One Focus Marketing
Over 40 and Overwhelmed about Entrepreneurship
(Overwhelmed Entrepreneur)
Part 5 – Content – How to Keep From Getting Overwhelmed With Information!
This will be my last post because I realized I might be contributing to content overwhelm. The new disorder I have coined C.O.
It’s no surprise when we first start into the world of entrepreneurship we decide to start searching and searching a bunch.
Searching for what though?
Some of us search for software to help us, how to write a business plan, company names, website domains, marketing help and on and on.
Once we start this process we’re completely engulfed in information. To make matters worse we were already overwhelmed with information now we just added a ton more.
What I’m going to address in this post is where you should start and what information you really need.
It’s best to operate with what I call ‘The Principle of 3’. This is something I came up with to address constant overload and content bombardment. Because it doesn’t matter how incredible the information t we receive is, if we don’t have time to properly implement it.
The whole reason (at least much of the reason) I named my company One Focus Marketing – is to remind me to maintain One Focus – not twenty. Somebody recently pointed out to me that my website was not clear on what exactly I do.
Even though it is clear to me, the fact is it doesn’t matter what I think only what my customers think. They are either voting for me or against me with their wallet and I better darn well make sure I am paying attention to what they are saying.
So, I have decided to clear it up and make sure people know exactly what I do.
The saying – “Externally be a specialist but internally be a generalist” is true. Trying to do to many things at once has been a huge downfall for many entrepreneur wanna be’s and at time has been for me too.
You Only Need Three Things To Focus On
Let’s put it into practical application –You don’t want to try to learn every single way of marketing. You need to get good at 3. Then you can either hire out the rest or develop those skills once you’ve mastered the first 3.
Example: If you know your customer lives and dies on Facebook, it makes sense to develop the marketing skills of Facebook. You could branch out and possibly reach the same customers through Google Adwords so you would want to develop an understanding for how to market there. Lastly, you realize your target market is made up of baby boomers so they also like to receive direct mail. So now you have 3 things. Forget, Twitter, Periscope, T.V., Billboards, Pinterest, LinkedIn – you get the idea.
You have to be able to focus and develop the skills to succeed without spreading yourself out to thin.
That doesn’t seem to bad right. I mean, it makes sense and you can discipline yourself enough to stay with those 3. But let’s look at something which may be a little more difficult.
What About The Constant Bombardment Of Content You See Every Single Day?
Go through your email subscription lists for a given area – let’s say marketing. There are tons and tons of lists and many are really awesome. But how many can you really follow and learn from on a consistent basis?
Not as many as you think.
Read this next sentence twice: Pick the three email subscriptions you can’t live without and unsubscribe to the rest.
If you are thinking, but, but, but Ben I need, blah blah blah, get that out of your head. You need a lobotomy for thinking you can keep up with 10 email subscriptions on marketing. I’m being a little harsh. Maybe you don’t need a lobotomy but don’t spread yourself to thin. You will end up confused and overwhelmed with content.
If you just can’t bear to let them all go, make a spreadsheet, put all your subscriptions into the spreadsheet and make a note about each one and what each is good for and/or why you like it.
Now go ahead and unsubscribe, knowing you can reference your spreadsheet “just in case” and check on what you are missing (hint: you probably aren’t missing anything).
Keep Your Content Diet Commitment
You have to remain vigilant though. What I mean is, maybe you agree to be put on a mailing list in exchange for a free download of a marketing template or a nice infographic showing how to write a blog post. Once you get your download, determine if you want this new person to be one of your 3 and either unsubscribe immediately or unsubscribe to one of the other 3 so this can take its place.
This is a lot harder than it sounds because you will have an internal struggle as to why you need more but you have to draw a line in the sand.
The principle of 3 will apply to all sorts of other things but I think you can see now where I’m going with it.
Don’t get caught in the content trap. Quickly determine if something will be useful to you and cut the rest. You will definitely cut some good things but having a great idea does you no good if you won’t have the time to implement.
Your time is your most valuable asset, make sure you focus on the things that will get you where you want to be.
Content is everywhere and filtering it to suit your needs is a priority.
The last thing I wanted to leave you with is the single best thing I did to make my entrepreneurial spirit work – It’s One Focus.
Focus On One Thing
Just like in the movie City Slickers, if you remember, where Curly told Mitch the meaning of life is one thing and that one thing is what you have to figure out. This is like our life as entrepreneurs. We need one focus!
Focus on one task, one idea, one project at a time. Jack of all trades will absolutely destroy your chances of being a successful entrepreneur.
Every morning at 5:10 am, I have an accountability call with two other entrepreneurs. On that call we state what our One Focus will be for the day. Not a laundry list of stuff to get done. Just the one thing that if we accomplished it we could call the day a huge success.
What’s Your One Focus?
Ben Blackmon
Previous Posts:
Over 40 and Overwhelmed About Entrepreneurship – Part 4
Over 40 and Overwhelmed About Entrepreneurship – Part 3
