Are Marketers Musicians?

© 2004, John Calder
http://www.TheEzine.net

Almost everyone has tried to play a musical instrument at some point. There were always a few around who seemed to have a natural talent, while the rest of us (and our families) had to struggle through sour notes, boring scale exercises, uneven timing, and learning the whole new language of music. It was all very strange at first, but with dedicated practice and learning over time, it got a little bit easier. For most of us, our music may not have been brilliant, but it became tolerable, and even occasionally pleasing to the ear.

Internet marketing is a bit like that. There's a whole new language to learn, on both the technical and marketing fronts. And as in music, we all tend to make lots of mistakes along the way. We jump into markets too early or too late, without understanding them. We try every new program, follow guru after guru, and sign up for every ezine and freebie that comes along. This is done out of good intentions. After all, it's only natural to want to learn everything as quickly as possible. But that's a lot like trying to learn to play pop, country, hip hop, classical and blues while you're still learning basic scales. You can't follow too many conductors at one time!

It's often far better to focus on one style, one conductor, one composer, until you know it well. Then move on to another, and another. After a while, you will naturally start combining what you like from everything you've learned until you produce your own, unique sound.

For Internet marketers who've become discouraged - stay focused, keep practicing, keep experimenting, keep playing. Over time, you'll find the rhythm, key, and audience that's right for you.