Are you trying to be everything?

A wise man once told me "If you try to be everything to everyone, you are nothing to no one" - hmmm ... you could definitely apply this to your marketing plan. Actually you SHOULD apply this to your marketing plan.

When I was a newbie Marketing Director, I had this overwhelming urge to do everything... to sign up for every magazine ad that was pitched to me... to exhibit at every trade show I heard about.

Of course I could not do everything because that would have cost ridiculous amounts of money, so, like every other responsible manager, I had to choose. As time went on, and I gained confidence and experience, choosing became easier - I based my decisions on whether the marketing tactic would generate the biggest bang for the buck. I chose those that would generate the most leads and that fit in the budget

It is really that simple. Or is it?

What happens when you are marketing without spending money? I find it interesting that a concept that was born out of the limitations of having no money to market, actually provides limitless possibilities. With those limitless possibilities, comes the danger of overextending oneself to try to take advantage of all that is free.

So what am I saying?

I'm saying that though blogging, squidoo, emailing, newsletters, phone calls, etc... don't cost money, they cost time, and many would argue that time is THE most precious commodity.

No matter what - it is critical that you spend your time marketing via the best channels for you.

Your objective may be to build relationships through education, so a blog may be the best for you.

You may be wanting to improve your reputation and your goodwill so volunteering to speak at a high school assembly or rotary meeting may be the best for you.

Only you will know what works best. It starts with identifying clear objectives, and then matching the tasks to the amount of time you can afford to spend. Some of you out there might be well established with a staff to assist you, giving you the time to be great at a number of different marketing tactics, but some of you are starting out. You may be the receptionist, accountant, assembler, shipper, receiver, marketer, etc... To you, I say, don't be overwhelmed. You can do it. Start marketing through the best channel that meets your objectives and grow from there.

If you want guidance on which channel(s) to choose, let us know. We would love to help.