Can You Create A Diagram Of Your Online Marketing Strategy?

Hi everyone ...

If you were asked to sketch a diagram of your online marketing strategy could you do it? 

If yes .. congratulations!  You "know" what you are doing or worse case, you know what you are "trying" to do with your online business activities. 

If no .... you are not alone.  It's not a good thing to be in this situation, but again ... most business owners have no idea of how to even begin diagramming their online activities.  When I ponder as to why this is, I come up with too much, too fast!  

Websites grew on businesses very slowly.  It took a while for businesses to know why they needed a website and what they would use one for.  Many businesses dived in with one before they had a clue why, but it all sorted out.  I would say that now, 10 -12 years later,  the majority of business owners with websites know WHY they have one and what it is used for. 

One-to-One email grew with more and more popularity. Believe it or not, it wasn't "that" long ago that you had to ask business owners if they had an email address, let alone what their email address was.  But slowly "all" got in sync with the shift to email and here we are today with email often the preference over the phone and our US Postal system going bankrupt!! 

Newsletters became the next popular resource. Newsletters require ongoing work by users so were implemented by fewer. For a long time it was the one "optional online resource" with the website and 1-to-1 email being "must haves!" 

BUT THEN ... the blog got brought back to life (blogging was actually the very 1st resource, but that's another posting!) .. and with that micro-blogging was born with twitter being the most well-known example of micro-blogging.  Social networks began to bloom,  Fast Pitch was my 1st ( long before facebook was a twinkle) and we all remember My Space (enjoying a rebirth of sorts lately)  and oh soooooooooooooooooo many more sites!  They all were created with or adapted themselves into having a micro-blog feed. 

All of a sudden chaos!  What was a controlled implementation of online resources became an onslaught!  Could they all be useful? If so, can I choose some? Do I need all? How do I use them?  Do I have time?  and so many more questions, confusion, and lost direction surrounded us!

The answer to all of this is different for each and every business out there!  Even if a selection of businesses are benefited by the same selection of resources, their individual use of each resource could vary in large degrees.   Does this make it easier or harder?  Probably more time and attention up front but then easy sailing into all the new and expansive opportunities online marketing brings to all businesses!
The key to the success of all of it is the "basic communication" that occurs on or via chosen resources.  1-to-1 email and newsletters brought the term CRM (customer relationship management) to the front of marketing objectives.  The internet could collect user interests and buying habits .. the computer could store and sort the gathered information ... the basic seeds to grow solid business relationships were able to be planted.  Online communication resources are today the fertilizer and water to have those seeds grow into solid, trusting and loyal customers for new, repeat and referral business.  I often tell business owners to look at online resources as employees and "hire" them accordingly by job description! 

Do you agree? What are your thoughts? Please share.  

Also know, if you need some help making a diagram of what you are using, that's what I do! I help businesses sort it out and come up with what's best for you! 

From, 

Keep Your Business Garden Growing!