ConversationMarketing.com recently put together a list of the 38 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started In Marketing.
Here are the author’s top 10 things you should know:
1) No one has a clue how to market anything. We are all winging it. It’s just that some are better at winging it than others.
2) Corollary: Seth Godin, et al are brilliant about the high-level stuff. But on a tactical level, everyone fails, most of the time. Learn from it.
3) That which you doubt becomes a trend. When I started, I hedged my bets that this internet thing was a fad by writing copy for print pieces, too. Cough.
4) Today’s hot trend vanishes like a fart in the wind. The flip side of doubt is that the hottest trends often die so fast the universe forgets they ever existed. Remember ‘push technology’? Wired does. In 1997 they were shouting how push would replace the web browser. 11 years later, RSS adoption is around 3-8% depending on who you ask. Don’t jump on every new thing. The trick, of course, is knowing what to jump on, and what to jump over.
5) Get a bookkeeper. My wife is a Chartered Accountant (a Canadian CPA+). She did our books for about 2 years. After two years of her harassing me for receipts I knew I’d lost and me driving her crazy with my squirrelesque accounting practices, I hired a part-time bookkeeper. Best money I’ve ever spent.
6) Get a retainer. Clients you think are the nicest folks in the world may have painfully slow accounts payable departments. Get 30%. Up front. No matter what.
7) You are right. When in a discussion, assume you are right. If you waffle, there’s not much point in discussing anything.
You are wrong. Don’t be so blockheaded that you can’t change your mind when you’re clearly wrong.
9) Buy a really nice monitor. Definitely buy a humungous monitor. I love mine, and I’m far more productive for having it.
10) Work with people you like. No matter how much someone’s paying you, if you dread talking to them the relationship won’t last.
What additional thoughts would you add to your list of “things to know when marketing a business”?
