Five Types of Courage: An Internet Marketing Fable
Time For An Ever Expanding Life
I’m sorry you weren’t here in the late 1990’s. Internet marketing didn’t exist yet. I built and launched FoundObjects.com, my first website now RIP, in November of 1999. I had time to think about the site’s Mondrian grid lines for months. I couldn’t find a reasonable price for HTML. There was time to learn HTML and write the code.
Not so much anymore. Time is gone compressed into an ever more chaotic NOW.
It was easy to be courageous then because no one knew any better and the bet was small. Strangely, our current environment is the same. Sure there is more NOISE, but greatness and truth remain in short supply. Most people copy others a dangerous tendency in Internet marketing.
Don’t fall into the trap. Don’t copy. If something is confusing work to understand it. Understanding is the bridge to every successful Internet marketing I’ve ever created. Here are just a few things you MUST understand to create great Internet marketing:
- Yourself warts and all.
- Your products warts and all.
- Your customers.
- How your customers FEEL, THINK and ACT (not always the same).
- How you save the world (everyone does in some way).
- Why your customers love you.
- Why your customers hate you.
- Your competition.
- Your business ecosystem (called “business vertical”).
- Your tendencies (if x happens you usually do y).
- What to do next.
All of this information is available, but not in the same place. Take an inventory. Find what is missing and print it out., paste it on the wall. Look at it like a series of paintings. Add to it, subtract from it, edit what is there. Do Pinterest on your office wall so others can see, contribute and comment.
Internet Marketing Courage #1 is The Courage of Self Examination
Tomorrow Internet Marketing Courage #2. Can you guess what it will be? Tweet your ideas to @ScentTrail.