Stay Focused on Your Marketing Focus

Posted by Tobin Truog · April 22, 2009 · Print This Article

Tools are great. Tools are what separate us from other animals. Using tools is how you can streamline your marketing efforts, stay on track, and get your company or organization in front of the right people.

However, as I am sure you have heard, the tool is only as great as the person using it. You might have a garage full of cycling gear…but that doesn’t make you Lance Armstrong.

There is a reason that “Tools and Tactics” is covered in Lesson Number 6 of the Marketing Action Club Program. The reason is, even the best tool will be useless to you, or even worse a time-waster, if you have not taken care of a few other things first.

There are mindset issues to address, a refined and detailed ideal customer profile, a review of your overall target market, and a plan for how you are going to use ALL of the tools at your disposal.

One of the things you may begin to realize is that some tools will be more appropriate for you and your business than others. Below are a few brief interviews with some of the great folks that attended the April Kansas City Online Community event. These are people who have different approaches, different goals, and who use different tools.

Is there a right answer?

YES!

The right answer is to actually DO something! The right answer is that when you participate, people find out about you. There are lots of ways to participate, here are a few examples.

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Viddler video.

This is Chris Gould, founder of the KCOnline Community, and organizer of this event. We were at a gathering of an online community…see how this stuff works?

Chris is using Twitter a lot right now. This is important to note, as his goal is to foster conversation and to be constantly communicating. Twitter fits!

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Viddler video.

This is Tony Tibbits. His company is Zero Design and he uses LinkedIn to network with business contacts (which is how he found the KC Online group). Another tool that Tony uses (passively) is Google Maps. Good idea Ton

Tools are great. Tools just require some thought and time investment in deciding WHICH tools to use, and then HOW this particular tool FITS within your overall Marketing Plan.

Remember, “Tools and Tactics” always comes after thinking and planning.

Does that confuse you? Do you want to disagree with me? We would value your comments and feedback. Thank you for reading!

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