How to Make Online Marketing a Habit You Can Stick To

"Ignoring online marketing is like opening a business but not telling anyone." - Anonymous

Ouch. That one hurts a bit, right?

I shared this quote last week in a LinkedIn post, and I was glad to see I'm not the only one who has, at times, put off online marketing for my business because of an excuse I created for myself.

Many of us have an excuse or a story we tell ourselves that can keep us from marketing our businesses. 

Mine was: I don't have time! 

So, what do I do? I set a timer each day for 20 mins. Working in short bursts works well for me. I can put my head down and get it done, and then I feel like I've accomplished more than if I had simply accepted my own excuse.

That said, I know this approach doesn't work for everyone. Some people aren't motivated by the clock in this way to get tasks done. Instead, another trick might work for them.

Because we all think and act differently when it comes to what motivates us to make progress in certain areas, I've rounded up several ideas to help you get out of that marketing rut and start making online marketing a habit you can stick to.

Find a mindset and method that work for YOU

Have you struggled to make online marketing a habit in your translation or interpreting business?

You're not alone, apparently. I hear from so many colleagues who struggle with online marketing. And usually . . . they're just trying to do too much at once. By removing the pressure a bit and taking it slow (while being consistent), you can get a lot done in a short amount of time. 

Here are some tips to make online marketing less tedious, more enjoyable, and a regular part of your business.

• Remember that it's what you do most of the time that counts.

Whether you only have 10 minutes a day to dedicate to your online marketing, those 10 minutes can add up quickly over time. Like most things that yield results, consistency, more than quantity, is what matters.

Find a time of day that works best for you. For me, the morning is when I feel the most creative energy. For other people, the evenings are the best time to get things done. Figure out your sweet spot, and try to do up to 20 minutes of marketing at the same time each day. Start small and see if you need to increase your time to be more effective, or if 10-20 minutes is all you need to be consistent. 

Remember that consistency is better than an every-now-and-then approach!

• Give yourself a chance to explore or try new things.

Part of why people dislike online marketing is because they think it's boring or tedious. 

But what if you made it fun? 

Think of your online marketing efforts as tests. What can you do today to share your business with others who might be interested in hiring you? What happens when you do this consistently over time?

Try something new each week or month, and see what brings results. Once you find some strategies that do, it will become clear what works in your business and you can do more of it.

The habit will start to spell itself out as you see the progress you're making. Since progress can be slow at first, patience is key. Have fun with it!

• Keep in mind that marketing is a long-term game.

Under that same LinkedIn post, colleague Oleksandra Litvinyak shared how easy it is to prioritize those things that bear more immediate fruit. I loved her honesty. And I'm sure so many of us can relate to this.

I can relate to this! It's so easy to set aside the things we know are good for us for things that bring quick results.

If it makes it easier to flip the script with a small mindset hack, consider the fact that the long-term game of online marketing also means there's less pressure to get immediate outcomes. If you know you are slowly and consistently working toward greater things for your business, you can breathe a sigh of relief as you check off your online marketing tasks each day.

• Don't go it alone!

After my recent Online Presence Roadmap course, a couple of colleagues told me that they continued their marketing efforts together. They met regularly to talk about their goals and progress, and they enjoyed being one another's accountability partner and sounding board. 

If you're someone who's motivated by having accountability like this, find a colleague who also wants to market their business consistently and make a weekly or monthly date of it. Spend an hour bouncing ideas off each other and figure out your strategy for that next week or month.

• Stack this new habit onto another habit.

I first heard about habit stacking in Atomic Habits. Author James clear shares:

"Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity. It is not always obvious when and where to take action. Some people spend their entire lives waiting for the time to be right to make an improvement.

The simple way to apply this strategy to your habits is to fill out this sentence: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].

No behavior happens in isolation. Each action becomes a cue that triggers the next behavior.

The habit stacking formula is: 'After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].'

Habit stacking increases the likelihood that you’ll stick with a habit by stacking your new behavior on top of an old one. This process can be repeated to chain numerous habits together, each one acting as the cue for the next."

Try stacking your newfound marketing habit onto something you already do each day. For example, if you want to get your marketing out of the way earlier in the day, stack the habit onto the action of turning on your computer or sitting down at your desk with your morning coffee. It sounds simple, right? That's because it is. 

If you need a reminder to kick off your habit stack, put a post-it note on your computer to remind yourself of your first task of the day. Trust me . . . I do this and it works!

• Reward yourself for not breaking the chain.

Who doesn't love a good reward, right?

Try to gamify your new online marketing habit by seeing if you can stick to it for 60 days. 

Come up with a fun reward you can give yourself if you complete 60 days of online marketing without breaking the chain. Once those 60 days are up, you can enjoy your reward, knowing you've earned it.

If you like, set up a new reward to tack on another 60 or 90 days after the first round!

• Engage authentically and it will be much more fun (and rewarding)!

Marketing your business online doesn't need to be a tedious or overwhelming task. If you take the time to engage with others without pitching your services (yes, you read that correctly!), you'll probably find that marketing your business doesn't feel like it's that much work.

That's because authentic engagement is what everyone wants to see online these days. 

Gone are the days of hard-sells and smooth-talking salespeople. It's the authentic engagement that drives traffic to your website and customers your way on a regular basis.

Engaging with people in a way that feels authentic to you will make your online marketing feel much more doable and rewarding.

Online marketing is not as hard as we can make it out to be. Making a simple mindset shift can often give us the motivation we need to get started.

Do you find online marketing a struggle in your business? How do you motivate yourself to get marketing tasks done? I'd love to hear your thoughts and strategies, so please share them below or get in touch!