Zen and the art of online marketing

There is a lot of angst in the online marketing world.

If you believe the path to success is paved by creating volumes of free content, spending countless hours promotion, and hoping eventually a percentage of those who read you will buy, I would like to spend the next few minutes and help free you of this mindset and move towards a more zen approach to online marketing.

Whether the demand is perceived or actual, it’s implied that successful conversion requires perfection. Perfection however requires much time and creative energy up front, with little to no promise of conversion.  This causes many to give up before they even begin. Even worse, those who endure are left exhausted when the time comes to deliver.

But there is a better way.

Breathe.

Breathing is the essence of life, yet on any given day, it’s rare we take the time to do it.

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits says of breathing:

If you feel stressed out and overwhelmed, breathe. It will calm you and release the tensions.

If you are worried about something coming up, or caught up in something that already happened, breathe. It will bring you back to the present.

Breathing helps you approach each task with a clear mind.

If you’re unable to think clearly about who you are attracting, breathe. Allow yourself to free up the mental space and let the best ideas to gain their attention find the way to your mind. If they don’t come right  away, keep breathing, they will.

If someone in one of your communities offers nothing but negativity, breathe. Give yourself the time and clarity of mind to formulate a response that states your position without escalating the negativity.

If you’re having a hard time writing an article, breathe. Let your breath carry you from one thought to the next and every word connect with the needs of your readers.

If you’re having a sales conversation, and find yourself floundering, breathe. It will allow you to reconnect with the conversation and focus on their needs instead of your own.

Be still.

“There is a great difference between being still and doing nothing”~ Chinese Proverb

How are you ever supposed to know the needs of your market, if you don’t take time to be still to observe what is going on around you?

Being still isn’t about doing nothing.

It is about observation. It’s about listening. It’s about detecting the patterns.

In the online world, activity and movement are default modes. We’re either blasting our messages out in hopes others will listen, or having our attention pulled in a million directions.

Constantly broadcasting and absorbing information comes at the cost of the ability to contemplate our thoughts and the thoughts of others.

Without contemplation, production for production’s sake becomes counterproductive. Words have no soul-content simply adds to the noise.

Without contemplation, input for input’s sake becomes overwhelming. Though you may read a lot-you retain very little.

Take time to observe the activity of others.

This time not only helps you identify needs, it also helps you to see that need through their eyes.

Observation coupled with contemplation allows you to develop content that is relevant and useful. Being useful is much more sustainable than being catchy.

Just do.

Every day there is a war for our attention.

We are bombarded by emails, blog posts, news, events and conversations going on around us. Our minds are always on edge worrying about past actions, future repercussions, and all of the other things going on presently.

Breathe.

Focus.

Clear out all other distractions and just do.

If you’re doing market research, do market research. If you’re responding to emails, respond to emails. If you’re writing an article, write.

If you don’t have all of the pieces, make a note saying “more research necessary” and move on, make time for additional research later, but focus on the doing now.

“Let all thoughts about anything other than the doing also fade away. They’ll come up, but gently make note of them, and then let them go. And return to the doing.” ~ Leo Babauta

Do not be concerned with doing it right or getting it wrong, just do.

The rest of the internet becomes a meaningless distraction, for now focus on you and your doing.

Simplify.

Online marketing at its core is simple- it’s two people talking to each other.

Don’t convolute the process.

Know what you have to offer, and find people who will benefit from it.

It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.

Produce and consume only that which brings value. Do not feel obligated to do that which does not.

Excess decreases enjoyment and can lead to many problems- namely burnout.

The minimalist guide to online marketing suggests you find others you trust that do what you can not.

Do not try to simultaneously perform the roles of 1o specialists. Instead, focus on one. If that’s not possible focus on one at a time.

With your marketing, analyze the status updates, blog posts, and emails that get the best response and do more of those. Compare that to the marketing that didn’t do as well, and avoid doing the low performing stuff again in the future.

Simplify. Evolve.

Approach your marketing with a clear mind and observe the needs of others. Do what you feel. Be aware of the teachings of others and allow yourself to be the teacher.

And above all else, remember to breathe.