of items you can knock off the list. While some marketing activities will take much longer than an hour, I hope this post has shown you that there are many you can accomplish more quickly than you think!
Which marketing activities from this list are you going to tackle today? Share below?