Marketing the Possible – And Doing It
There are so many “tips” available from online marketing experts these days that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. When that happens, when there are simply too many choices, most people simply give up and choose to do nothing. For us, the real key to successfully marketing a business online is – knowing what’s possible, doing that, and doing only that.
In other words, as an entrepreneur, you need to know what you're capable of and limit yourself to those things alone. Granted, it’s tempting to try to be all things to all people but, that rarely works. It also leads to stress, exhaustion, and sleepless nights!
The Art of the Possible
This brings to mind the classic quotation that is normally attributed to Abraham Lincoln about whether you can “please all of the people all of the time.” In fact, the Lincoln quote was quite different (and quite a bit more cynical):
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” – Abraham Lincoln (emphasis added)
For cynical marketers (and far too many politicians), this is a truism that often has them crying themselves to sleep at night. For the rest of us, the gentler interpretation of poet John Lydgate has more appeal:
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” – John Lydgate (emphasis added)
Perhaps we can simplify that even further with this famous (or infamous) movie line:
“A man’s got to know his limitations.” – Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry
Knowing Your Limitations Has Value
What’s the point of all this quoting and deep thinking? Simply this… When you consider an online marketing strategy, you have to start from this basic premise… YOU know what's possible – and your prospects don't.
This is especially true today, when people’s values, needs, and priorities may have changed dramatically.
Consider for a moment these shifting attitudes from the business and personal worlds, in response to the recent health crisis which has had an impact on all of us.
According to Fortune.com, the top concerns of business leaders will be:
48% say their top concerns over returning to business as usual are health and safety
38% cited financial management and cash flow
27% cited concerns about new laws and regulations
25% of business leaders say the biggest challenge to working remotely is productivity and motivation
24% said connectivity with coworkers
19% home-office setup needs
48% of business leaders think technology spending at their company will increase [in our new reality]
Whether your business is focused on products or services, or a combination of the two, these changing behaviors and priorities could have a direct effect on your target audience. This will have a profound effect on you and your design or furnishings business.
Where Can You Be Supportive?
For many, it’s a new world out there. For some, the changes are practical while, for others, they are driven by fear. Understanding which of these you are dealing with will go a long way to determining how you can offer the support and services prospective clients may need. And, since they do not know what may be possible, it’s your responsibility to educate and illuminate the possibilities for them.
That is what online marketing has always been, and always will be, about, the art of knowing and marketing the possible!
If you're still unsure of how to share your expert knowledge of the possible through online marketing, Ted offers business consulting to the trade that can help you figure it out. Simply… Contact TD Fall today.