“Marketing feels like my 2nd full-time job.”

Have you ever felt that way? I hear this statement and others like it a lot, especially from the introverts and ambiverts that I work with.

And as a fellow business owner, I get it. We decide to go into business because we have something we love to do and we want to share it. We think others will need or want it, and that they’ll be willing to pay money for it.

That’s all well and good… until we realize that we need to start telling people about the business. We have to actually put the word out about what we’re doing and what we’re offering and how they can buy from us, and that is where a lot of the trouble starts.

By “trouble”, I mean fear, hesitation, questions, and doubts, like:

• How do I tell people what I’m offering without sounding salesy or, worse, sleezy?
• How do I get them to actually buy?
• This feels hard, and it’s not what I got into business to do. How can I make this part easier?

The challenge here is that we got into business because we want to do more of the thing that brings us joy. In doing so, we also need to take on tasks and roles that are outside our comfort zone, our skill level, and even our interest. And yet, those things are absolutely necessary if we want our business to thrive so that we can keep doing the thing we love.

So what are we to do? How can we spend more time doing the thing we love?

How can we reduce the marketing load so it doesn’t feel like a 2nd full time job, and still do enough so that we can make sales and our business thrives?

When my clients and members come to me with this question, these are the three steps that I walk my clients through to help them reduce their marketing workload:

Strategize
When we have a strategic plan, we have a map and a finite set of action steps. Having this in front of us can release a lot of the pressure that comes from the question, “Am I doing enough?” Instead, we can ask: “Am I doing what I said that I would do?”

Simplify
It’s very easy to fall into the trap of “I have to do all the things.” I’ve noticed that this is where a lot of the stress comes from because it drives a feeling of never having done enough.This is where we need to define our boundaries. Get very clear on the things you will do, the things you won’t do… and then follow your plan.

Systematize
The biggest benefit of creating systems is that we remove questions about what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. These are the questions that bring in doubt, cause us stress, and slow us down. When you put a system in place and then follow it on repeat, you create habits. And habits speed us up!

One of the biggest challenges with marketing our businesses is the feeling that it never ends. We feel like there’s always more to do and, worse, we’re not even sure if we’re doing it right.

When you strategize, simplify, and systematize, you create guidelines, routes, and action steps that create clarity and boundaries that remove doubt and in-the-moment decision-making that sucks our time and our energy. At the same time, you actually improve your marketing impact because you've put key elements in place that will help you show up consistently.