…Is To Unleash Their Inner Expert
March 14, 2009
This blog topic has been brewing in my head for months. Enjoy.
Lots of people want you to know that certain technologies and trends can REALLY make a big difference in your business outcomes. Business owners listen, because many business owners feel the need to keep up with the (hyper-perceived) hyper-evolution of web technologies.
Web-based or not, any business has to think of ways to improve in order to remain competitive. Thankfully (I guess), there are plenty of blogs, articles and webinars out there to help you keep up with the latest trends. Fearing abandonment in the ever changing world of business, we may too hastily cling to trends simply because an expert touts its benefits.
Now don’t get me wrong — some trends became trends for a very good reason. Many (most?) programs have benefits that deserve touting. The most important thing though, is to consider the practice, the product, the whatever, as it would apply to your business.
I bet you’d love an example right about now:
I got an email inviting me to a webinar. The webinar was about constructing the perfect marketing email. Being impressed with the construction of the email they sent me (quite an accomplishment considering all the email marketing I’ve done), I decided it was worth my time to sign up. I was impressed, almost overwhelmed, with the detail and expertise they poured into this webinar. They really knew their stuff. Unfortunately, they didn’t know MY stuff.
While their tips were practical and intelligent, I knew for a fact that they would be detrimental to the work I was doing. I knew my audience VERY well, and I knew for a fact that my way was better (I had the performance reports to prove it). How could a company that sounds so smart be so dead wrong?
Unforunately, what they DIDN’T know was:
WHO I was marketing to.
WHAT content or product I was marketing.
WHERE my audience was.
WHEN we launched marketing campaigns
WHY we sent out marketing emails.
Frankly, they were suggesting I do the complete OPPOSITE of what I knew worked best for my company.
There’s no website, technology, product or trend that can substitute for knowing your business and knowing your audience. Don’t let the experts push you around. You (should) know better than anyone else what your customers respond to, and what works best for your own business.
