The Career Building & Business Growth Blog

Creating content is time-consuming. So how do you add it to your digital marketing strategy without it becoming a full-time job?

  • Host livestreams on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
  • Produce quick videos using your smartphone or laptop. Quality is key, so use the device that has the best sound and video quality. Keep your recordings short, sweet and focused on the topic you are covering.
  • Make simple infographics. You don’t have to start from scratch or learn complex design software. Low cost design sites, such as Canva are great for quick infographics that you can use on your social media and website.
  • Repurpose old content! Look at some of your blogs, speeches, trainings and courses that you have already written. Pick a section and expand on your already existing material.

 

Want more details on how you can make these tips work for your business? Book your Free Discovery Call with Me!

What happens when your career and home life are out of balance?  When you put all of your energy towards what happens at work, or into your relationships at home, does everything else suffer?

I am here to tell you that you CAN create balance in your life. Will it ever be 50/50? No, probably not. Should it be? That is entirely up to you. There is no way to determine the exact percentage of time you should be putting forth in either. You may be the most easygoing person at work, but struggle with anxiety in your personal relationships outside of the office. This may mean for you that you need to devote more time to practicing ways that you can reduce your stress, such as yoga and other fitness regimens, therapy, coaching, etc. If your relationship at home is going fantastic and your work is not up to par, you will need to spend more time on improving your skills, such as time management, focus, marketing, sales, etc. 

What can you do if your career and personal relationships are way out of balance & one is putting a significant strain on the other? Well, there are many options. The most extreme would be:

  • Quit your job. Is that realistic? For most people, the answer is no.
  • End you relationship. Do you really want to do that? You are reading my blog, so my guess is that you are here because you want to try to make things better and are committed to making changes.
  • Quit your job and end you relationship. If you are so overwhelmed that you are seriously considering about doing both, then you may need to talk to someone immediately. I highly recommend reaching out to your therapist or physician in that case. There is no shame in reaching out for help. That’s what your doctors are there for. 

Let’s be honest, the solutions above are extreme. Are they the right answer for some people? Yes. For you? Again, you are here for a reason. I am pretty confident that you would like to create a better balance.  Here are some other solutions. This list does NOT encompass every option, just a few. When we work together 1:1 or in a small group, we’ll focus on what works best for YOU!

When WORK is effecting your HOME life 

Let’s talk about extended work hours for this example. If you are working long hours, never home, your relationship is suffering, here are some adjustments you can make in your career:

  • Cut back on or adjust your work hours to better fit your personal schedule.
    • Instead of working 80 hours a week, you may cut back to make sure that you are home earlier 1 or 2 nights per week or go in later to have more time with your loved ones.
    • Maybe you can go in at 8 every instead of 9 & get out at 4 instead of 5 so you can coach your kid’s soccer team and have dinner with your family a few nights per week.
    • Set a time boundary. You will not work past a certain time any day of the week. So, this would mean that if you commit to not working past 7 PM under any circumstances, you will make sure that you stick to it. Not every job, especially when you are the owner, will afford you this ability without an impact on business, but if you are the boss, you CAN make these choices and people WILL respect you for it. If you stop taking meetings requests for after 6 PM, your clientele will know that they will have to make adjustments. It is OK for you to set those boundaries. 
  • Stop saying yes to optional projects.
    • It’s ok to say ‘no’ sometimes. If you take on a new project that will impact your schedule, stress level, patience, and sense of overall balance, you are choosing additional chaos. Yes, we are talking about a choice. Optional project = choice. Is it worth it? Only you can answer that. Lots of questions come to mind: What would the payoff be? Is it temporary? How will impact your home life? Will it lead to a significant financial gain or long-term opportunities?

 

When HOME is impacting your WORK life

For this example, let’s talk about your relationship with your spouse, partner or significant other. Let’s say that you have a spouse, kids, lots of activities for them, weekends are packed, and you are showing up to work absolutely exhausted. Here are some adjustments you can make at home:

  • Discuss the possibility of cutting back on regularly scheduled activities that are overwhelming your schedule.
    • Your kid loves soccer, but is not loving the book club you signed them up for at the library every Wednesday at 4. Let it go! Less shuffling to do, and you get some time back with him and your spouse. If you have the skills, or time to learn the rules, consider coaching their soccer team. You are there anyway and they’ll appreciate your support their interest.
    • Your partner has a book club every Monday evening, you have your weekly poker games on Friday nights and every other Saturday, you gather extended family every Sunday and Tuesday night is Girl Scouts. Looking a work schedule that starts at 7 AM or after and ends at 3 or after, that leaves Wednesday night free every week. Is that enough for you and your significant other? If not, take a look at how you can still enjoy the activities, but create a balance. Maybe you skip one Friday a month for poker and make that your date night, another week they skip book club, and one Sunday a month is just for your family at home. You don’t have to quite ANYTHING then. You CAN do this. There are ways. It’s about being creative and flexible. 
    • On the days that you have to stay late or go in super early, make time for yourself and your partner, and maybe help out with homework or read with your kids. Sometimes, it’s not the amount of time, but the quality of that time that really makes the difference in your relationships.
Career and relationship coaching free session with Coach Lisa Zaro, Certified Professional Coach. Image in graphic of two woman working on a project. One is sitting at her laptop and the other is leaning over to talk with her.
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These scenarios may not match what is happening in your life, but will give you an idea of how you CAN make subtle changes and create more balance. There are a lot of other options, too. These are just a few to get your wheels turning and hopefully inspire you to adjust what you are doing right now.

In the moment, the obstacles you are facing may seem HUGE. Remember, that feeling you are experiencing is something you CAN move through. On the other side of that intense situation is a level of calm that you can get to. We can figure it out together. 

Your Free Coaching Session with Coach Lisa Zaro, Certified Professional Coach

I offer a FREE COACHING SESSION to all of my new clients. No obligation. I want to hear about what is going on with you, the obstacles you are currently facing and what you want to focus on. Together, we’ll create achievable goals that you can begin working on immediately. As you move forward, you’ll find that the tasks involved in achieving those goals will give you a sense of accomplishment and hope in your career, love life and/or other relationships. 

Not too long ago, developing and executing marketing campaigns involved running print or radio ads, making cold calls, printing brochures and catalogues, or taking out billboard ads. Things have changed considerably with the rise of digital marketing. Power has been put into the hands of small business owners. You no longer have to pay thousands of dollars to get noticed and reach your audience. Customers have also been liberated. They can research solutions to their problems, purchase products and services, book appointments, and read reviews – all online. That’s why it is critical that you invest time and resources into digital marketing. Don’t leave it to chance. 

Remember, you are here with me at CoachLisaZaro.com because you want a better balance in life between your relationships and career. By honing in on what you need to do with your business, you are optimizing your efforts, leaving more time for your most valuable relationships at home, such as your spouse/partner, children, siblings, parents, etc.

What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing uses online channels to market products, services, and brands to current and prospective customers. The five key digital marketing channels are SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and conversational marketing.

SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of practices that can improve the position of your web pages in search results. SEO tactics include pay-per-click (PPC) ads, Google Shopping ads, link-building, on-page SEO, optimized webpage content, and more.

Content Marketing
Content marketing is the process of planning, creating, and publishing content around your core topics and keywords. Examples include infographics, blog posts, videos, and podcasts.

Social Media
Social media marketing uses channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to market product/services, increase brand awareness, and engage with current and prospective customers. Some examples include regular livestreams, stories, or posts on Instagram or Facebook; carousel ads; sponsored content; or interacting with your audience on social media channels.

Email Marketing
Email marketing allows you to communicate directly with prospects and customers via email. Some examples include newsletters and email series.

Conversational Marketing
Conversational marketing uses channels like SMS, chatbots, and instant messaging to engage with current customers, educate, market products/services, and provide post-purchase customer support.

Why You Need Digital Marketing in Your Life
Digital marketing matters because it is the primary form of marketing for small businesses, and it can help you achieve the following goals (and more!):

Generate more revenue
Digital marketing helps you convert internet audiences into paying customers. It allows you to target people at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

Boost brand awareness
Brand awareness is what motivates customers to choose you over the competition. It encourages loyalty and trust and facilitates connection through your brand’s personality, values, and voice.

Increase lead generation
Lead generation is critical for small business. It’s the process of attracting the attention of potential customers and transforming them into prospects for your product or service.

Nurture relationships with customers
It’s more cost-effective to retain a customer than acquire one. Digital marketing allows you to maintain relationships with existing customers so that they become repeat buyers.

Establish yourself as an expert
If you are working to boost your reputation in a specific topic area, digital marketing is essential. Create and share valuable content on your blog, social media, and on third-party blogs as a guest blogger.

Increase traffic
Various forms of digital marketing channels and tactics have the ability to drive people to your site.

 

The Advantages of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing has many advantages over traditional marketing:

It’s Cost-Effective
With traditional marketing, it’s difficult for small businesses to keep up with larger companies. Digital marketing levels the playing field. Many of the tools used to execute on your digital marketing strategy are either free or low-cost. And most of the tactics can be done in-house, with very little expertise or tech skill needed.
For example, if you don’t like writing, you can create ‘Top 10’ lists or infographics; host a podcast or livestreams; record off-the-cuff videos; interact with your followers on social media. All of these digital marketing tactics don’t require a large budget.
And if you stick to organic SEO, you can use techniques like on-page optimization, guest blogging, and optimized content to boost your Google rank without paying for ads.
If you need some additional help with writing, design, or SEO, you can find freelancers on Fiverr or Upwork that won’t break the budget.

It’s Global
Small businesses are no longer restricted by their geographic region. Creating an international marketing campaign using traditional methods would be expensive and time-consuming. But with digital marketing, small businesses can reach people from all over the world with a click of a button.

It’s Measurable
Digital marketing comes with countless ways to accurately analyze the effectiveness of your digital marketing efforts. Using analytics from your website, social media pages, email marketing software, content management platform, and more, you can access detailed data about your:

  • Leads
  • Page views
  • Cost per lead
  • Conversion Rates
  • Likes/Follows/Shares
  • Click-through rate
  • Returning visitors
  • And more!

This allows you to identify what works and what doesn’t in real time, giving you the ability to tweak and adjust right away.

It’s Highly Targeted
Digital marketing gives you the ability to target specific audiences easily and affordably. For example, using email marketing, you can build a list of email addresses and then segment them based on what problem they want solved, demographics, or psychographics. Or, with social media, you can use hashtags, the channel’s analytics or ads, or groups to isolate and target distinct audiences.
You can also target people using specific SEO keywords in your organic and paid SEO.
This allows you to save time and go directly to the prospects who are most likely to buy your product or service.

It’s Personalized
Digital marketing puts you in touch with your customers through social media posts, comments sections, direct messaging, and groups; email; instant messaging; website content; and more.
You have more opportunities to interact with your target audience and establish relationships and loyalty, using the channels they prefer, at any stage of the customer journey.
You can also personalize the communications you don’t initiate. Some examples include greeting chatbot users by first name, personalizing email newsletters and series, and more.
Personalizing your messages using traditional marketing is next to impossible, or at the very least, extremely time consuming. Digital marketing makes personalization easy!

 

A Digital Marketing Plan is Critical to Success
Now that you understand the importance of digital marketing and the need to prioritize it, what should you do next?
Many businesses (and probably yours included) immediately jump into tactics. You probably already have social media pages, some SEO copy on your website, or maybe even a blog or e-newsletter.
As with all business endeavors or projects: a strategy is a must. You can’t just jump in. You need to formulate a plan, implement it, and then evaluate.

Choose the Best Digital Marketing Tactics
No two businesses are alike. You need to revisit your overall marketing goals, ideal customer profile, and branding so that you can figure out which tactics will be most effective and start executing.

Want to learn how to choose the best digital marketing tactics based on your overall marketing goals, skills, audience, budget, and brand? Let’s talk about what would be the best strategy for your business. Contact me now!