How to Choose Marketing Activities: Part 3—Time Frame
Some marketing pays off now. Some pays off later. The key is to build a plan that supports both.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been breaking down the six criteria you can use to choose marketing activities that truly work for your firm. These six factors are Client Journey Stage, Operational Efficiency, Time Frame, Quality vs. Quantity, Marketing Preferences, and Budget. Each one acts as a filter to help you decide what belongs in your marketing plan and what doesn’t.
This week, we’re focusing on the third factor: Time Frame.
When selecting marketing activities, consider how quickly your firm needs results. Do you need short-term wins to fill capacity? Or are you ready to invest in longer-term activities that pay dividends even when you are not actively implementing them? Or do you want a blend of both?
Short-Term Activities
These generate leads or visibility relatively quickly but require continuous effort or money to sustain. Once you stop the activity, the results stop.
Examples: Workshops, paid search ads.
Long-Term Activities
These build trust, authority, and visibility that compound over time. They take longer to show results, but once established, they require less maintenance and continue producing benefits year after year.
Examples: Content marketing, SEO, community involvement.
It’s easy to overcorrect in one direction, either chasing quick wins or investing only in activities that won’t pay off for years.
If you need leads soon, lean into short-term activities and layer in a few long-term ones.
If you’re already near capacity, shift more energy toward long-term growth that supports sustained demand.
Short-term and long-term efforts don’t need to be evenly split; they simply need to align with your firm’s goals, resources, and timeline.
The takeaway: A strong marketing plan balances what you need now with what your business will need next year, and the year after.
Need help building your marketing plan? Learn more about our annual marketing plan service.
