What's Holding You Back?
Those who know me may find this hard to believe, but there have been times that I’ve been resistant to change.
I remember when email first came out (yes, I am THAT old) and my buddy told me I should sign up for an account.
I said, “What do I need email for? I have a pager!”
I actually said that.
I was in design school in the mid-90s, and it was all about print design. As the internet grew in popularity, some of my friends suggested I get into web design. I couldn’t imagine I would ever need to know that stuff. Long live print.
Now I own a digital marketing company.
Obviously, I quickly realized the error of my ways, bought some books and taught myself HTML. But the point is, I get it. We don’t always recognize the future when we see it.
I recently met with a new client and talked to him about doing some digital marketing, SEO and SEM. He said that wasn’t necessary. He didn’t believe any customers would come to his business through the web.
He said that they'd continue getting all their leads and customers the same way they always had—through cold calling.
He actually said that.
I didn’t even know what to say. I’d had this discussion with clients before, of course, but not in a long time. I thought we were past the point of having to convince people that the Internet works.
There is no greater feeling in the world than having a lead find you on their own. It’s effortless. It’s magical. That’s what the Internet does.
But as I said, I get it. Today, practically every person you see is glued to a cell phone, and yet many businesses still don’t have responsive websites that work on mobile devices. I think we can safely say that mobile has caught on.
Marketers are facing an onslaught of new technologies, some of which - like marketing automation and lead nurturing - can make an enormous impact on your business. Others may just trend briefly only to be replaced by something else. Sometimes, it can be hard to know what we should be investing in next.
What changes are you resisting?
I realize now the changes I was resistant to were actually opportunities. I’m glad I finally took them.
It’s only the opportunities you miss that you regret.
Ready to make some positive changes to your digital marketing? Need help sorting out what works from what's trendy? Ditch the pager and let’s talk.
Diane Callihan
With more than 20 years of experience writing for some of the country’s top brands, Diane helped to shape Roger West’s content strategy, lead generation, and PR efforts as Director of Marketing. She currently serves as President of Callihan Content Creation.