Sales Driven Marketing Hub

I was recently scanning Inbound.org and came across an old AMA with Noah Kagan that was pretty insightful.

If you don’t know who Noah is, here’s a brief bio: He used to work for Facebook and Mint and is now the CEO and Founder of AppSumo and is involved with SumoMe and OkDork. 

Here are some things I learned from the AMA that can be leveraged to increase marketing productivity. 

Use the Marketing Tactics that Work for Your Business

Some marketing tactics work great for some businesses while they barely make a difference for others. It all depends on:

1. The industry
2. Your business’s sweet spot
3. Your business objectives
4. Your target audience

For example, while Noah said that content marketing and SEO worked wonders for Mint, he said that the results weren’t as consistent and scalable at AppSumo. However, he did admit that “you have to be patient and persistent for this to work” and that he “may consider this further out in the future.” (I followed up on this with him but at the time of publication was still awaiting a response!)

Additionally, Noah found that Google Advertising and free bundles for conferences didn’t work when it came to marketing his business, but that Facebook ads, contests and giveaways, product marketing, and free resources did.

Develop a Daily Routine

The power of routine is incredible and can truly make a difference. Here is Noah’s daily routine (edited from the AMA for brevity):

8am: Wake up. I don’t use an alarm; I like naturally letting my body get up.

8-9am: I drink green tea and make oatmeal or protein waffles. During this time I won’t use a computer and will read a book or magazine. I like reading free CB2 and West Elm catalogs for design inspiration. 

9-10am: This is my brain fodder period. I check email for anything urgent to respond to, [as well as] Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, AppSumo stats and OkDork email sign up stats. 

10-12pm: I’m at the AppSumo office or some cafe working. I prefer working in a cafe, hence our new downstairs at the office is Taco Cafe. When I start my workday I generally pull out my Moleskine and list 3 things I want to do that day. I try not to look at anything as it helps me really think which 3 things are really the most important that day. This is my most productive period of the day. Do you know yours?

12-1:30pm: Team lunch at Taco Deli.

1:30-6:00pm: Is a combination of work, goofing off and talking with the team. I try to add in fun activities throughout my day (note to self: I don’t do this enough). I get some of my best thoughts not in the office, but playing disc golf, walking around or just reading a good book. 

Here are a few things that stand out from Noah’s routine and can lead to increased marketing productivity (and productivity in general).

“During this time I won’t use a computer and will read a book or magazine.”

For the first hour of his day, Noah refuses to look at his computer. This allows his mind to wake up naturally and establish a solid, centered mindset for the rest of the day.

Furthermore, by reading a book or browsing through a magazine, he’s allowing his brain to go off on more creative tangents. This is in sharp contrast to the action-oriented mindset he must adopt for the rest of the workday.  

“This is my brain fodder period.”

It’s important that everyone has at least one of these a day. Taking time to address any emails you didn’t get to the day before or any tasks you didn’t quite complete will reduce your stress level and allow you to focus on what you need to get accomplished today.

“I generally pull out my Moleskine and list 3 things I want to do that day. I try not to look at anything as it helps me really think which 3 things are really the most important that day.”

Whether you write it in a notebook or in a Trello board, it’s important to make note of which items you want to tackle on any given workday. This will help you hone your focus and give you a great sense of satisfaction once those items are checked off your list!

“I get some of my best thoughts not in the office, but playing disc golf, walking around or just reading a good book.”

Make sure you take some time out of your day to get some fresh air and stretch your legs (and your mind). A short walk around the block can help you refresh, refocus, and may even spark some great ideas you never would have stumbled upon otherwise.

Conclusion

In order to increase marketing productivity, it’s important that you approach productivity from both a personal and business perspective.

First, develop a daily routine that allows you to be the most productive when you’re naturally prone to getting stuff done.

Second, align your marketing tactics with what works best for your business as opposed to trying out every approach in the book. The more you hone in on what works and what doesn’t, the more time you’ll spend actually making a tangible difference.