If you let it, branding could easily take up half of your day, every day. As most business professionals would agree, this just isn’t sustainable. We’re focused on growing our brand to grow our business, which means we need to dedicate the majority of our time and focus to that business. While you may strive for productivity in your business, it’s also a great goal when it comes to your branding work. How can you maximize the effort you put in to get the most results, without neglecting other important work? Here are a few strategies I use to help me stay on track:
Create Branding Windows
So much of our branding work today is done online. There are some major benefits that come along with this, but also some sneaky time-sucks we can get caught in. Because we’re able to log on to Facebook from our desks, many of us work on branding tasks throughout the day, either finding time between tasks or even distracting ourselves from those tasks. This means our focus is rarely concentrated. Instead, I’d recommend carving out a clear window in your schedule that is just for branding. Whether it’s writing an article, sharing something on social media, or updating your graphics, dedicate your entire focus to that task in the allocated time. This will help you get more done in less time and without distracting you from other work.
Put events in your schedule
While the internet is a major platform for branding, it shouldn’t replace in-person work. If it does, it will slow your success. In addition to making time in your workday to give your brand some undivided attention, it’s also important to get out in your community. Events are a great way to do this. Especially if you host the event, like speaking at a local high school on a relevant finance topic, for example, you can get a real bang for your buck when it comes to time. Even if you’re attending someone else’s event, taking advantage of these opportunities to network can help you grow your brand exponentially.
Share with others
While many focus their branding efforts on their own platforms and networks, it’s important to branch out to extend your brand’s reach. One of the best ways to do this is to share your articles with other sites. If you can find someone else who will share something you wrote, you can rapidly grow your audience with just one article. Do the research and make connections that can be mutually beneficial.
Send Notes
Branding requires maintenance. Whether it’s a prospect you’ve just met or a potential referral partner, it’s important to follow up and reinforce your brand. I’d recommend spending some of your daily branding time to send these brief notes. It could be a quick email to a new connection or a handwritten thank you to a past client who sent you a referral. These short messages can work wonders for your brand, and if you create some basic templates to work off of, they can be quick but effective work.
Get Excited
Finally, if you’re engaged in what you do, you can be building your brand without it even feeling like work. While you don’t want to come off as sales-y or pushy, if you’re interested in what you do and eager to share with others, you’ll be building your brand in many new interactions. Whether it’s sharing a real estate tip with a friend of a friend or discussing what you do for work with a new connection, when you’re passionate about what you do, it shows — and that strengthens your brand.
Striving for productivity means seeking high-quality results in low-quantity time — without sacrificing either. When you apply this goal to your branding efforts, you can increase your success and even shave off some time. Do you have any tips for making your branding work more productive? Share them with us in the comments.