Remember back to your school days (or maybe, as in my case, it was a school daze)?
Some of your classmates got straight-A grades, seemingly without effort. Those were the uber-smart *nerds* for whom everything school-wise clicked. But this rare breed is an anomaly—the all-star athlete of the intellectual realm.
There was another segment of students who also got straight-A’s. But this group REALLY had to work at it. Like, they killed themselves in pursuit of “perfection.” These are the kids my middle school-age son refers to as “try-hards” (with definite disdain, I might add).
And then there were the students who put forth consistent and concerted effort, showed up every day, turned in their homework, studied for tests, and generally did their best. Even if that yielded B+ marks rather than “perfect grades.”
And this, my friends, is where most of us land. We work hard, strive to do our best work, and aim to succeed. But life is relentlessly busy. The demands are endless. And we’re always scampering around on the metaphorical hamster wheel.
Meanwhile, you’re probably wondering what – if anything – all of this has to do with small business marketing?
Fair question.
Whether or not you were a straight-A student, as a business owner, it can be tempting to aim for “perfection.” And this mentality can often lead you to constantly compare yourself and your business to others.
This is dangerous because not only is perfection an illusion, it’s a UUUUUGE barrier to progress.
As 18th Century French philosopher Voltaire noted…
Perfect is the enemy of good.
Meaning that the effort required to achieve “perfection” is likely to get in the way of important issues. Like, oh, say, earning sustainable revenue.
Thus, when it comes to building and sustaining a successful business, B+ marks are commendable. Particularly if you’re able to perform at this level continually.
What does this mean, practically speaking?
Don’t let your pursuit of getting it “perfect” stand in the way of getting it done.
For example, you’ve likely landed on a business website and thought: “Wow, this is AAA-MAZ-ING.” But not launching your own website until you can replicate what you feel is comparable quality is holding you back.
You’ve probably received a promotional email that really captured your attention. But not investing in email marketing because you don’t think you can match the same level of quality is a hindrance, not a help.
You’ve also probably seen captivating business promotions on social media. But here again, staying off social media because you’re not confident you can manage anything as good ultimately hurts your business.
In other words… Don’t stress over earning straight-A’s. Strive for B+ marks, and watch your business grow!
But all of this said, consistently achieving B+ results can be challenging with an overflowing to-do list.
And on that note, if you need help with any of the following marketing projects…
Websites – New launches, site redesigns, and content updates.
Business blogging – Which establishes you as an industry authority and improves your website search ranking.
Email marketing – Writing content and designing emails for lead generation, eNewsletters, updates and announcements, and other miscellaneous campaigns.
Social media marketing – Helping establish your presence and increasing your reach in the highly active and prospect-rich social media-sphere.
Brochures and flyers – Writing and designing collateral for agent and property promotion.
Direct mail campaigns – Writing and designing mailers for agent and property promotion.
PR – Drafting press releases and distributing them to media outlets and industry influencers to gain media attention for your business.
Branding – Creating complete brand identities, including logos, color palettes, style guides, mission statements, unique selling propositions, and related content.
Please get in touch: 310.466.7893 | ryan@ryananys.com