i have come to realize that my crazy naming ideas don't always make sense outside my own brain, so i thought i should probably start explaining them. what better place than in my blog, i thought...so i guess i'll start with that one.
what is 'occam's razor'?
for those of you who can't be bothered to look it up on Wikipedia, occam's razor is a principle attributed to a 14th century logician and friar (William of Ockham/Occam). in his principle, friar william tells us that the explanation of a phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible. that is to say he tells us that 'all things being equal, the simplest solution is the best one'.
so what does this have to do with the web or this blog?
well, first let me say that the terminology 'occam's razor' is most commonly used in scientific circles regarding theories, not marketing instructional documents. but, for those of us who didn't get a bachelor's degree in a science field, many of the technologies we encounter with the web are about as close to scientific theory as we ever want to get. so, for us, use of the term does apply.
what does it have to do with the web? well, everything. you see, by its nature, the web evolved to be a way to enhance our communication globally. it allows us to exchange information worldwide to help share our experiences, expand our knowledge, delve into deeper questions and problems and ultimately....
confuse the heck out of most us!
i am truly amazed each day at what we are able to accomplish due to this medium. but at the same time as i marvel at what it provides, i realize how much it leaves many of us, especially those who DO NOT work in it for a living, confused and irritated. HOW can it help me grow my business? WHERE do i go for answers? WHAT am i supposed to do with all this technology?
occam's razor is here to help cut through the confusion of the technology, the gimmicks and the questions that we have as small business owners and help figure out what to do to use the web to grow our businesses. now, while i fully realize that i stray off topic from time to time and speak about general marketing or running your business, not just the web, in essence, the blog does strive to reach the same basic goal: cutting through the mental or technological clutter to help make better business decisions and using our marketing dollars more wisely.
i've always believed that the best marketing was the simplest. whether online or offline, it's the simplest ideas that have the most impact. remember that, and you might be surprised at how well it works for you.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
the glory of committment
well, here i am, 2 months since my last blog posting doing EXACTLY what i tell all my clients NOT to do. what is that advice all about?
well, once you create a marketing plan, whether for print or web-based initiatives, you need to STICK WITH IT to make it work. do not just abandon an initiative after a few days, weeks (or blog entries!) just because it's not producing the leads you had hoped for. as a small business, you should be creating a plan that looks out for the next 6 months (or one season if you are seasonal) and forecasts your goals and what you need to do to achieve them.
from there, you need to start and CONTINUE working toward those goals so that they can be achieved. an example close to home... if you really want to connect with your customers, try using a blog or email newsletter. collect names, write content and create a schedule for sending or posting that information on a regular basis. now, if you're like me, you're probably so busy running your business that you can barely think about making extra time to contribute to a new initiative. (hmm. could that be what happened to me last month...and the one before? you bet.)
what you need to remember is that this initiative shouldn't be considered 'extra' time. it needs to be scheduled into your calendar just like a client meeting, sales call or other regular event. your plan will never reach its goals if you don't execute it as it was intended.
now, i'm not saying that you should pour endless hours or sums of your marketing dollars into a plan that is showing no results or is an obvious failure. we all try and do make mistakes when we first venture out into a new world, and not all of them will prove bountiful. it's OK to recognize that and modify your marketing plan accordingly. BUT be sure that the initiative really failed DESPITE the effort put in, and not due to a lack of it.
so, here i am in the trenches with you, trying my best to learn from my mistakes and hopefully take the advice i give so often to all of you. i hope you've learned something from my experience (and hey, this blog entry took less than 10 minutes to write, so really, i have no excuse any more!)... i always enjoy learning from you.
until next time (and i promise it won't be so long!)
- maryann
well, once you create a marketing plan, whether for print or web-based initiatives, you need to STICK WITH IT to make it work. do not just abandon an initiative after a few days, weeks (or blog entries!) just because it's not producing the leads you had hoped for. as a small business, you should be creating a plan that looks out for the next 6 months (or one season if you are seasonal) and forecasts your goals and what you need to do to achieve them.
from there, you need to start and CONTINUE working toward those goals so that they can be achieved. an example close to home... if you really want to connect with your customers, try using a blog or email newsletter. collect names, write content and create a schedule for sending or posting that information on a regular basis. now, if you're like me, you're probably so busy running your business that you can barely think about making extra time to contribute to a new initiative. (hmm. could that be what happened to me last month...and the one before? you bet.)
what you need to remember is that this initiative shouldn't be considered 'extra' time. it needs to be scheduled into your calendar just like a client meeting, sales call or other regular event. your plan will never reach its goals if you don't execute it as it was intended.
now, i'm not saying that you should pour endless hours or sums of your marketing dollars into a plan that is showing no results or is an obvious failure. we all try and do make mistakes when we first venture out into a new world, and not all of them will prove bountiful. it's OK to recognize that and modify your marketing plan accordingly. BUT be sure that the initiative really failed DESPITE the effort put in, and not due to a lack of it.
so, here i am in the trenches with you, trying my best to learn from my mistakes and hopefully take the advice i give so often to all of you. i hope you've learned something from my experience (and hey, this blog entry took less than 10 minutes to write, so really, i have no excuse any more!)... i always enjoy learning from you.
until next time (and i promise it won't be so long!)
- maryann
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