The end of the month (or the start of the next one) is a great time to check in with your marketing – and no, I’m not talking about looking at the number of followers you gained or the amount of engagement on your content…

Don’t get me wrong, understanding and auditing the hard numbers behind your account(s) can be a great indicator of strategy health, far too many people focus too intently on those numbers and end up miserable…I’ll talk more about how and when to look at your stats in a future article so stay tuned

I’m talking about truly looking at your strategy + tactics and reflecting on how it is impacting you both personally and professionally. That is TRULY what matters most. Your strategy and efforts should light you up and get you excited. Truthfully, all of the data in the world doesn’t mean anything if your marketing strategy and social media presence make you feel like shit.

My goal is for you to love your marketing and have those creative juices flowing in such a way that creating content and marketing your business feels energizing vs making you roll your eyes and go “ugh I never want to post on social media again.”

So without further ado, here are my favourite questions to ask myself at the end of the month – let your answers guide your content creation and strategy for May.

1. What do you feel went really well this month in your marketing strategy & execution?

I love starting my reflection from a place of positivity. It can be really easier to pick yourself apart for all the ways that you think you’ve failed or could improve, but I want you to highlight all of the stuff that went RIGHT (it’s usually more than you think).

This could include finding more balance, establishing meaningful connections and having some really great conversations in your DMs. The sky’s the limit.

2. What didn’t work for you?

Were you rooted too much into perfectionism? Are you trying to do too much and feel like nothing is working as a result? Do the platforms you’re using no longer feel enjoyable? Are there parts of your strategy or new tactics you tried this month that you thought would be a hit but don’t feel good anymore?

3. Where are your time sucks and how can you eliminate these?

Efficiency is something I’m always striving to improve. As a busy entrepreneur, there are always going to be limited hours in your day, but there are also endless ways to optimize your output. Most often this means dropping your need for perfection and rolling with the mentality of done is better than perfect. Easier said than done, I know.

Reflect on where you feel like your time hasn’t been used to its fullest potential and come up with tangible ways to improve this in the following month. Whether you need to set a timer to get as much as you can done in that hour before moving on, or look into outsourcing the parts of your job that are slowing you down, there is always a solution.

4. Does the content you’re putting out there align with your head and your heart?

IMO, this is the most important question to ask yourself – especially if content creation feels tedious and exhausting. This is usually the result of misalignment and focusing too much energy on what you think everyone else wants you to post, or what you “should” be doing to match trends in your industry.

Tapping into me and ignoring all of the chatter is something that I’ve gotten better at. It’s so easy to get pulled out of alignment, especially when you spend so much time online, so day after day, I mute any accounts that derail me or pull me out of my zone. 

Be intentional about carving out time to check in with your head and heart is essential. 

5. What is one NEW thing you want to try next month?

Are there platforms or tactics that are piquing your interest that might feel good to integrate into your marketing and social media strategy? Do you have ideas for a new style of content to try? Is there a collaboration you’ve had your eye on? Podcasts you’ve wanted to guest interview on? New freebies to grow your email list?

Change is the only constant in marketing so being intentional about evolving and pivoting will keep you ahead of the curve (and keep your marketing brain primed and working as it should).

REMEMBER: This monthly marketing audit doesn’t need to take a long time. I highly recommend setting aside an hour or two at the beginning or end of every month for some reflection and planning. Over time, this will get quicker and quicker as you become dialled in.