Endings are elusive, middles are nowhere to be found, but worst of all is to begin, to begin, to begin.
- from “The Dolt” by Donald Barthelme
I was reminded of this great quote from one of my favorite short story writers this morning, as I had a meeting with a group of clients, eager to grow their small business, excited about the potential afforded them by the internet, and absolutely overwhelmed by the task at hand.
“Where do we start?” I was asked several times. They’ve just got a website up, with no online presence at all. Do we blog? Who’s gonna know about the blog? How do we publicize it? What do we talk about?
I think the reason I like the above quote so much is that, for me anyway, it implies that there is no right answer: that starting off is a haphazard and messy endeavor, which is why it’s the hardest thing of all for a storyteller like Barthelme. And marketing is a form of storytelling.
Having said that, I think there are some definite questions to answer for yourself to help you begin down the path of an internet marketing campaign.
- What are your goals? Are you looking to acquire online customers? Grow your customer base from local to national? Establish yourself locally? Are you trying to develop and market new products/services, or educate your client base on current ones? And don’t be too vague. “I want to make more money” is a fine desire, but it’s not a practical goal. Determine what your goals are in succinct and straightforward terms, and engineering a plan to that end becomes loads easier.
- Evaluate your resources. You may have the most ambitious goals in the world, but if you don’t have the money or the manpower to pull them off, they’re only pleasant daydreams you’ll have time to ponder while business isn’t coming in. Be practical, and start small. Go for cost-effectiveness, the biggest bang for your buck – online news releases are a good example, as is SEO. And weigh which you have more of, time or money. Time, money, or a combination of both has solved every problem since the pyramids (I suppose the Egyptians also took advantage of free labor…interns!)
- Research. Find out where your clients are hanging out online. Find out what trends they’re leaning towards. Read anything and everything that pertains to your industry, your client’s demographic, and the tools you’re looking to use. Or if you don’t have the time, find someone who can. The closest that marketing gets to science is in its statistical data, and so much can be readily found today, particularly online. Don’t miss out.
And lastly, jump in. Your best research subject will be your own project, and trial and error your best teachers. Don’t be afraid to try something crazy, but don’t ignore the results if they come back disappointing. To begin may be the worst of all, but it only takes a moment to do.
Happy beginnings to you, and to us all here in the United States, as we collectively begin a new chapter today.
