A Mind on Marketing
Even a dummy can say something…
As I know, it does not matter how fabulous the idea, the product or the care behind it…if no one knows you exist it will fail.
I know that marketing and publicity alone will not make this venture a success but I know that without the correct publicity it will fail.
So as I watched the steam rise from my coffee…I very rarely drink coffee but have decided I need to move out of my comfort zone in every way possible to turn on switches that have been set to off for years. I need to reawaken lots of dormant corners and pour light in to myself so that I will radiate this new business and be better able to communicate its idea, ideals and aims. Thus allowing interested people to better understand what I am doing and be able to get on board. If people do not ‘get it’ it will be because I have failed to bring it to life for them, not because they have failed to care.
Now the other thing I have quickly learned about the wonderful World Wide Web is that it has taken the notion of competing for attention to a whole new level. Yes it is a platform however you need a very large megaphone to get your voice above the millions of others screaming for attention. ATTENTION that is another minefield because what the internet provides is the opportunity for everyone to say something and most people come here to do just that; say something, on their Twitter feed, Facebook page, Blog, Web Site or to show something on their Pinterest board, YouTube feed or one of many other options available. The notion that there are billions of people on here to listen I think is a misunderstanding, it is difficult to listen while you are talking and trying to make your latest profound view known to the rest of the world!!!!
I like all the little outlets I have established on the net and I am very aware that they are currently little more than a public diary. I need to get creative with my thinking and find effective ways to market and promote this venture online.
It is difficult; it is a new venture with nothing to show for itself. Full of promise but invisible in the sea of established entities and making connections with others is not easy. Everyone is promoting their own business, idea or self and they do not necessarily reply if you contact them. They want to be connected to you, to link, follow etc. but that is with a view to promoting their product or business not with a view to making a ‘real’ connection or collaboration. The cacophony of sound drowns you out; everyone is frantically running through the virtual world of virtual opportunity and kicking up a lot of dust as they go. We are all it seems still ever climbing up the climbing wave rather than riding it.
It is foolish to think that because you can secure a place standing on this global platform it enables you to get a ticket to the global train ride. I think I will continue to tweet, blog and promote this venture online while returning to the traditional idea of getting the idea out in my local area, building interest and word of mouth promotion for the idea. Otherwise there is the potential to forget that the longest journey starts with one step and that in order to arrive you must have travelled.
Catching the imagination of the world, jaded as it now is by all the false promises of grand internetted ideas, will be a very interesting challenge. It has always been difficult to be truly original but it is becoming increasing impossible.
I enjoyed my coffee this morning but it is back to tea for me now…with a slice of cake. Not original but still very lovely.
