Typewriter Math
Math On A Typewriter
Ever find, at times, that online marketing - online ANYTHING - is like doing new math on an old typewriter? Sometimes, you're so focused, the slow arduous process of creating the equation bears the reverential gravity of ritual that's almost more satisfying than the intended eventual solution. Other times, you're so bunched up in the midst of how to get the thing just banged out, you're wondering if it's even worth the effort; whether the equation will ever even balance, or if you even care.
On the one hand, you're in 'forest for the trees' mode, quite self-satisfied with having achieved the almost ideal placement of a just-about-right image in relation to text that very nearly says something of consequence. Just getting there was a journey of discovery, and successes along path to magical upload-land were hard won and felt like it. On the other hand, frustration tangles your nerves into such a jumbled jangle of "Grrrrr!" that you'd just as soon scrap the entire effort than deal with one more thing.
Matters On Your Mind
At the end of the day, on the one hand AND the other, actual results slipped through your fingers. The goals of realizing some positive traction got lost. Started out on a well-paved road of the absolute best intentions. Maybe you're stuck counting clicks and wondering where the conversions went. Maybe you realize you've acquired just enough skill to be dangerous and still don't have the time to leverage your newfound chops because you're too busy playing catch up and actually running the business. Lost in translation, the message got mired in the mediums and came out sideways, if it actually came out at all. But oh, Intrepid Web Traveler, you're not ready to give up the ghost, because no matter how much all this may seem like vapor, you know that there's something to it, something real good, elusive though it may now seem.
An epiphany of such brilliance and clarity dawns: You're using the wrong tool for the job! Nobody uses a typewriter to do math! Wait. Maybe they do. I mean, we've seen some pretty impressive stuff come out of the very same technologies you've been struggling with. Seriously awesome stuff that invites you to click, to become engaged, to evolve from impulse buyer, to loyal customer, to diehard fan and evangelist. And a new thought dawns on you: 'Wow, they must be absolute masters of their craft… If only..' You'd give almost anything to have that kind of reach, that kind of impact. What matters now: that you find that master craftsman to be an ideal extension of your passion. Someone who can express your magic with their typewriter. They're out there. And they're just as passionate as you. You can feel them and, reinvigorated, you can find them.
Variables, Remainders, and Infinities of Divided Questions
So you're armed with a renewed sense of purpose and you're ready to give this thing a go. There are so many variables, it boggles the mind. But you're not daunted. You're not fearful of remainders, you're not trying to cancel anything out, you're focused on adding things up. You realize that the more you risk, the greater the reward; that every solution begets its own set of questions. And you're just fine with that because you're true to your passion, you're leveraging your strengths, and you're wielding the skills of others to reach your goals along the best of intended roads.
An Afterword
I came to this as I see so many people struggling with the frenetic pace of innovation and change when it comes to online efforts. In particular, there's so much noise around the Social Media Revolution that people are often confused and frustrated by the conflicting information and fragmentation. If you're struggling specifically with the whole notion of social media and its business value - whether it really has any, if it's even worth the effort, etc. - then I'd like to recommend one absolutely priceless resource for you: Ann Evanston, Warrior-Preneur and America's Social Media Psychologist, hosts the Social Networking Coaching Club. Get the straight skinny from someone who successfully uses social media to increase her business and helps others do the same every day. Definitely worth a look. There's lot's of self-proclaimed gurus out there. Ann's the real deal. Her video channel is a great resource, too.
