Marketing ≠ Advertising

It's time to address a very common misunderstanding in the world of small business and marketing!

Just looking at this picture of an annoying banner ad gives me a headache!

When most people hear the word “Marketing” they think of a huge, annoying banner-ad stretching across their screen or a cheesy salesman in a baby-blue suit. This common misconception is severely hurting the small business industry. Business owners are spending tons of money on advertising but neglecting to focus on their marketing system as a whole. This eBook helps demystify the difference between MARKETING and ADVERTISING.

Ever seen one like this? I feel like I could catch a disease just by clicking

The companies that make such tasteless ads (such as the one on the very bottom of this post) are making it increasingly harder to appeal and reach our target demographics. Most small business owners get a call from an Ad Company and decide to blindly give it a try. This in itself is actually good for a business, as not advertising will inevitably lead to failure. The problem arises when the consumer becomes desensitized to the never-ending proliferation of ads and "specials", thus reducing the Return on Investment (ROI). When the campaign is assessed the numbers are usually not what the business owner or manager had hoped for. This usually leaves a "bad taste" in the mouth of the owner and will typically deter them from using a marketing or advertising firm in the future. Well as we all know, if you decide to stop advertising and marketing you might as well stop competing in your market, pack up and call it quits. Unfortunately this is happening at an alarming rate in the United States. Join me in getting small business owners back on track.

Advertising is just one small piece of what makes a great marketing system. Trying to gain new customers and keep them coming back is proving to be harder than ever before. Consumers are now desensitized to most banner ads, sponsored search results and most generic forms of paid advertising, leaving small business owners, who don’t have an endless supply of cash, paying too much for their traffic. This is just the tip of the iceberg! Download my free ebook at www.DefiantMarketingSolutions.com and see what easy changes you can make to increase your return on marketing and advertising investments (ROI) without increasing spending.

By far the worst!

"...conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth" - JFK

Would being the read apple make you nervous and uncomfortable?

Do you make decisions based on compulsions of conformity? What I mean is do you make decisions based on your personal beliefs and convictions or are you so desperate to fit in that you make decisions because it is the popular choice? How long did it take you to decide on which phone to purchase? Did you do any research or did popular opinion make your decision for you? (Its ok to be honest, it's just me and you)

Most people do not notice that the majority of their decisions are influenced by a deep rooted impulse to conform and fit in with their peers. Since our youth we have been trying to fit in. Human beings are highly skilled at mimicry. As young children, mimicking others is literally how we learn about the world around us and how to interact with it and other people. The examples are endless; parents who smoke in front of their child increase the chances that their child will eventually pick up the habit, the same goes for short-tempered role models. As we grow, this process becomes more and more embedded in our lives, even to the point that by the time most of us have reached adulthood we dress, act, talk, reason and argue similar to the others that have influenced us throughout our lives.

Have you ever stopped to think about the "hows" and "whys" behind your opinions? I noticed this when a friend of mine and I were on a short road trip. About half way to our destination, my buddy Kyle (sorry man, had to throw you out there) and I stop to get something to eat. We hit the drive-thru and are back on the road. When I finish my burger I, like I always have, crumble up my trash and put it in the paper bag it came in and place it on the floorboard. Kyle, on the other hand, shamelessly chucks his trash out the window onto the interstate. When he did that I began to think about where that trash was going to end up and how littering is a major problem. Now up until that moment I had never considered the consequences of littering. I'm being serious. I was taught all of the facts when I was younger and made it a point not to litter, but had never really paid any mind to the reality of the negative affects of pollution due to littering. This made me wonder why, if I had never really considered the consequences to be of much importance, I was not a "litter-bug" like my friend. The answer came when I pulled up to my mom's house, the house I grew up in. I was instantly reminded of how well manicured and well kept the neighborhood was, with the exception of the house on the bottom of the hill. They always had scraps of trash in their yard and overgrown weeds dominated the landscape. Every time we drove by that house she would say "Those litter-bugs are the eyesore of the neighborhood!"

Even spoons have insecurity issues now?!

My lifetime commitment to being "litter free" was not based on a well informed, thorough, conscious decision to keep the earth free of litter. It was based on not wanting to be like the people who lived on at the bottom of the hill. My mom's opinion, and the opinions of people like her, shaped my view of littering because I didn't want to be judged like that. I say all this to show that although it is a good thing not to litter, I didn't come to live that lifestyle through an independently developed conviction. Notice I said "lifestyle", as these conformity opinions and decisions have a profound affect on the way you live your entire life, not just one small aspect of your life.

Too many people simply hear someone else's opinion or idea and accept it as their own. Did you take the time to sit down and read your sample election ballot before the last time you voted? Do did you just side with whatever popular choices "your" political party said you should. If you're too busy to form an opinion for yourself, do yourself a favor and don't have an opinion. It will do you tons of good and help you reveal who YOU really are. When faced with the task of forming an opinion or making an opinionated decision, take the time to do some research on the subject.

You cannot please everyone, so don't try. You will be exhausted and even more confused then when you began. But when you make the effort to put everyone else's opinions to the side you will be more confident in your actions and being above reproach is a great place to be. I can honestly say that anyone could bash any of my opinions and I couldn't care less because I know the "why" and "how" so I stand secure. This is a liberating and victorious way to live.

Self-Improvement vs Self-Sacrifice

"The men and women who have the right ideals ... are those who have the courage to strive for the happiness which comes only with labor and effort and self-sacrifice, and those whose joy in life springs in part from power of work and sense of duty." - Theodore Roosevelt

Those who are truly great, sacrifice greatly

As one becomes more familiar with the notion of self-improvement, he/she will notice one key component to self-improvement is actually to do good for others. This is almost an oxymoron. Spend yourself and effort on  someone else in order to improve yourself? What does that mean?

We have all been given resources. They come in many forms but most can fall into a few well defined categories. Time, Talent, Treasure and Relationships.  The way we choose to use these resources is what shapes our decision making processes and the consequential outcomes.

If one spends their time worrying only about themselves, they are usually consumed with and weighed down by their own problems. Lets take a second to look at this more closely. There is absolutely NOTHING to be gained through worry. No one can add a single second to their life or health to their bones by being consumed with worry and anxiety. I'm not saying pay no mind to your problems, I am simply stating that being constantly focused on your problems will not produce anything of benefit. The fact is there are certain things we have no control over and usually after about 6:00 pm those problems cannot even be dealt with. So why consume your time with those things that cannot be helped at that particular moment? I will not get into the studies, but take my word for it (or do your own research), there is vast amounts of evidence showing doing good for others produces a feeling of fulfillment and reduces stress. When we SACRIFICE our time to help others, we make the statement that "my problems do not control my use of the valuable resource called TIME!"

I am a proficient writer, skilled public speaker, have natural athletic abilities, and am an excellent communicator. The development of these TALENTS have given me much success in many areas both personally and professionally. But I pose the questions: to whom am I writing? to whom am I speaking? whom do I communicate with and what do I communicate to them? All of these talents are not useful when they are exclusively for my use. Teaching others actually helps improve skills and sharpens our understanding. For example, a teacher in high school noticed my knack for public speaking and asked if I would teach a few middle school students how to proficiently deliver a public address. Initially I had no idea what made me a good public speaker. I just did it. However, when faced with the task of teaching and sacrificing my own time and talent for the benefit of others, I was forced to evaluate my abilities and my own understanding of the material. This developed a much deeper comprehension of public speaking skills and eventually lead to growth in my personal speaking abilities. It is simple to see how others must be involved in the use and development of these skills and most others for that matter.

If you have any sense you must know that you wont be able to take any of your money with you to the grave. Contrary to popular belief, money was meant to be spent, not to hoard for ourselves. The first time I got a tax refund check I was elated! Mind you I was only 16 years old and had worked my first job as a courtesy clerk for Albertsons, so it was not a huge check by any means; less than $1000 for sure. Either way, being a lower-middle class teenager, that was the most money I had ever had. I got excited and imagined all the things I was going to buy with that and all my future paychecks. Needless to say, with more than a decade between then and now, I cannot even tell you what I spent that money on (ok an mp3 player was in there somewhere). The point is, the money you have now will not last. It will go to bills, food, replacing your broken phone, a set of DreBeats headphones, a glittery cover for your iphone, a juicer that you will never use again after the first week and so many other things. Some are valid expenditures and others are simply impulse buys. Using all your TREASURE for yourself just makes for a cluttered, yet unfulfilled life. Read any work of a proven successful person, they will stand by the principal of giving to others as a fundamental key to success and right living.

I do not like to be inconvenienced. I love meeting new people and forging new relationships. ONLY IF THEY DO NOT INCONVENIENCE ME! This leads to very selfish actions on my part. I am working on being out of my comfort zone when it comes to this area. Meaningful relationships produce meaningful IMPROVED living. They also take an investment of your time, talent and treasure. If you are not willing to SACRIFICE these resources, you will undoubtedly live a lonely life of solitude and obscurity. This is not the goal of SELF-IMPROVEMENT! Quite to the contrary.

In closing, I urge you to evaluate your use of your resources and examine the connection between their use and your personal fulfillment.

"While no one is expected to leap tall buildings in a single bound, our aspiring heroes will be tested on their courage, integrity, self-sacrifice, compassion and resourcefulness - the stuff of all true superheroes." - Stan Lee

Learning Leads to Paranoia

Learning for learning's sake is now a huge movement. The quest to conquer all the knowledge of the universe has been within the hearts of men since the beginning. Interestingly enough, the amount of human knowledge doubles every year and by 2020 it will double every 72 days! This type of growth in human knowledge can be very overwhelming to those of us who are on a bloodhound quest to find knowledge and wisdom. The fact that there is more and more knowledge being produced/discovered daily means that every second I am not learning, I am "falling behind". We all know what it feels like to miss a week of school and upon coming back, find that we are way behind and spend the next few days playing "catch-up". Considering this against the vastness of the knowledge of humanity, it adds a sense of PARANOIA when one takes on the task of becoming "ENLIGHTENED". It sparks the thought "I am never going to be able to catch up."

Seem familiar?

There are 534,259 books published per year in the US & UK alone! That is 1,464 per day, 61 per hour, and 1 per minute! I don't care how fast you can speed read, there is no way to read that much material. It is clearly impossible for any one person to attain all the knowledge of humanity in the span of one lifetime. I am not saying that because of this impossibility, we should just throw in the proverbial towel. By no means! I am simply stating that one must be selective about what he/she decides to fill their head with. Cooking recipes, celebrity trivia, historical facts, mathematical equations, statistics of human knowledge...etc. There is a (literally) never-ending avalanche of knowledge piled upon us daily. The person who spends all their day trying to be current on subjects that do not directly effect him/her is actually, and quite unknowingly, wasting time. It amazes me how much attention is paid to celebrities who have no real value to anyone, besides those making money directly from their exposure. This is an obvious example, but what about learning stuff like how to write code? or how to build a raised box garden? or how to replace a broken power steering belt? Even better, how to achieve spiritual enlightenment and find your purpose by some never ending scholastic effort.

The examples can go on and on. The point is there are people out there who will have you believe that the "pursuit of knowledge is an end in itself." This presupposes that questions are NOT meant to be answered. Rather, they hold that questions produce even more questions and the pursuit of these questions is an answer itself. I am not sure if that just sounds ridiculous to me or if anyone else sees the problem with such statements. I am not going to beat around the bush. Did you know there are people who will write code for you, build fixtures, and maintenance your car?! The fact is, questions were made to be answered! And much to the dismay of many of these time-wasting fantasy chasers, much of the knowledge one hopes to attain is old news and has been discovered by someone else. If you are reading a book, guess what?...it's old knowledge. So, unless the insight you gain will directly effect the way you live, it becomes worthless.

Finally, if you don't believe me, do some research and take time to examine human fulfillment and success in others' lives. Those who have found fulfillment and success are those who realize their limitations and allow others to "know for them". Someone who is constantly chasing the next "mental high" through some sort of enlightenment will undoubtedly be sucked dry of any driving force by a never ending search. There will always be something "new" to learn. Word to the WISE (fools hear no threat), don't make yourself worrisome and anxious with the pursuit of all of humanity's knowledge. Get specialized knowledge that will actually produce the life you want, rather than generalized knowledge that leads only to more questions and confusion.

Quick Insanity Test

Keep on doing what you're doing, and you'll keep on getting what you got!

I urge you to take some time to really reflect on that statement. Go ahead ... I'm waiting. It seems like a simple enough message, but when applied to achieving worthwhile goals it works as blatant evidence as to why they remain goals and never become achievements.

Look Familiar?

When I was growing up, I was an extremely competitive wrestler. I was part of a great program which won our league banner each year. My head coach once told me something that changed my perception of practice and work forever. He stated "Practice doesn't make perfect, PERFECT practice makes perfect!" Expanding on this, he was letting me know that practicing something a million times will not produce perfection if I am not practicing with perfection. If I learned how to do a move (I wont get specific as I am sure no one cares too much about collegiate wrestling) but practiced it the wrong way, when it came time to perform, I would have performed it wrong as well. Luckily I caught onto this teaching early and had much success.

So what does all this have to do with you?

If you have any worthwhile goals in life, at work, in your relationships, sports ... etc, you must be constantly learning and trying to improve yourself and your performance. The problem lies in the fact that most people keep working hard at something using the same techniques every time and blissfully hope for different results. If you go to the gas station and pay $20, guess what? You'll get $20 worth of gas. The result won't magically change because you wrote it on a piece of paper and posted in every room in your house and work space. Just merely hoping for things and "staying positive" will not produce physical results if there is no action taken. Even the Bible states that "faith without works is dead." You can hope all day long that "this time it's going to workout" but if you are using the same method in your approach to life and its opportunities you will ultimately get the same results time after time.

I wrote a blog a couple weeks ago regarding the benefits of learning from failure. This is pretty much a follow up to that article. What one must do after they have failed and decided that they will use that failure to motivate them. Go back to the "drawing" board (in my case it's a cork board and white board) and start over with a NEW method. Take the time to apply a new thinking with regards to things which you may have previously come up short of your goal. Test new and different approaches and methods to the same opportunity (change the word "problem" into "opportunity") and see if you produce the desired results. Chances are you wont hit a home run your first attempt but you will undoubtedly see measurable growth in the areas in which you apply this advice.

Try new things, get many advisers, read more, get out of your comfort zone and TEST TEST TEST.

This man is calling YOU insane!

Albert Einstein stated the definition of INSANITY as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."