There are plenty of people out there that grab hold of every paper, every article, on every subject and study them like they’re getting ready for the Inquisition. But as the great Monty Python pointed out, nobody expects the Inquisition. What I’m really getting at is, that if you take too long preparing, you might miss your opportunity.

The next big thing was yesterday.
If you’re hearing about it on the news, from your friends, or from your kids, you’re probably late to the party. Take Social Media for example. It’s the darling of the water cooler right now. There are thousands of articles that pretty much say the same thing – Social Media is great, get on. Some explain the right way. Others tell you how to avoid the wrong way. And some actually say nothing. But if you read every one that’s out there before you put together your Social Media Strategy, we’ll be onto Hologramming before you can even send your first Tweet.  Don’t get me wrong, research is an essential part of launching any kind of marketing. But it’s not more important than, um, the marketing part of the marketing.  So don’t overanalyze – learn it, then use it.

Use good advice. Not all advice.
Be very cautious when dealing with preachers and teachers who make a business out of selling the medium of the day.  If someone is only a social media expert, stay away. Just like if someone is only a Google expert, stay away. Their recommendations and their research will be biased towards their “thing.” Sure, we all try to sell our services, but many of us build our service around our client’s needs. Not the other way around. If a guy is an expert in a medium that’s changing all the time, he’s essentially a liar.

Move your feet. The rest will follow.
I went to my first dance when I was 10. I was a nervous wreck. My friends all were asking the girls to dance, but I was embarrassed – I had never danced before. What I didn’t know was neither had anybody else. I finally got the courage up and asked a cute little girl from my class, Kristen, to dance with me. We danced three dances in a row, and we got better each time. Do you see what I’m saying? Don’t give in to analysis paralysis when it comes to marketing or trying new ideas. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes.  If I stood back and tried to learn how to dance just by watching, that smelly kid Richard may have stolen my dance partner. Instead, I got to groove while he stood back and ate all the cheese and crackers.  So take that first step and follow the rhythm, and you’ll find that practice always trumps theory.

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