The digital world seems abundant these days with marketing expertise, opinion and examples. From one glorious cold email campaign to a raft of split tested messages from a high reputation sender and the consequent dashboard selection of reports and drill down in exotic bar graph charts. If you are a geek, or propeller head as we used to call them, this is a self-perpetuating field of dreams. If you are a small business owner who has thoughts about adopting Internet marketing for your business it can be a field of screams.
So, how best to approach discernment of the context? Let’s forget the means and first look at the ends. Fast forward three years and you are asked by someone you know and admire ‘what’s new with the your business?’. Obviously, you immediately think, you are going to be pleased with any reply that involves more money. That juices your ego and temporarily makes you forget the fear that you may be missing a better path. By virtue of your will and intention however, you had adopted a marketing system that practically ran itself and consistently lowered your sales costs, delivered better prospects, and allowed you to focus your time. Basically, the system made your life easier and that is what you relay to your friend. And that is the goal; to make your life easier.
This may be a hard principle to accept. Yes, go ahead and laugh but, if you allow yourself introspection and monitor your own mind, you will see how past ‘programming’ by parents, society, media, self-feedback, etc. Have perpetuated behaviors that adhere to the dictum that you MUST sacrifice (a ton) to get success. The most meaningful aspect of time to the ego is the past. That is where it applies its blessing of guilt and then wants you to buy in to paying for the past in the future. That means bypassing the present or making it a short hop. In order to short circuit this departure from ‘mindfulness’ (a term now in fashion), one must let go of the past. It is not a helpful concept but a limiting concept (as all concepts are actually).
So, now, in theory, the past has released the small business owner to pursue a system that will deliver an easier life. He welcomes that without guilt and starts to consider the notion that he may not have to tread water forever. But to actually stop kicking and see if he can float? That induces fear. And fear is the cause of wrong thinking. But thus a concept is born and where intention and will exist they will prevail over all the self-limiting notions that have caged that small business owner. A cage he himself created by willing interference, born of the acceptance that he must struggle to get ahead.
Now the idea has taken hold. The linear always follows the non-linear. An architect had an image of the Empire State Building in his head first. What he thought manifested. The idea is not a building here but freedom. An easier, freer life to enjoy what is to be enjoyed. If work is the enjoyment as escapism that is perfect too. But have the option to be guiding your business and not owned by your business be available. And that availability will be though understanding the overall context, fundamentals and and approach to move forward from thought to creation.
The future is now. The decision to begin and invest in Internet marketing should be now. The time is optimal due to the availability and current state of development of low cost, SAAS (Software As A Service) technology that utilizes sophisticated automation that can applied to discrete sets and subsets of people interacting with your company.
It is still the wild west where many businesses have no Internet marketing and rely on less efficient methods for business development. Efficiency is the key to freedom. Plus, this means you will begin to separate your company from (most of) your competition, not only in terms of efficiency but from the overall way that those that touch your company in your sphere of influence perceive you.
We will get into more fundamentals, business objectives, the ‘stool’ concept, and more next blog article.
