For some of us, it’s fun to follow the latest online marketing tools, tactics and tricks. But reading about all that new stuff can also fill us with anxiety and dread.
Apple vs. Facebook. New Google search algorithms. Facebook updates its ad platform. New ways to use Instagram. Make videos for YouTube and all the other social media. Here comes Clubhouse! And should we be sorry we missed Parsnip, er, Parler?
Let’s not forget chatbots, AI, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, California and European Union privacy laws, and a new and “improved” version of Google Analytics.
Just A Few Examples
Here are just some of the headlines that came through my inbox in the last few days:
- 5 Common Reasons Email Outreach Fails to Hit the Mark
- Guest Posting in 2021: Amplify Brand First, Build Links Second
- A Technical SEO Guide to Lighthouse Performance Metrics
- The Pros and Cons of Selling on Walmart Marketplace
- How To Leverage Social Commerce on Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram
- Why the First-Party Data Buzz is on the Rise
- How to Use Instagram Guides
- 5 Ways to Do More Customer-Centric Marketing in 2021
- Five Steps to Winning Back Lost Customers Using Targeted Content
I guarantee, there’s more. That’s just digital marketing stuff. If you run a small business, there’s even more — accounting, bookkeeping, inventory management, sales tools and tips, how to hire the best employees, etc. Not to mention business-specific information like the latest fashion trends, new retail products, best practices, new techniques for home-builders, and on and on.
Anxiety Symptoms
Anybody else have a dry mouth and a twitching eye? Just me?
If you’re running a small business with few resources, trying to keep up with so much advice and information is so overwhelming it slows everything.
Some ways to avoid the torrential influx of information:
- Unsubscribe to emails you don’t read any more or just don’t need.
- Set aside specific blocks of (limited) time to catch up on the latest stuff that’s most important to you.
- Stay focused on your current goals. If you’re working on Twitter marketing, don’t drift into reading about YouTube or LinkedIn.
When it comes to online marketing, you’ve got to pick your spots. Start with something you’re familiar with. If you’re a Facebook user, promote your business there. Love Twitter? Go for it. You already make videos around the shop? Try Instagram, YouTube or TikTok.
Pick one, and ignore the rest until your success and growth allows you to try something else.
Patience Is A Virtue
As you start out, be patient. Give yourself permission to be imperfect. Get started, take note of what works and what doesn’t, and make changes based on your experience and the advice you get from reading blogs, watching webinars, etc. Avoid the “shiny objects” that grab your attention and tempt you to try something new before you’re ready.
It is a challenge to stick with just one or two marketing tactics, especially if you’re experiencing “fear of missing out” or pressure from competitors. Patience, grasshopper. You got this.
Mark Whittaker, a Pittsburgh-based online marketer, helps small businesses and start-ups find customers with search and social media advertising, content development and digital marketing strategy. Write to him at mark (at) whitmarkdigital.com and subscribe to his fortnightly email.