 |
| Listen, Understand, Act (Photo credit: highersights) |
Often we may make mistakes or go into something with inadequate preparation because we don't understand what we're dealing with. Looking inward to understand ourselves and looking outward to understand the marketplace and the world in general can help us to avoid wasting a lot of time, effort, and money. Observing and absorbing as much as we are able will arm us for readiness when we are called to action.
My biggest mistakes in the past have been relying on my own intuition and taste. I've gotten excited about a project and jumped right in without fully doing the research to find out how much of a need there was for the product I was promoting or if I was promoting it in the best way. Groping my way blindly through promotion has been a recipe for big failure. Just because I believe in my big dream doesn't mean that everyone else will care about it.
It's important to understand that not everyone likes what you like and if there is not a strong market in place ready to receive what you have to offer, you will have to create that market yourself or adapt what you have for the market that is there. Promotion is often an experiment. You've probably heard the term "test market". That's what you might have to start with.
We can't be expected to know everything there is about marketing and promotion. And even when we think we know something, we find out that what we thought we knew doesn't work in every case. The best we can do is use the knowledge we have and what knowledge we can gain from others. Every promotion is part of a learning process.
If you fail, gain an understanding of the reasons for your failure. And when you succeed take notice of what worked to gain an understanding of things to do when you are ready to promote again. Business is rarely an absolute sure thing. If you understand as much as you can about what you are doing, then you have a better chance of finishing a winner.
Do you do careful research before starting something that is new to you? Have you had a time when what you believed strongly in did not turn out the way you anticipated? What advice would you give to someone who is ready to start promoting something?
Well like many others when I began writing my blog I assumed it would go viral. Hahahaha! At the time I had no idea how many millions were blogging. It's a hard road. By the way is there a new list of current A-Z bloggers cos I'm clicking on a list where there are people still on B? Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteI guess telling everyone my idea is brilliant and they are all fools is not a wise move . . . . . . .Even if its true.
ReplyDeleteRob, that made me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteI research and plan, but some things you just have to go with a gut feeling. When I was writing my first book, everything I read said science fiction was dead. I could've decided there was no market and stopped writing. I wrote anyway. Rather glad I did.
Good advice. But I don't always research things first. I go with the gut. I pretty much write like that way, too.
ReplyDeleteI always like to think I know what I am doing in promoting my book, the first two were easy, this time owing to Amazon changing their selling rules and how to ship out and their unreadable labels I am lumbered with a book I can't sell. Have tried various bookshops but they have their own warehouse and contacts.
ReplyDeleteSo "Moment's Of My Life" is a nightmare.
Yvonne.
Pinky -- Your experience was similar to mine. Then I learned that I have to go out and drag people to my blog party and bribe them to keep them there. It's a lot of work. We're trying to keep the list clean. Some bloggers are just not as efficient as you and I are...they're probably waiting on people to flock to their B post with comments before they move on.
ReplyDeleteRob -- I think you're right but the public is mostly too slow when they encounter genius. People get confused and don't know what to do.
Alex -- Not sure where you were reading that science fiction was dead. It's always seemed vital, but in a continual state of flux. And you cultivated your market wisely.
Shelly - Yeah I'm a gut person too but sometimes it's given me a bout of financial indigestion and a thought that I shouldn't have done it that way.
Yvonne -- You can find a way to move it. It's only been a couple of weeks. Don't give up!
Lee
On the plus side, with the internet being what it is, it is easier to study market trends. I do think that one of the problems tends to be that people are niche-oriented. Creating a product is one thing, but understanding how to market that same product is a totally different thing. Maybe one of the things we will see more of in the future are people who just do marketing... Now that self-publishing is really taking off, there is a Market for Marketers. Oh... the irony.
ReplyDeleteI carefully researched blogging over the last year. I jumped in blind and learned as I went, but I still have lots to learn. I would tell someone that if they feel strongly about doing something they should do some initial research, but don't spend too much time researching. Sometimes you have to jump in and get started on faith.
ReplyDeleteMaybe is the fact that I have a job that I can tolerate and I never approach writing as its something I have to make a living at, I am using everything opportunity with this debut to test the market. I am trying everything and not expecting anything. Its allowed me to not be as stressed as I probably should be.
ReplyDeleteI can be pretty terrible about rushing into something without proper understanding. I think I just get so excited, I jump in with both feet and see how it plays out.
ReplyDeleteElsie
AJ's wHooligan in the A-Z Challenge
I've had to do a lot of research for my current WIP. I always encourage writers to do research, too. But in the past, I didn't do much research. In my series my characters are police officers and crime scene investigators. Oddly enough, I always seemed to know exactly what I needed to write in my series. I used to say I must've been a medical examiner, cop, and CSI in past lives. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw your photograph with the word understand I could understand why you put the word list and the abbreviation for the state of Connecticut hooked onto it, but I was totaLLy baffled why the letter N was hooked onto the bottom side. Perhaps it is N under understand, which I eNjoy saying slowly at low volume. It is not quite as eNjoyable as saying "Jaws theme intensifies".
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see my dear friend Rob left a comment.
I'm like you, I don't do much of a research if something really excites me. And maybe we shouldn't. After all, all inventions are a big jump and a big risk, and they probably would've failed the first round of testings. But I think there should be a healthy variety of projects that involve big risky jumps and small safe steps as well.
ReplyDeleteGather all the data!
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to know what works in promotion. Everyone has different experiences. What works for one person doesn't for another. It really pays to investigate and ask a lot of questions before jumping into something that costs time and money.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Lee.
ReplyDeleteThe week I had it on sale on Amazon NOT ONE ORDER. Where I live is a holiday resort with mostly gift shops and the occasional book shop. I have been in every one this past week, also out of town but they all get their supplies what their own individual contacts. I have put them in the back room where they will stay .
Yvonne.
As my dear friend has often pointed out, life is a crock of shoulds.
ReplyDeleteI should have investigated this publishing business before I got involved.
I should have understood what people want to read before I wrote my books.
I should have learned what it meant to blog.
Did I? Of course not.
Hmm, Pinky I thought it was only me. Lee thanks for posting and doing all you do men.
ReplyDeleteNow, when the project is 'business' I set out researching, getting help and all. But for my both blogs, I just dived and several times in life too even where I had to be most prudent like when getting married.
That aside, I make sure I understand my failures for that will definitely help me not to 'dive' in again when I start all over which I am bent on doing till my time is up. :)
I usually jump in and learn as I go. But you are probably right, just because we believe in a dream, doesn't mean others will to. I have to add that it is often more about the journey than reaching the goal, because sometimes we end up on a different path that wouldn't have been possible without that first step. Get my drift?
ReplyDeleteShells–Tales–Sails
Thanks Lee, important to understand that eg my own view may not correspond with 'reality' much as I believe in it.
ReplyDeleteGarden of Eden Blog
This hits close to home as I had an idea I thought was going to be well received by everyone. I thought my passion and personal enthusiasm would be enough. I learned an important lesson. What may seem like the best thing since sliced bread in my mind may be an after thought to others. If you are going to promote, research is critical. I was blinded and did not do any research because half of me was so sure and the other half perhaps didn't want to see reality.
ReplyDelete"Just because I believe in my big dream doesn't mean that everyone else will care about it."
ReplyDeletePromotion/Marketing/Sales is not about who is correct and who is wrong. It's about giving the customer what the customer wants or needs.