So I’ll wrap this up with one more type and then I’ll add some actionable bullet points. Be sure to check into part 1 and part 2 if you’re just joining in.
Scatterbrained And Confronted With Shiny Objects
If you don’t fall into another category you’ll most assuredly fall into this one. You see it, you get the phone calls, and you are confronted relentlessly with all of the endless options and promises made by every company offering a product or a service. You also know that it’s unwise to refuse to embrace all of this “new” marketing in some way, somehow.
It’s not a bad thing to have options, and it’s not uncommon to want to try some of what is offered. It’s also not uncommon to have limited patience with it all. We’re all small business owners searching for the correct path through the mire and we all just want to stay alive in business for just another day. Trying out new things and throwing all that we can muster and afford against the wall to see what sticks is natural too. Clarity and focus are golden, but in today’s online marketing landscape these two things are rare and more precious than diamonds.
Stay the course, while some results can be realized quickly, overall strength and stability require consistency and patience.
In these last posts I’ve simply tried to apply a few “labels” that either all or in part apply to you where might be in all of this right now. Knowing, accepting, and understanding where you are out of the gate and where you want to go are paramount to the success of your digital marketing efforts. In all seriousness, having a sound plan and a clear path plotted out will set you ahead of the pack in almost all of the ways that will ultimately matter.
Take the time to step back and take a look at the big picture before you go “all in” with your Internet marketing efforts. Think about and formulate a strategy first, then drill down and become as proficient as possible with the tools and tactics that you settle on. A few tips and reminders:
- Slow down, have a plan…actually plot out and map a strategy based on accepted best practices as you understand them.
- Pick your battles…based on what you discern that your competitors and peers are doing.
- Set clear objectives and goals, both long and short term.
- Understand the online behaviors and chosen channels of your target audience.
- Use only the best and most relevant tools.
- Stay the course, while some results can be realized quickly, overall strength and stability require consistency and patience.
- Set benchmarks early; know which key performance indicators matter and how to measure them.
- Don’t be headstrong and committed to things that are clearly not working, go back to the beginning and reevaluate everything…often.
- Measure, assess, and adjust should become your new mantra.
- If you need help, do your homework and find the right people to work with. Stick with those that look more like “partners” and that exude empathy and have a proven track record and happy clients.
If you’d like for us to have a look at your current efforts from outside of your forest…we’d be happy to do so at no charge to you. It might help you to have an honest assessment that’s tempered with intuition, experience, and from a different perspective. Sound good? Just fill out this simple form and someone will get in touch with you ASAP!
