business development

  • Business

    Six ways to avoid digital marketing burnout

    Back-to-back meetings, never-ending to-do lists and missed lunch breaks – these are just some of the things that can add up to cause burnout. 

    Throw in the need to be constantly in the loop on the latest digital marketing algorithm updates and trends, to be up-to-date on the current memes and social media news, to wear 101 different business hats, and to be the go-to-person for creative brainstorming and online optimisation, and you’ve got yourself the ingredients for digital marketing burnout.

    Burnout is a real issue that needs to be tackled within the workplace. That need to tackle burnout is amplified for the marketing industry where 83.3% of marketing and communication professionals report feelings of burnout. 

    I should know – I’ve been there before. When working in-house at a start-up company, I experienced severe career burnout. I was well and truly exhausted. 

    My pylon light was totally extinguished. 

    Fika Digital - Ways to avoid digital marketing burnout

    After going through burnout, I vowed that I would never let myself experience burnout again. I’m much more aware of the factors that can lead to burnout for me personally and what to do when it’s time for me to take proactive action against burnout creep.

    At Fika Digital, we want to put a stop to digital marketing burnout for good. We want to make sure that you never have to endure the soul-destroying, self-doubting-instilling feeling of burnout.

    So, what can you do to avoid digital marketing burnout?

    Digital marketing burnout: explained

    There’s no one single cause of burnout. And the factors that add up to cause burnout for one person may differ for the next. But that doesn’t make your experience of burnout any less real.

    In fact, burnout has been classified as an official medical diagnosis according to ICD-11. So, if you need something to let you know your feelings are valid, let it be that.

    Burnout can be characterised by the following symptoms, as per ICD-11:

    • feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
    • increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
    • reduced professional efficacy

    The culture of marketing is one that can contribute towards a culture of burnout. It’s a culture that we need to change if we really want to prevent digital marketing burnout from happening.

    With it’s ever-changing landscape, rapid growth, high demands and expectations, quick project turn-arounds, and dog-eat-dog competitiveness, digital marketing is a multi-faceted and fast-paced industry that inevitably can cause burnout if not addressed early on. 

    Getting to the heart of digital marketing burnout lies with the industry and company leaders. Our duty as marketers is to make sure our employees and partners are not being set up to frazzle and burn out. 

    However, I appreciate that addressing the issue at that scale is a whole other conversation.

    Right now, I want to focus on the ways that you can protect your own energy and well-being by taking steps to avoid digital marketing burnout.

    6 ways to avoid digital marketing burnout

    If you feel like you are on the cusp of digital marketing burnout, let this article guide you through some of the ways you can put a stop to your digital marketing burnout.

    Summary:

    1. Focus your attention on one task at a time
    2. Outsource work to other marketing professionals
    3. Set distraction-free “Power Hours”
    4. Learn to say No
    5. Keep work-life and personal-life separate
    6. Find ways to improve your workflow

    Focus your attention on one task at a time

    Marketing professionals typically wear several business hats. You may find yourself having to flit between being an SEO specialist to a Social Media Strategist, Graphic Designer, and PPC expert in a matter of minutes. 

    It’s like a game of Buckaroo – you keep piling the tasks on until eventually you buckle under the pressure.

    We recommend getting organised with your to-do list so you can focus your attention on one task at a time. This will help you tackle the weight of a heavy and diverse workload.

    Traditionally, your to-do list will contain a list of everything that’s on your agenda for today. One great big list without any rhyme or reason. As a result, chances are high that you will flit between the tasks on your to-do list as you do your best to get through everything you can.

    Doing this will only lead to more internalised pressure and stress. 

    Instead, you should timeblock your to-do list and group similar tasks together. By using a time- and task- blocked approach, you will be able to sink into more focused work and you’ll find that you tick your tasks off a lot quicker than when you try to complete everything at once. 

    Stop trying to juggle everything at once and just focus on one task at a time.

    Outsource work to other marketing professionals

    Telling you to outsource your work to someone is often easier said than done. But it will help. 

    If you are struggling with your workload, please speak up about it. If you are an employee working for someone else, please tell your senior leaders that your workload is too large and they need to help you reduce it or outsource it to somebody else (either someone in your team, someone new, or someone external). 

    If you are a senior leader or the owner of your company, remember that you do not have to do everything. Owning and running a business is hard work but you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to a trusted marketing professional to outsource your marketing work and reduce your workload.

    It’s okay to admit that you have more than you can possibly manage. By outsourcing work to other marketing professionals, you will be able to free up some of your time to be more attentive to the other tasks on your to-do list.

    Set distraction-free “Power Hours”

    Power hours sounds very hustle culture-esque but stick with me.

    Setting distraction-free “Power Hours” can be a great way to knuckle down and whizz through your tasks. Let your team know when you plan to take a Power Hour and that you can’t be disturbed during this time. Turn your phone on silent and close down your emails to avoid temptation to check your social media notifications, answer phone calls or reply to emails. 

    The purpose of having a distraction-free Power Hour is to give yourself the chance to get stuck into some deep work. So use this time to focus on a large task that requires your full attention. 

    It is believed that one hour of focused time equals four hours of distracted time. By working Power Hours into your weekly work schedule you might be surprised to find how much quicker you manage to get through some of those deeper tasks that take up time.

    Power Hours are also a great way to set boundaries with people and let them (and yourself) know that you aren’t available 24/7. 

    Learn to say No

    Saying “No”, especially in the workplace, can be terrifying.

    But it can also be liberating. 

    By saying “No” to new opportunities, tasks or requests, you will be able to set healthier boundaries and reduce the risk of taking on more than you can manage. 

    Before you straight up start shouting “No!” at someone the next time they ask you to do something, start saying no by:

    • Reminding people know what your work expectations are 
    • Letting people know what your boundaries are
    • Explaining your reasons why you’re saying no
    • Proposing an alternative

    By exercising your right to say no, you’re also protecting your energy and well-being. Saying no can be one of the hardest things to do. But it can also be one of the most powerful ways to reduce your likelihood of getting burnt out.

    Want to take on more and don’t want to say “No” to potential opportunities? Then hire additional resources to help with the additional workload.

    Keep work-life and personal-life separate

    Sometimes, our work-life can blend into our personal-life. In the marketing industry that crossover between work- and personal- life is even easier. 

    If you work in social media marketing, you may find yourself feeling the need to be active on social media all hours of the day. Outside of work, you may listen to marketing podcasts, read marketing articles, follow all the greatest Marketing folk on Twitter… it can be easy for our work responsibilities to creep into our personal lives. Especially when it’s something that we are passionate about.

    When working from home, you may also find yourself slipping into the unhealthy pattern of checking your emails at the weekend or perhaps you start work early and finish later than intended. 

    Stop whatever is happening in your life that is causing your work and personal life to get mixed up. Be strict with yourself and think about what steps you can take to keep work and personal life separate. 

    It is important that you take time away from work. You need to give yourself time to mentally decompress and unwind from the working day. You need to leave work when the working day is finished and not work into your personal time.

    As for weekends and holiday days – take them. Please! Your mind, body and soul will thank you for it – trust me. By taking time off, you will be able to return to work feeling more mentally prepared to tackle your workload and more creatively refreshed for upcoming marketing campaigns and ideas.

    Find ways to improve your workflow

    There’s a great choice of tools and software that can help you improve your workflow and reduce bottlenecks.

    By investing in tools that improve your workflow, you can help reduce some of the work pressure that builds up when burnout is approaching.

    Some marketing tools that can help ease your process include:

    • Social media schedulers
    • Project management tools (we love Asana and Basecamp!)
    • Analytical tools
    • SEO and Keyword research tools
    • …and more!

    There are thousands, if not millions, of tools out there. Whatever you are looking for, there’s likely a tool for it! We also love using automation tools like Zapier and IFTT to automate processes that we frequently do manually. 

    Make note of all the processes that you frequently do or that take up a lot of your time, then research what tools you can use to effectively automate those tasks and improve your workflow.

    Free yourself from digital marketing burnout: Conclusion

    Digital marketing burnout is about more than just having an impossible to-do list. It’s also to do with the unrealistic expectations to work long hours, feeling underappreciated in your role, and feeling the need to keep up-to-date with the latest marketing news. 

    But, it’s also more than that. The causes of digital marketing burnout are unique to each individual. 

    By taking note of the above actions, you can start taking steps towards protecting your energy and boundaries in order to avoid digital marketing burnout.

    Remember, you are not alone. We are here to help you find joy in your social media and content marketing. Together, we can help you reduce your risk of digital marketing burnout as you harness the power of purposeful marketing. Get in touch to learn more about the ways we can work together.

  • Business

    Knowing when it’s time to outsource work

    As a business owner, you are responsible for the success of your business. In the early days of starting your business this responsibility may look like wearing 21 different hats as you resemble each of the different functions required to succeed. In any one day you may find yourself switching from CEO to accounts, marketing, sales, business development, and back again.

    Solopreneuring and being a one-person band can be great in the early days of business ownership. You can keep costs low while also testing your business model, implementing standard procedures and finding your feet in this new venture.

    However, when going solo, you may begin to find your growth stagnating. In order to grow and scale your business you will also want to grow and scale your team. This is where outsourcing comes into play. 

    How to spot the signs that you need to outsource work

    The decision to start outsourcing work doesn’t come easy. If you’re anything like me, you’ll struggle letting go of the reins as you hand over the metaphorical keys to let someone else take the driving seat. Letting other people help you with your business can be scary but, when done right, it can be incredibly rewarding. 

    If you want to find success as a business owner, you cannot do it alone. But how do you know when it’s time to outsource work?

    Here are some of the surefire signs that you need to start outsourcing work:

    • You never get through your daily to-do list
    • You are getting seriously stressed out with work
    • You are doing too many different job roles at once
    • You are spending a lot of time on tasks that you hate
    • There are areas of your business that need specialised skills
    • You can’t provide the quality of work you want to
    • You don’t have time to work on new business development ideas
    • An area of your business is suffering
    • Work-life balance is a thing of the past and you’ve forgotten what you do outside of work
    • You fall behind on deadlines
    • Sales are plateauing or falling

    If any of the above statements ring true for you, it could be a sign that you need to outsource work. Outsourcing can positively contribute to the health and future success of your business. It can be the difference between business stagnation and business growth.

    While outsourcing may seem like an additional business cost at first, the return-on-investment will soon speak for itself when you find business operations thrive as a result of strategic outsourcing.

    Types of tasks you can outsource

    When it comes to outsourcing, the sky really is the limit. As you begin to grow your business, there are many tasks that you will likely want, or need, to outsource. 

    The best place to start when choosing which tasks to outsource is to first consider your answers to the following questions:

    • Which tasks take up the most of your time?
    • Which tasks do you not enjoy doing?
    • Which tasks or areas of business do you lack experience or confidence in?

    Your answers to these questions should give you a good indication of the types of tasks you might want to outsource. From here, you can begin to make plans to outsource work effectively.

    That being said, below are some tasks that you may find yourself outsourcing as your business grows:

    • Customer service
    • Administrative duties
    • Lead generation
    • Marketing and social media management
    • Bookkeeping and accounting
    • Graphic design
    • Sales and business development
    • Product design
    • Event management
    • Human resources
    • Data entry
    • Research and development
    • Calendar Management

    The above list is simply just a small selection of some of the tasks you can outsource as a business owner. In reality, the list is limitless. The luxury of owning your own business is that you have the freedom to build your ideal working day and to build the perfect team to support you in achieving your business goals.

    If you find that you really dread answering customer service enquiries, outsource it to someone who is a customer services specialist. Similarly, if you are constantly forgetting to schedule meetings, then hire an Executive Assistant to help you keep your diary in shape.

    Making sure you are ready to outsource work

    Outsourcing work can be a wonderful thing for your business. But it can also be damaging if not done correctly. Because of this, it is important that you do your research and prep work before outsourcing work.

    Take time to research the type of person, or partner organisation, that you want to bring on board and how you perceive that relationship working.

    Just as you would with onboarding new employees, it is also a good idea to have an onboarding or outsourcing process for bringing subcontractors or partners on board. You can then use this to help make the outsourcing process as streamlined and successful as possible.

    The other thing you want to consider when deciding to outsource work is whether you can afford to do so. Be realistic with yourself and make sure that outsourcing various components of your business will not be a financial strain to your business. When calculating whether you can afford to outsource, be sure to also calculate how much money you are currently losing by not outsourcing work (either through lost income or lost time) and how much money you could gain if you do outsource those particular tasks.

    Why we believe in upsourcing, not outsourcing

    Here at Fika Digital, we believe in upsourcing. By upsourcing, you are reducing the risk-factors associated with outsourcing work. 

    One quote that I always love to remind myself of as a business owner is “if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room”.

    And that quote rings true for outsourcing. When it comes to your business, it is important that you are not always the smartest person in the room. Otherwise, how will you grow? If you find that you are the smartest person in your business, then it might be time for you to begin inviting smarter people to join you. 

    This is essentially where upsourcing differs from outsourcing. Outsourcing refers to the process of handing specific work tasks and processes over to a third part. Upsourcing, on the other hand, means you are handing specific work tasks and processes over to someone who is highly experienced in those particular areas of work.

    When you begin to look at outsourcing as upsourcing, you begin to see it as a way to invest in your business and reach your next business milestones or objectives.

    Starting your outsourcing journey

    Deciding that it’s time to outsource elements of your business is a milestone moment in business ownership. 

    Before outsourcing (or upsourcing!) work, first make sure you perform an analysis of your current business performance. Consider which tasks you would benefit most from outsourcing and start with the area of your business that you can easily outsource and that is expected to have the highest performance impact in return.

    From here, begin researching the best partner for your outsourcing needs – being sure to choose a person, or company, that is a good fit for your needs, budget, deliverables, and culture. 

    The relationship between your business and the person(s) you outsource work to is central to your success so make sure you choose a partner that is the right match for you and your business.

    Once you’ve found the ideal partner, it’s time to get handing some tasks over. We always recommend having standard operating procedures (SOPs) – or playbooks as we like to call them – so that you can easily transfer all of your existing processes and expectations for how tasks should be performed.

    When upsourcing, you may want to go easy on the SOPs and trust that the person coming on board will be the one to lead on how to implement winning processes for your company.

    If you are ready to upsource your social media and content marketing activities to an experience agency, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch to discuss the various ways that we can partner with you to create purposeful social media and content marketing for your business.