Marketing your business can steal huge chunks of your precious time.  And whenever you’re at your busiest, it’s always the first to slip.  But then it becomes that vicious of cycle of “I haven’t got time to write a blog/newsletter/post this week” to “Why has it all gone so quiet?” “Is everyone ignoring me/on holiday or have they found someone else?”

So to make the most of the time you do have, without having to endure the feasts and famines, try to make sure you do these 5 things online, even if you do NOTHING ELSE…

1. Get a fabulous website

This is your shop window, a dazzling spotlight for your brand, your chance to ooze credibility, style, kudos, and show your ideal clients that you’re their perfection solution. It’s your silent sales rep who speaks to your crowd on your behalf.  So make sure your website is fabulous by choosing snazzy images that represent your brand, and create copy that really clicks with your visitors. A website that looks amateurish suggests you’re not a business worth bothering with, so invest in some fabulousness and visitors will invest in you.

2. Blog

Blogging is a great platform to build relationships and your audience, showcase your expertise, educate your readers and make money.  It can open up new doors and breaks – ones that you might never have thought about before (speaking gigs, guest blog invites and PR opportunities). And it can connect you with people who might never have crossed your path. Blogging also boosts your likeability, too, particularly if they have plenty of personality sprinkled on them.

3. Work at least 1 social media platform (and give it your full attention)

There’s little point in trying to spread yourself thinly when time is of the essence, so choose your social media platform wisely, work it like a BOSS and forget about the rest.  Think about where your ideal clients are most likely to hang out and which platform you find the easiest to maneouvre. Consider which one give you the best results and/or the most interactions, and go for that.

4. Create an awesome ‘lead magnet’ or as I prefer to say ‘freebie’ to give added value to your crowd!

Awesome and irresistible freebies can help snowball your subscriber lists. And if you’re going to build your business, this is a surefire way to do it. So make sure your freebie is something that reaches out to your ideal clients, soothes their biggest pains, teaches them a shortcut, offers solutions to their problems or makes their lives calmer. And make sure it’s easy for them to get their hands on, too, otherwise they’ll walk away.

5. Communicate with your subscribers regularly

You don’t have to send out your newsletters every week. You can send them out once a fortnight or even once a month.  But you do need to be consistently creating and delivering valuable, compelling content to keep you and your brand top of their mind. It’s a direct communication line to people who have taken the time to give you their email address (and trusted you to treat it responsibly), so talk to them. It’s clear they want to hear from you.

With a fabulous website and blog, an irresistible freebie, a social media platform you’re comfortable with and commit to, and a healthy, consistent communication channel with your subscribers, you really will make a difference to your business.