A recent incident with a panicked client reminded me of a crucial aspect that many overlook in a marketing strategy – TIME. So, let’s see into why TIME needs to be the central factor in your marketing plans.
The Incident: A Client’s Panic and the Solution
Recently, a client contacted me, frantic that she hadn’t followed the social media posting plan we’d prepared. I reassured her with a smile, as this isn’t an issue at all. A marketing strategy gives us guidelines, but it’s up to us to adapt it to our plans. After all, an un-posted update won’t just disappear.
TIME as the Key to Success
I urge you to consider TIME as a vital factor in your marketing strategy. Through my affiliate marketing journey, I often encounter clients forgetting about TIME as the key to success. They follow numerous advice from various mentors promising success within weeks or 90 days, leading to frustration.
Understanding that TIME is necessary is crucial:
- For Building an Online Brand: It takes time to establish a brand online, creating a unique identity and presence.
- For Creating a Community on Social Media: Engaging with and growing a community on social media platforms is a gradual process.
- For Building Trust with the Community on Social Media: Trust isn’t built overnight; it takes consistent effort and interaction.
- For Testing Your Content: Time helps in understanding what type of content resonates best with your audience.
- For Analyzing Your Posts’ Data: Insights from your social media posts are valuable, and understanding them takes time.
If you’ve just started building your brand, the period of achieving success might be even longer, and you shouldn’t neglect the testing and adjustment phase.
Organic vs. Paid Marketing: Investments of Time and Money
In the world of marketing, there are two primary paths that businesses often pursue: organic marketing and paid marketing. Both have their unique attributes and requirements, and understanding the differences is essential for planning a successful marketing strategy.
Organic Marketing: An Investment of Time
Organic marketing refers to the growth achieved through non-paid means, such as social media engagement, content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and community building.
The reason organic marketing often takes more time includes:
- Content Development: Creating valuable, shareable content takes careful planning and execution.
- Building Relationships: Establishing trust with an audience is a slow, ongoing process that demands consistent effort.
- SEO Optimization: Achieving high search engine rankings requires continuous refinement and monitoring of SEO strategies.
Organic marketing can be incredibly rewarding, leading to a more engaged and loyal customer base, but it’s a long-term investment of time, patience, and skill.
Paid Marketing: An Investment of Money
Paid marketing, on the other hand, is about using monetary investment to promote content, products, or services. Methods include Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, sponsored posts, and display ads.
Paid marketing offers more immediate results, allowing businesses to reach a targeted audience quickly. However, this approach often requires a substantial financial investment and a keen understanding of ad placement, targeting, and budgeting.
Balancing Both Approaches
Both organic and paid marketing are “paid” in different ways—one with time and the other with money. A well-balanced marketing strategy often combines both approaches, leveraging the immediate impact of paid advertising with the long-term growth and trust-building of organic marketing.
Understanding the value of TIME in both approaches is crucial, whether it’s the time invested in nurturing organic growth or the strategic timing of paid campaigns to maximize returns.
The integration of both strategies can create a more holistic and effective marketing plan, catering to various stages of the customer journey, attracting potential customers, and ultimately increasing sales.
Contracts and Duration in the Online World
In the online world, marketing agencies often sign 3-month contracts with clients. But to be honest, 3 months is barely enough to develop a strategy and gather data.
Therefore, for organic growth on social media and a successful marketing strategy, I strongly recommend a minimum period of 6 to 12 months to see tangible results in your marketing strategy.
Conclusion: Time is Essential in Marketing Strategy
In short, time must be a key segment of marketing, as a proper understanding of TIME significantly influences the success of a marketing campaign for your company, especially in terms of attracting potential customers and boosting sales.
If you need help with a marketing strategy that includes TIME, please feel free to contact me. Or join my newsletter community, where I provide FREE digital marketing advice week after week.
What is the Importance of TIME in a Marketing Strategy?
TIME is essential for building an online brand, creating community and trust on social media, testing content, and analyzing data. It’s the key to long-term success.
Why Does Organic Marketing Take More Time?
Organic marketing involves building relationships, creating valuable content, and SEO optimization. These processes are gradual and require a consistent, long-term effort.
How Does Paid Marketing Differ from Organic Marketing?
Paid marketing requires a monetary investment for immediate results, while organic marketing involves an investment of time for long-term growth and engagement.
What’s the Recommended Time Frame for a Successful Marketing Strategy?
For organic growth and a successful marketing strategy, a minimum period of 6 to 12 months is recommended to see tangible results.
Can I Combine Organic and Paid Marketing?
Yes, a balanced marketing strategy often integrates both organic and paid marketing, utilizing the immediate impact of paid advertising with the trust-building of organic growth.
