Admittedly, as a marketer, I have always been one to focus on the near term.
- Where could marketing present instant value?
- How could the company receive instant reward?
Maybe it’s my small business roots where as the only marketing person, I focused on what was needed to move the needle now. This can be a blessing and a curse. Sure, you’re the guy that gets things done, but are you the guy that can think strategically? Face it, no one wants to be the short-term guy. We want to be the strategic, visionary, innovative marketer that can set a course for long-term success in whatever we do. All of the great leaders are innovators / visionaries. At the same time, their great marketers and communicators otherwise their ideas would never get off the ground.
I came to this realization that for anything to matter, it has to have longevity. This realization came when I made the move to a much larger company. Like many, one that tends to move at a much slower pace than what I was used to. Quite an adjustment for the small business marketer that aims for instant results, but heck life’s a journey, and I need to “grow-along to get along” if you know what I mean.
So my advice, go for the little wins, but think strategically on how those little wins will fit into the larger picture. For the best results, look at what derives the best results short term and funnel those into a long term strategy. The little wins are kind of like a pilot program. Apply this thinking to:
- Content & Communications Strategy
- Sales Enablement
- Social Media
- etc
Of course, you will need the metrics to prove results. I’ll talk about those later. Little wins can make a big difference in the long run.
Get ‘er done.
image by: Volkswagon
mark wojtasiak 