• Living Beyond the Marketing Hype

    There are times when learning cutting edge marketing techniques enhances one’s skill set. Then there are times when you’ve got to step away from all the marketing buzz or you’ll lose your soul. It pains me to say it, but marketers like me often fall into this category beyond businessman and just shy of prostitute.

    Strong words, I know, but we face a necessary evil. We help businesses fight for visibility amidst the throng of thousands of other voices. Still, there are timeless truths that one must choose to hold onto or else risk drowning.

    “Stay away from the love of money…Be content with the things that you have.”
    “Be true to yourself.”
    “Write your first draft from your heart. Write your second draft with your head.”

    A writer faces certain dilemmas during the developmental stages of his career. What path will i take to success? Will i insist on staying true to my art? Will i write anything to get attention? Where do i draw the line between pursuing success and insisting on authenticity?

    Search the Internet and you will find a thousand ways to leverage yourself to gain visitors, clickthroughs, and, in the end, popularity. You can follow a dozen formulas or create your own hybrid. Make thousands of dollars or simply become known as the authority on a subject.

    Some of you will inevitably try all of these things and finally come to the conclusion that it’s not worth that feeling of losing substance on the inside. Sure, you could make the money if you want to. You could gain the popularity if you wanted to. But you stop because you realize you don’t really want to. You discover that even the uncomfortable obscurity you’ve lived in for years is preferable to a life focused on the bottom line.

    They are the rough seas we must all navigate to the best of our abilities. Some will sink. Some will swim. Some will float helplessly. Some may even walk on water.

    Which will you be?

    Shoot, which will i be?