“Presuming to know is a disease. First realize that you are sick; then you can move toward health.”
Mitchell, Stephen (2009-10-13). Tao Te Ching (Perennial Classics) (p. 78). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
The allure of Internet marketing for me has always been the data. I have realized it can also be the poison pill. So often people come to me “wanting to know.” They want answers for their marketing.
My answer is, “I don’t know.”
I truly became an expert when I realized the answer is not the answer until it works. I love to go into projects with an open mind and be surprised by what I find. I know that does not sound obvious, but my mind is open. The biggest failure comes in entering a marketing project and missing the serendipity because you “knew” the answer.
A perfect example of this is keywords. I can have a general idea of what keywords work, and I almost always find a surprising key term that is even better.
Your clients’ needs are changing. Their decision-making process is changing. The Internet marketing landscape is changing. Trying to analyze the data and hit the mark perfectly every time is not the best way. Listen, try different approaches and build intuition.
If you look around at the trend in content it is “Top 5 ways to ______.” Those posts work because we are all looking for the answer. If you read these posts, they all say the same thing. Do things and pay attention to your results.
This is a big topic, and a critical mindset. The last four sentences could each be a chapter in a book. You can search for answers before making a move, or realize you do not know, try things and pay close attention to what works.