Digital Marketing

Maybe it's my "old age," or just the decrease in excitement the internet brings to my life, but I'm really finding it to be a necessary evil. There used to be a time when I thought the vast amount of information and content on the world wide web was valuable, usable and consumable. Now it just feels so massively large, it's dauntingly scary to think about consuming even a portion of the information available.

Perhaps you are in the same boat, or maybe the value of the internet has never been clear to you. Social media seems like a vacuum that steals precious time, and search engine optimization seems unconquerable. Fortunately, none of this is true, even if it may seem like a gospel truth at brief periods of time.

It's easy to become paralyzed by the sheer size and reach of the internet. You want your business to be successful, but the thought of outrageous success is almost as scary as total failure. I get it. But, somewhere in the middle of doubt, the feelings of being overwhelmed, the unwillingness to evolve with the times, and the fears of success and failure, there's an unstoppable pocket of "let's do this!" Harness that pocket and use it for good.

Don't think you have to tackle all your marketing efforts all at once on fifteen different websites. Start small, plan big, and execute in digestible steps. The first step to really managing your expectations and feelings, as well as your digital marketing efforts, is to define your strategy. How do you want this to work? It's not any different than building a house, starting a company, or painting a picture--most people don't just dive, they have a plan. The architect designs the plans, the entrepreneur structures the company, and the painter draws out a rough sketch.

Create a roadmap. If you need help, I'm here to lend a hand. We can curse the internet together, while making it work for us to do good.

Picking and Choosing

It's easy to believe, as a small business, you should not ever turn down business, or turn away a customer. Revenue is money, and business is business.

I wish to disagree with this belief. Not all customers are good customers for your business. There's a point where you are working harder to obtain/retain a bad customer than the customer is returning in value. This is why it is so important to define who your ideal customer is, and work towards obtaining those specific customers--not just any customer.

A business shouldn't be afraid to say this person is not right for my business. They want more than we can provide, they are ultra critical about our work, or the products/services we offer don't exactly address their needs (making it difficult for us to ever exceed their expectations). You're further ahead to cut the "square pegs." Not to mention, you're doing them a favor by allowing them to find a business that does meet their needs.

Think about who you are as an organization, and who you want to serve. Who can really benefit from your products or services. Draw an ideal customer, right down to the clothes they wear and the car they drive--put this picture on your wall and compare each customer that walks through your door to the picture. Are they a match? If yes, proceed with the razzle-dazzle. If no, point them in a direction in which they are more apt to find what they seek.