We have no time for anything, least of all marketing. I’ve heard just about every excuse; “I’ve a business to run. Who has time for marketing?” or “Yeah I’d promote, if I had the staff to do it.” Unfortunately, you need to make time and here’s how.

To be successful, you need to be aware of the time you have and what, in existence, might be helpful to maximize that time. An entrepreneurial marketer’s greatest asset would be a time machine, if they had the time to build it. To counter this paradox until technology invents the flux capacitor, follow a few of these suggestions:

Master all things mobile
Not just use, but master. What does that require? It’s knowing your device’s capabilities and limitations. It also requires insight regarding current mobile and media consumption trends. Your media and its message needs to connect in a way that consumers can enjoy on a mobile platform. Invest time in learning more about current and future mobile applications.

Make use of free mobile/web apps
The mobile platform thrives because of the app development community. Without it, we’d mostly be calling and texting. Most have a web-based version as well. With such a wide range of app offerings, concentrate on productivity and production. Here’s a quick list of what I feel is necessary:

• Dropbox (file sharing)
• Evernote (media collection)
• Buffer or Hootsuite (media post scheduling)
• Be Funky (photo editing)
• Soundcloud (podcasting)
• iMovie, Magisto or YouTube Editor (video editing)
  
  

These are just a few, with new ones always being released. This also includes any or all of the social media platforms. Stay current and up to date by subscribing to relevant news feeds (which are available in mobile app form as well).

Make use of ‘The Cloud’
The best apps make use of the cloud. Why? Sharing, storing, accessing and updating on the fly makes the production process so much quicker (depending on Internet access). Best case scenario could have you create a short 30 second video in under 15 minutes. Also, cloud-based apps like Dropbox and Evernote allow you to save media resources for use later on. Again, this comes down to mastering your mobile device.

Repurpose your content
Digital content’s greatest strength comes from its ability to be non-linearly created and deconstructed. That is, the individual elements that created the final product exist separately for use elsewhere. Take written content for a blog and create an image highlighting a passage from it. Take that image, plus a few more created from that same blog and make a animated video or PowerPoint presentation. Research, write and repurpose.

Create an editorial calendar
Based on research data and analytics from your website, you’ll be able to determine when to best distribute your content. From that data, create an editorial calendar and stick to it. With it, you’ll make the most of the limited opportunities to get your social media posts in front of your targeted audience. Just be open to being flexible and in the moment. Sometimes, real-time marketing can pay off.

Now, with so much time on your hands, surely you can fill that website with great content. Right?