“Patience is a virtue.”
“Good things come to those who wait.”
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
And so on, goes the list of adages touting the value of patience, but even when we know “patience is a companion of wisdom” (sorry, another one), no one who is trying to run a successful business has much time for it. We need to see results – and fast! So, just how long does it take to see results from your marketing efforts? Well, the answer is “it depends” but there are several factors that can influence results.
First, Your Budget Will Influence the Timeline
Not surprisingly, spending more money on marketing and advertising can accelerate results. But hurling money at a paid advertising campaign, though it can be effective, is not a long-term strategy. You need a sustainable approach, and that takes time and consistent effort. The good news is that with patience and persistence, you can build a successful marketing program that will deliver measurable results.
Consistency and the Compounding Power of Marketing
The bread and butter of any successful marketing program is blogs, email and social media marketing. When done consistently and strategically, this trifecta can grow your web traffic and turn more prospects into customers, but here’s the deal – online marketing does not lead to overnight success nor does slapping up a few blog posts and calling it a day.
For your marketing efforts to deliver results, you need to be posting content at least weekly. Why? Because if you want your site to show up on search engine results pages, you need to demonstrate to Google (and others) that you are here to play ball. Then, when the web crawlers come to index your site they’ll have fresh content to chomp on and that will boost your ranking in online search results.
Even better, when you consistently execute your SEO marketing strategy and do it well, your efforts will compound. A blog you post today can continue to pull in leads for years to come, especially when you effectively leverage your site’s SEO power.
Ready to See Results?
Content marketing and SEO efforts are long-term strategies, but they deliver real value. You should expect to start seeing results within a few months, but more realistically, it can take up to a year of consistent efforts for the compounding power to start delivering.
As you work to build a marketing strategy that will continue to work for you for years to come, keep these factors in mind:
- Know your customers – Who are they? Where are they most active? And what are they looking for? The better you know your customers, the more specific you can be with your messaging, so you cut right through the clutter and get to the heart of what’s on their minds.
- Be useful – Your customers are looking for answers. Give them what they want by creating a mix of useful content that will stand the test of time (a.k.a. evergreen content) as well as timely pieces that demonstrate your commitment to staying relevant.
- Stick with it – It takes time to build loyalty (and improve your Google ranking). Don’t stop 6-12 months into a marketing program and consider your job done. Sure, you should refine what isn’t working, run tests to compare ad strategies, but above all, remain consistent. Only then will you reap the biggest compounding payoffs.
While some marketing efforts can deliver near-instant gratification, building a strong, sustainable marketing presence takes time and consistent effort. Remain patient and optimize as necessary to put yourself on the road to long-term success. If you want help, just ask. That’s what we’re here for.