My Twitter feed was overwhelming this weekend. Not only was I having a reaction to the rapid-fire news scrolling by, but I felt compelled to act – and had no idea where to start. It was a feeling of frustration and helplessness.
In the thick of these unpleasant feelings, I recalled the advice that I give clients about their digital marketing when they’re feeling this way. I took out a clean sheet of paper and a pen and got to work, taking my own advice.
Whenever you’re overwhelmed with a big task, such as creating (or fixing) your social media program, start by making a list. Don’t try to be overly precise; just start putting it on paper. Here’s what it might look like:
- Who am I/who are we?
- What are my goals?
- Who am I trying to reach?
- Where is my audience consuming information?
- Where would my message be received best?
- What resources do I have in place? What do I need?
- If I’ve got an established marketing program, what is working? What is not?
- If I’m just starting, what works for similar companies? What do I like about my competitors’ marketing? What do I want to avoid?
- How will I know if my effort is yielding results?
- How can we make it about the audience/customer/user? How can I give them a voice, a choice, a way to express themselves?
- How can we make a difference?
When I have a lot of moving pieces, I move to Sharpies and color index cards. That way, I can move things around until the organization makes sense and an idea forms.
Of course, making this list – and answering these questions – is the start of a strategy. It helps us take a step back and really think a situation through before jumping to action.
Apply it to your marketing or anything else where you need a little clarity and peace.