All month we’ve talked about marketing and how to use your content to bring in leads regularly so you can have a business that pays your bills. Most of that was overall strategy though, not the tactics of really getting the marketing done regularly.

Today we’re going to talk about a plan you can put into place to really get your marketing done without fail.

Plan your content

One of the first things to do is to plan out your content for at least the quarter. This post is being published in May, and I can tell you the broad topics I’m going to write about monthly through November. Yes that means that December is up in the air, but I’ve got months to really nail down the topic for December.

Out of that monthly plan you need to plan your posts. Like I’ve said already, post at least once a week and make it the same day each week. Teach people to expect your content.

I plan my content with a working title and a few bullet points about what I plan to write about. If you have trouble coming up with ideas for your monthly content, pick a topic you’re interested in writing about then search the web for what others are already saying about the topic. Read through some of the top posts and write down how you feel about it. What do you have to say that’s different? Even if it’s pretty similar, you’re going to reach a different audience.

Once I’ve created a title and a few bullet points for a post, from there I sit down and start writing and recording the content.

Plan your times

It’s all good to tell yourself that you’re going to write and it’s an entirely different matter to truly sit down and do the work. If you’re just starting out, I recommend that you pick a time every day and write. Make it at least 30 minutes and block out all other distractions. At the very least plan a single day of the week where you write. Plan another time in the week to record your podcast. Plan another time in the week to follow up with your prospects and clients.

Stick to these times every week without fail. If you’re too busy to get to it, do it anyway. All too often business owners get busy and neglect marketing only to hit a huge dry spell because they didn’t do any marketing. This dry spell often lasts for a month or two with only little projects coming in and then their marketing kicks back in and they have work again, only to let the marketing go.

[Tweet “If you’re too busy to market, do it anyway.”]

Plan your week around those times you work on your marketing. Don’t let other responsibilities creep in on them. Sticking to your marketing plan week in, week out is what will turn your business into one that lasts and has leads coming in regularly. Anything less than consistent effort means you should expect the feast and famine cycle that is so often complained about.

If you’re having trouble getting your marketing to bring in leads make sure you get a copy of Finding and Marketing to Your Niche. I contains a 3 step marketing plan to take the guess work out of your marketing.

photo credit: pasukaru76 cc