In this fourth of five blog posts, I'm providing you with 10 Internet Marketing Ideas that will help you be successful online. Some are practical, some are philosophical, but they are all intended to help you be more successful with your small business marketing strategies. Here are numbers seven and eight:
7. TEST - TEST - TEST - The only way to determine what is going to work for you over time is to throw a lot of stuff against the wall and see what sticks. The odds of first time success are low, but the lack of immediate success should not be discouraging to you. Consider this - - of all the thousands and thousands of men who have played Major League Baseball, only 102 hit a homerun during their first plate appearance. Of those 102, only three hit a grand slam! Some of the men who didn’t hit a homerun in their first plate appearance include Henry Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, and Barry Bonds!! Willie Mays went 0 for 12 at the beginning of his career, but did hit a homerun his 13th time at bat! Thomas Edison tried hundreds and hundreds of times to perfect the light bulb. When asked if he was discouraged by all of his failures, Edison reportedly replied, “Young man I have not failed at all. I have successfully concluded that none of the elements I have tried so far will work!” An important point to remember here is that not everything that works for one business will work for another. As a result, you will need to do your own testing, and not rely just on the results of what others may discover about their product/service/business. Try numerous approaches to see which angle or channel may work for you.
8. STICK WITH WHAT STICKS! - The goal of “testing” is to throw mud against the wall to see what sticks, and then to stay with what sticks. We often have such a propensity to be on the “cutting edge” of Marketing that we neglect to step back and decipher exactly what is working versus what is “cutting edge” testing. While Twitter and Facebook are growing trends for marketers, and often get enormous press, “tweeting” may not be making any money yet for many advertisers. As you hear about “what’s new,” don’t forget about “what’s old.” E-mail, with its proven track record, has become a bankable commodity, and that, after all, is what marketing is all about - putting money in the bank! Find out what works for your business. Stay with what works. Try out the other things using recommendation #7: test, test, test.
For further internet marketing ideas, or tips for fundraising professionals, visit Pathmaker Marketing, or call Randall Mains direct at 623-322-3334.
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