Today I have a quick tip you.
This is the time of year people set resolutions and feel extra motivated both in their personal lives and their business lives. Too often marketers, we set resolutions too.
We promise we are going to really dig into and commit to our new marketin efforts (e.g., content marketing, digital marketing and inbound marketing). We have great enthusiasm and intention, but then after a week or so, we get distracted. Life happens. We don’t see results as fast as we’d like or we have other obligations that distract them.
Or, maybe, just maybe if you’re like me, you don’t feel like you can do things perfectly, so you stop because you aren’t doing it “right”.
My advice to you is simple:
One of THE most important keys to being successful in marketing and in most anything is to keep moving forward. One of my mentors, Frank McKinney, runs the Badwater Ultra Marathon every year. It’s considered the toughest running race in the world. It’s a 135 mile race that starts in Death Valley, in summer. Yes, it’s crazy.
Once I asked Frank how on earth he could possibly complete this race in 48 hours. I wanted to know how he kept himself going for that long? I wanted to know what does he say to himself when you are tired, dishearted and just wants to stop?
Frank offered a very simple, but very powerful answer. A lot of it comes down to what he says to himself.
He continued, “I repeat a simple mantra to myself.”
Of course I had to ask him, what do you say to yourself to keep focused and going in such an incredibly tough race. And he simply said, “I repeat over and over — relentless forward motion. No matter how small the step, if I keep moving forward and I’ll hit my goal”.
The same applies to marketing (and to life).
WHEN IS 2 GREATER THAN 4?
So we know to keep moving forward. But how often do we need to take our small marketing steps?
Let me ask you a quick question. If you wanted to truly get fit and healthy, which one would you recommend doing:
- OPTION 1: Workout once a week for 4 hours. (total of 4 hours of exercise)
- OPTION 2: Combine four, 30-minute workouts with little, simple actions like drinking water and eating better. (total of 2 hours of exercise)
We all know option 2 will almost always yield significantly better results even though you’d be exercising for only 2 hours instead of 4.
The same applies to your marketing marketing. Consistent, committed effort over time yields much bigger results in the end. You MUST do something small daily. It builds confidence and a success mindset. And most importantly it builds results. Don’t underestimate the power of small actions even if they are imperfect. Focus on progress, not perfection!
A FINAL WORD
If you’re not feeling confident getting started, remember every successful company and individuals started with 0 blog posts and 0 followers. To build a following you must get started AND keep going.
And don’t forget Zig Ziglar’s wonderful words of wisdom … You don’t have to be great to start but you do have to start to be great.
QUESTION FOR YOU
What do you think is the most important factor to being successful marketing online?
