Busy is an understatement when describing an entrepreneur. “How can I get this all done?” is a cry I hear often. There finally comes a time when you realize you simply cannot do it all yourself. So what is the secret that allows entrepreneurs to get it all done? Marketing Automation! And guess what, marketing automation is not just for internet business owners.

Sure, in the beginning you might be the “chief, cook and bottle washer.” But as your business grows, it becomes painfully obvious that trying to do everything is only going to lead to:

• Frustration (when critical tasks don’t get done and deadlines are missed).
• Burnout (when you’re working yet another 12-hour day).
• Overwhelm (when your to-do list is longer at the end of the day than it was at the beginning).

There are many ways to combat this business-growth hurdle, but one of the best is marketing automation. Imagine a completely hands-off system that works for you even when you’re hiking on a remote mountain or lounging at a luxury spa.

But here’s an even better reason to automate: it lets you scale your business. Think about it, the less manual work you have to do, the more time you have to do the money-making tasks such as networking, marketing, and client support.

So what can you automate? Almost everything, but start with:

Marketing Automation Tip #1 – Paid Traffic

Chasing organic website traffic (also known as non-paid traffic) is an exercise in frustration. A big part of your marketing strategy should be creating content for your blog, YouTube, social media, and other web properties. All that content can create a nightmare when you think about actually getting people to see it. Here is the secret – paid traffic. Invest in some quality paid traffic, Facebook ads, Google ads, newsletter ad placement, Yahoo ads, Bing ads, and many many more.  

Marketing Automation Tip #2 – Email Funnels

What happens when a new subscriber joins your mailing list or someone buys a product? Do they just sit in waiting on your list until you have time to send an email?

While broadcast emails have their place—especially in time-sensitive promotions—be sure to also set up an autoresponder series to:

• Welcome new subscribers and help them find their way around your site (and your offers).
• Nurture (build a relationship) buyers so they know they’re in the right place.
• Make additional offers based on what someone has already purchased or shown an interest in.

This can seem like a daunting task. There are systems that can be set up fairly easily like Constant Contact, Active Campaign and Infusionsoft to name a few.

If it all seems too overwhelming then find someone to do it for you. One of the services we offer to our clients is email marketing creation. You can find out more at DecisiveMinds.com/done-for-you.  

Marketing Automation Tip #3 – Blog Content & Social Media Management

I hope that you are blogging. I can tell you from my own experience that blogging brings a lot of attention to your website. But sharing blogs on all of your social media sites can seem overwhelming. I have found a tool that I love that automates the entire process of sharing my blog content. I wrote a blog post about it => “Social Media Automation Tool – CoSchedule” In the blog post I talk about exactly how I use it in my business.

Marketing Automation Tip #4 – Calendar Management

If you have clients, partners, a team, or are often asked for interviews, then an automated calendar is a must. Rather than endless back-and-forth emails trying to find a mutually available time slot, simply send your calendar link and let your client, project manager, JV partner or anyone else choose a time that works for them. Your appointment will automatically appear on your calendar, and you’ll even get reminders (if your calendar supports that). My favorite one is Acuity Scheduling.

There are dozens of options for automating every aspect of your small business. As you grow, you’ll find new and better tools to make everything run more smoothly. For now, though, implementing these four ideas alone will save you hours of time every month.