You’ve been making all the right moves…
…so why aren’t you wildly successful already?
The truth is, it’s nothing you’re doing wrong, in fact you’re probably doing everything right, and the way you’re supposed to. You’re taking care of business in a way that you know has worked well in the past and is working well for others too. The trouble with what you’re doing isn’t that it’s no good, but rather that it’s just not good enough.
Video: What Is the Future of Organic Search – with Bruce Clay
This video is a great example of the evolution of something simple into something completely new and different. It is not enough to simply focus on one aspect of SEO or SEM and expect the same results that were once possible. In order to succeed in the ever-advancing world of internet marketing (and everything that is a part of it) we need to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently.
Doing a fantastic job at customer service is no longer something that earns you praise; it has come to be expected as a matter of course. Businesses used to take people off guard with candid transparency; today a business has to be transparent to avoid being seen as shady or distant. When it comes to marketing and SEO, the idea is the same. What has worked in the past might still be working, but if you want to go beyond “working” and move on to better things, you’re going to have to be willing to shake things up. Most people involved with internet marketing know that content is very important to the success of a campaign; because of innovators and trailblazers, we now know that content can come in many forms, both written and visual.
First build a solid foundation
Because if you have a strong foundation … then you can build or rebuild anything on it. But if you’ve got a weak foundation you can’t build anything.
- Jack Scalia
There is a reason that the “tried and true” methods, and the basic ideas and concepts you’ve learned and worked with so far have lasted so long in a world that is constantly changing; they work. And because they work, everyone is using them. When SEO was brand new, meta tags were the way to rank well; optimizing them became so popular (to the point of abuse) that they were discounted as a ranking factor, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t serve a purpose even now. The same thing can be said for article directory marketing, blog and forum commenting, and other optimization and link-building methods. They are still justifiable aspects of any solid campaign and should not be tossed aside. Rather, they are building blocks for your foundation, paving the way for your future success.
Video Link Library
These are some longer videos we found that really offer some good tips and a solid foundation in the basics of internet marketing. Not many cutting edge techniques, but rather a few good things every internet marketer should know.
- The 13 Pillars of Internet Marketing – Full Original Seminar Recording – by 26WeekPlan
- Internet Marketing Without The B.S. - by James Spittal
- Small Business Marketing 101: Websites & Internet Marketing – by VistaPrint
Stepping stones
Take what you know now and use it to build upon until you arrive at the new idea that is going to help you blaze your trail. With your knowledge about what has worked for you, add in what has worked for others, current trends, etc and pull the best aspects of each to use when forming your new idea. Do not copy anyone’s original ideas, and don’t try to blaze a trail that’s parallel to someone else’s; do your very best to be different!
Being different can mean approaching a known idea or method from a different angle, or arriving at a known conclusion or result using a new method. Take link-building for example; you know you want your site on the first page of Google, and you know you have to build links to get there…so how are you going to build them? You could stick with your existing strategy and nothing else, you could combine what you know with something you think has a good chance of success, or you could invest your efforts and resources in the new idea 100%. The possibilities are nearly endless!
That being said, don’t be too eager to discard everything that you know and have been doing just yet. Remember that those things are part of what have enabled you to get this far, so they still have value, even in the face of new challenges. So instead of worrying about what you are doing now and how it alone is not going to get you ahead, look at things from a different perspective.
Rather than looking up at the stratospheres of success and wondering why you can’t take the elevator straight to the top…consider taking the stairs. A little hard work and elbow grease never hurt anyone, and it is often through the trials and errors of the journey that we discover the true gems that would have remained hidden otherwise. By working through your ideas and searching for a new way to do something, you just might find a little SEO / Internet Marketing gold.
What does all of this mean for you?
It means that only doing the same old things and using the same old methods that are so popular is not going to make you, your business, or your work stand out. And if you can’t stand out, how can you blaze a trail?
Answer: Keep trying, and don’t give up!
Then blaze a trail of your own
Trailblazing is all about doing something new or unexpected. A classic visualization is a picture of American pioneers traveling west; they left their comfort zone and ventured into unknown territory in search a new and better life. Another example could be a person hacking through the thick foliage of a tropical rainforest in search of fabled riches.
What both of these examples have in common is a starting point (a solid foundation) that was used as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Whether you are in search of your next great adventure or simply looking to increase your earning potential and secure a bigger piece of the pie, you need to have a place to start from. This is where your solid foundation in the classics comes in.
Being a trailblazer is all about taking what you know and moving beyond it. You can’t be afraid to be first, and you can’t be afraid to fail. BUT (and you knew there was one coming didn’t you?) true trailblazers aren’t reckless or unthinking. True trailblazers do not go off half-cocked, chasing every lead as though they were all rainbows leading to pots of gold. Being unafraid is different that being unconcerned or unthinking. Boldness should not ever be mistaken for a lack of careful planning and consideration!
A true trailblazer lays out all of the options, and considers the possibilities before starting anything new. They consider every angle, even those that result in failure. From all of this thinking and planning they arrive at the best possible approach. It’s all about looking before you leap!
Are you a trailblazer?
Do you think you have what it takes?
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