"Fall down nine times, get up 10" is a saying that I have always tried to live by. If there's an obstacle in the way, it only makes me more determined to get through it. If somebody says I can't do something, it only makes me want to prove them wrong. Maybe it's the Saskatchewan work ethic I'm born with or the fact I've made a career in digital marketing based in Saskatoon (Not exactly a hotbed for digital expertise). But I like a challenge and the hardest person I have to impress is myself. I'm not a perfectionist but I believe there is always room for improvement.
I think this is why I'm attracted to digital marketing and website strategy - There are always different things to try, new tools emerging, and constantly shifting behaviors. Things move hot and fast and I just happen to be attracted to fire. Sometimes I get burnt but things heal fast online - Here today gone tomorrow, literally.
Since the digital space, website design, and online marketing are constantly changing it thankfully affords one to make mistakes more often because it's actually the norm. Everybody is trying to figure things out! There has never been a medium so flexible and forgiving as the web. If you haven't made any mistakes yet then you aren't trying hard enough. Just try something new, and if it doesn't work out despite giving it your best then forget about it, move on, and try something else.
I wouldn't recommend this advice so much for traditional marketing because the costs when making mistakes are far greater. The spelling mistake in a brochure you catch after 1000 have been printed is a lot more hurtful than a spelling mistake on a web page or in an email. Online it only takes tens of dollars and a few hours to fix a mistake as opposed to the thousands of dollars required to reprint a brochure.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that if you want to be successful with your digital marketing and website strategy then don't be afraid to fail. In fact, embrace failure. Learn from mistakes, learn from others, and try again. Things can be changed quickly, relatively inexpensively, and without killing nearly as many trees. In addition, your online efforts can be tracked far more accurately so when you do find a winning formula it's easy to replicate and optimize. In Saskatchewan many of us have a pioneering heritage that overcame serious obstacles by making a lot of mistakes first. So, let's pay honour to our ancestors and carry on the tradition - Fail fast. Fail often. Success will follow.
What are your thoughts? Please comment below OR send me an email OR give me a call at 306 229 9437 OR request a free consultation. One more option, I offer an email subscription for receiving new blog updates.
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