If you're not doing these every day...you're missing out on opportunity! 

As we’ve talked about in previous posts, marketers are busy people! Often marketers have multiple projects to juggle along with their daily tasks. Prioritization is key. Despite all the pulls on our attention and the random little things that come up during the day, there are certain activities that you should do every day. (My technique for making sure I’m on top of these tasks is to set daily reminders in my calendar and phone for certain time periods throughout the day.)

Why should you do what I’m about to suggest EVERY DAY? Because these tasks will keep you focused, productive, and will remind you of the reason behind why you’re working so diligently. Plus, they are fun to sprinkle in throughout the day so that you can break up the chaos that project-based work can sometimes slip into. (Life’s about balance, baby.)

So…without further ado…here are

10 Daily Dos:

Make a list of your tasks – making the list will get your creativity flowing. It doesn’t have to be in order if (like me) your brain doesn’t always work in a linear fashion. Just do a brain dump so you can free up real estate in your mind and not worry that you’re forgetting anything. Then, review the list, prioritize, and get started. I always check the list at least twice – once to add items and once to check off the items I accomplished that day.

Look at analytics – those amazing insights into your customer base can change at the drop of a viral video. Make sure you’re looking at some type of feedback to check in with the data available to you at least once a day. It doesn’t have to be long and in-depth. My philosophy with analytics and metrics is the same as it is for chocolate consumption and exercise – a little bit a day is much better than none at all. You can vary what you’re looking at by the day – Monday might be Google Analytics, while Tuesday you check in with Twitter, Wednesday take a look-see at your email click throughs…and well, you get the idea. If you aren’t well versed in your analytics, they aren’t helping you.

Spend at least 15 minutes purely on creative brainstorming. Daily dream time might seem like a luxury but if you start practicing this, you’ll be amazed at how many ideas start to come to you. Eventually you will start coming up with creative solutions and possible campaigns when you’re working on other things, too. But it starts with daily mindful meditation dedicated to creative thinking.

Learn something new! Read an article or watch a tutorial that teaches you something you didn’t know before. I like to focus on marketing, public relations, relationship-building, time management, graphic design, web development…things that will help me in one way or another. This industry changes so rapidly that if you’re not constantly making an effort to stay on top of trends, learning new techniques, and about technology that can help you succeed, you’ll soon be left behind.

Look at competitors and/or inspiration – you have to keep on top of what is going on. You need to be aware of what others in your industry are doing so that you can make sure you’re not copying and that you’re taking advantage of your points of difference. If you’ve already checked out a competitor, then look at a brand you really admire for a few minutes and figure out why you like them so much. Emulate those you admire.

Make friends online! Make a new connection on Twitter. Connect with someone new on LinkedIn. Reach out to someone in a Facebook Group. Explore the platforms where people are genuinely trying to help and connect with other real humans. Tag the people you admire, reach out electronically. Everyone can use a friend, mentor, or new colleague. This is how you grow your personal network or the network of your organization. Be a friend to get some friends.

Give more than you get – make sure your marketing mix is giving. Make sure your professional life is giving, too. This will absolutely come back to help you. Look for opportunities to give to others whether that is with exceptional content to your targeted audiences or even just by surprising a colleague with a friendly chat or a cup of coffee. Be a giver.

Talk to your coworkers in person (if you work remotely, try to video conference a coworker or a client) – people do business with other people. There is a temptation when you’re in the middle of a million projects to put your nose to the grindstone, lock yourself in a corner of the office, put in earphones, and ignore everyone else. Fight that temptation! No matter how busy you are, make sure you take some time and speak with your coworkers. As a marketer, you have to be personable. Relationship building is a must, both internally and externally. Plus, you’re a human and people need interaction with other people. It’ll boost your mood and make you feel more confident. The chances for miscommunication of tone and meaning is also dramatically diminished in person as opposed to online.

Go for at least a short walk – this goes back to the go-go-go lifestyle of many marketers. Don’t forget that you MUST take breaks from sitting at a computer. Even if you decide to make one of your meetings a walking meeting, be sure to get out of your desk and out of your office. You can combine this time with talking with a coworker in person or giving more than you get. Bring others with you, or take this time to meditate and brainstorm. Either way, movement increases blood flow and will remind you of the big wide world outside of your office.

Take care of yourself. This looks different for different people but do not forget self care. You are given one body, one mind, one life to live. Be grateful for what you have and do not ignore or de-prioritize your physical and mental health.  Go to the gym, meditate, drink water…whatever that looks like for you, even if it means taking a bit shorter of a lunch or coming in a little later or leaving a little early. Find a way to take some “me time” every day. Your professional life and your personal life will both benefit if you are able to function as the best version of yourself.

Are you already doing these things every day? Let me know which items on the list you love and which ones you wish you had a bit more time in the day for in the comments! I’d love to discuss other possibly “daily dos” with you!

Thank you for reading, I hope you found it helpful! If so, please be sure to give this post a quick “like.”