How to build a monthly marketing routine

Most small businesses do marketing in bursts, then forget it. A short, regular routine works better than occasional big pushes.

Weekly, about 30 minutes

• Look at leads: calls, forms and bookings from the past week.
• Check ad spend against budget.
• Read the search terms report for irrelevant searches to block.
• Reply to reviews and messages.

Monthly, about two hours

• Compare leads, cost per lead and cost per customer with the previous month and the same month last year.
• Review which ads, keywords or campaigns produce customers, not just clicks.
• Test one change, such as a new ad, offer or landing page headline.
• Check that tracking still records calls and forms correctly.
• Plan next month's offers and content using the calendar.

Quarterly

• Review the whole budget and move money to what is working.
• Update photos, offers and web pages.
• Ask recent customers how they found you.

Yearly

• Set goals for the next year as numbers and dates.
• Refresh the website's key pages.
• Plan the seasonal calendar and set budgets by month.

Keep a log

Write down each change you make and the date. When results move, you will know what you changed.