In the fast-paced world of small business ownership, time is undeniably your most valuable asset. We entrepreneurs juggle countless responsibilities so finding ways to work smarter, not harder, becomes paramount to our growth and success.
So imagine finding the perfect small business marketing shortcuts and organizational tools that not only save you precious hours but also help you become incredibly efficient in your daily and weekly business building tasks!
Now you have the extra time to... I don't know... Do more of the things you want to do? That is why you started your business, right? To make a living while having the time-freedom to be you.
Today, we're diving into a world of digital shortcuts and tailored templates made specifically for the modern entrepreneur, solopreneur, mompreneur, and more!
We're not talking about rocket science; we're talking about practical, real-life marketing gems we've stumbled upon that'll have you wondering how you ever lived without them.
Here are our 5 favorite marketing shortcuts and templates to help you get more done in less time while growing your business.
1. Learn how to use AI for your business and start using it now!
Sounds a little “out there” but the future really is here. Most small business owners can't afford a copywriting team or inhouse social media person, and with Chat GPT and other AI Services, now we don’t have to.- Using AI Writers like Chat GPT for your business allows you to input a single topic or idea and get many variations, outputs, and details in a matter of seconds.
- Helps you rewrite complex or verbose language into simplified terms that are easy for your customers to understand.
- Helps you turn your list of Features into Benefits (learn about why that's so important to making more sales here) so your audience can easily connect with how your products or services will help them.
- With the right prompt, Chat GPT can be extremely effective at writing compelling copy for your social media content, web pages, scripts for videos, and so much more. Discover 25,399 Chat GPT Prompts to help you do virtually anything in your life and business.
2. Use Digital Notes & Reminders to help you stay on top of it all!
There is nothing worse (or more time-consuming) than to have to try and find something you loved but can’t locate. Learning how to keep streamlined digital notes and reminders will help you avoid the dreaded missed deadline or important event.
- A place for organizing inspiration. Ads, posts, blogs you liked.
- Organize your ideas and feedback from clients so you can use them in future marketing.
- Save shortcut answers, hashtag blocks, CTA’s etc. so you can easily copy and paste the language you need to use over and over again.
- Set reminders and to-dos so you don’t miss the hard dates that are important to your business.
- Set recurring reminders for holidays and dates that are ideal for a sale or special for your business. This will help you make more money in the long run because you are staying proactive with your promotions.
3. Save Hours an Email by Using the Right Email Templates for Your Business.
Email marketing is still where it’s at. For every $1 you spend on email marketing, the return is $47. Templates will turn this labor-intensive, time-consuming business chore into a fast, simple, and profitable business task!
- Email Marketing Templates give you a place to start so you aren’t stuck staring at a blank screen wondering what your email should say.
- Templates allow you to create a welcome series quickly so you can get your lead funnel up and working fast. Onboarding and converting leads quickly will help you keep them interested and convert them while your still at the top of their mind.
- Good email templates, like these written by marketing experts, have selling psychology, social selling techniques, and value-delivery built right in so all you have to do is fill in the blanks
If you can't find a template set you like, learn how to use Chat GPT to help you write highly-converting marketing emails. Even just having Chat GPT write an email outline for you can save you an hour or more on a single email for your business. Learn more about how to use Chat GPT for Business Purposes and start doing more in less time.
4. Learn Basic Image Design for Your Business with Online Design Programs.
Just a few short years ago, you really did need a graphic designer to have your business stand out online. Now with simplified design programs, like Canva, and the 1,000s of free professionally designed templates to start from, you don't need to hire a professional.
You can truly create something amazing with just a few simple clicks. We love Canva, but there is no shortage of online design software programs out there.
- Loaded with 1,000s of templates for virtually every marketing need you’ll encounter as a small biz owner. Just select the one that catches your eye, drag and drop your branding, 1 click to change colors/fonts, and download.
- Brand Palettes help you keep track of exact brand colors, fonts, and logos so you can easily bring 100 image designs into your branding in just a few seconds.
- Easily change the size of designs you love for repurposing across all of the platforms you need to be visible on.
We know what you're thinking... I don't have time to design my own graphics, logos, documents, etc. Trust us, it's easier than you think. Take our quick Canva Image Design Basics Class and you'll learn how to design beautiful graphics, logos, and more for your business in seconds!
5. Use Social Media Automation so you don't miss an important post and lose engagement and sales.
You can’t be everywhere all the time… You’ll get burnt out so fast! Automate your posts so they happen automatically.
Missing even a few days of consistent posting can cost you big time engagement and reach, but you also have a life. Your kid gets sick, or you have an impromptu trip to visit family or friends... Social Media Automation allows you to post great content consistently while you enjoy some much needed time away from your business.- You don’t have to remember to post every day because you can work as far ahead as you want.
- Done-for-you social automation memberships, like Socially Suite provide fresh content built-in to your own posting dashboard so you don't have to create all of your content from scratch and it help you stay consistent on social media – keeping your social media reach and engagement up even while you're away!
- Helps your stay present on social media everywhere you need to be: Facebook Groups, Facebook Business Page, LinkedIn, Google, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc.
Social Media Automation (like the graphic design world) has come a long way in terms of accessibility and user-friendliness. We'll admit, automation software used to be a little intimidating to learn and limited in it functionality...
Fast forward a few short years, and now automation software is so simple to use and so robust in its capabilities, there is no reason every business on earth shouldn't be using a social media scheduler to be more consistent on social media. With tools like Socially Suite by Socially Inclined, You can have professionally-designed, scroll-stopping content posting to all of your platforms in a matter of seconds!
These 5 shortcuts are easy and quick to implement and they can give you hours of your time back a day!
BONUS: Here's and extra shortcut to help you save even more time on marketing and growing your small business!
6. Use Content Calendar Templates to keep your marketing efforts organized:
Planning and scheduling content is vital for a consistent online presence. Content calendar templates can help your business stay organized and maintain a regular posting schedule.
Some things a good content calendar can help you with include:
- Monthly content plan: Before you can add content into any scheduler, you've got to know what you want to post. Using the right Content Calendar can help you plan posts across various platforms for the entire month.
- Content topic brainstorming sheet: Each month brings it's own seasonal trends and themes, so taking the time each month to brainstorm month-specific content and promotions can help you organize and plan impactful content themes.
- Social media posting schedule: Plan specific posting times for optimal engagement and plan plat-form specific content as well. The audience is NOT the same on LinkedIn as it is on TikTok, so plan accordingly.
Ensures a consistent and strategic approach to content creation. Helps avoid last-minute content creation stress. Improves overall content marketing efficiency.
Let’s all work smarter, not harder with these great business shortcuts!
We can see it now: You, with extra time in your pocket, effortlessly acing the marketing game, staying on top of your game plan, and owning the social media scene – all without breaking a sweat. Yeah, you implement any one of these 7 game-changers and you'll be saying, "Why didn't I know about these sooner?"
We know these will help you reclaim those lost hours and make your business journey way more awesome.
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