Working in an industry that constantly requires explanation, I’ve found that most of the situation that I run into with my job can best be explained through comparisons. One of these situations that I find myself frequently explaining is what it takes to be a Digital Marketer and what I have to do to help our clients.
In my blog today, I want to answer this question by comparing my work as a Digital Marketer and my time spent improving my health. Hopefully, at the end of this blog, you’ll understand the hard work and drive that it takes to thrive in today’s competitive Online Advertising environment.
A Digital Marketer on a Treadmill
As I’ve gotten older I’ve started focusing more on my health; because of this, I’ve been trying to work out more and as a result, I’ve pushed myself to limits I never thought that I’d reach. I had a realization last week during one of my gym adventures that led me to the comparison I want to share with you today.
This particular gym adventure started out just like any other one. I jumped on the treadmill and started my exercise cycle. Lately, I’ve been pushing myself harder and harder by trying to exercise for longer. It was this way of thinking that reminded me of what it takes to be a Digital Marketer.
I Reached my Goal… Now What?
The longest period of time I’ve stayed on a treadmill was 60 minutes. But this time, I decided that I wanted to go for 70 minutes. Well, 70 minutes came and went and I decided to reach for a new goal of 80 minutes. This was when I realized the treadmill only has slots for 4 digits. So, as I kept running along, I started to wonder how the numbers would read one second after I reached, what seemed like the ultimate goal, 99 minutes and 59 seconds time spent on the this treadmill.
Before I knew it, the time was just about here. I began to wonder what would happen next. Would the treadmill tell me that I was finished? Would it explode? In the most anti-climactic fashion, the numbers just changed to 01:40. One hour and 40 minutes.
The point I’m trying to make here is that I had a goal. I had an idea in my head of a specific objective I wanted to reach and when the time that I fulfilled my goal there wasn’t any fireworks or celebration. Instead, I just kept going, looking for my next mile stone to reach.
There’s No Finish Line
John Maxwell wrote in his book, Your Road Map for Success,
“Success is a process. There is no finish line; there are milestones. As you achieve one set of goals, you set new ones in an ever-unfolding journey.”
The journey I took on the treadmill symbolized this perfectly. When I reached 99:59 it was a milestone achievement for me. As I reached this milestone, the treadmill didn’t stop. There wasn’t a finish line. Both of those experiences can shed some insights on what it means to be a Digital Marketer.
Always Keep Learning
Digital Marketers strive for new and innovative ways to drive sales through successful advertising campaigns. Even if it was the most successful campaign that you’ve had to date, you have to be mindful to never rest on your laurels once the campaign has ended. You have to always keep researching new ways to bring value to your client.
From research and testing, we’ve seen campaigns perform well above the industry averages that we’ve set as our benchmarks. While those types of things are something you report to the client and celebrate internally, a Digital Marketer always have to ask the question “how can we build off this?”
With any success milestone that I’ve accomplished by helping the client reach their goal, I’m always asking myself how can I take this small victory and use it as motivation to keep finding new ways to reach our client’s new goal.
Remember Why You’re a Digital Marketer
As a Digital Marketer, part of my job is dealing with the ups and downs that come from working in an industry that changes so quickly. It becomes important in these times to stay grounded and remember why I became a Digital Marketer in the first place.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have a hand in our client’s success. It’s an exciting time when you get to tell clients about the success of one of their campaigns. But it’s also important to use these times to push forward and build off this success. We have to always remember that no matter how much success we see, after the timer on the treadmill reaches 99 minutes and 59 seconds, you have half a second to celebrate before it’s time to set a new set of milestone goals.
Preparing For The Next Run
The next time you’re 1 hour and 40 minutes in on your own project and you’ve just reached a milestone, take a second and congratulate yourself on all the hard work you’ve done. Be happy, smile, and enjoy the fact that you’ve accomplished something, but don’t linger on this thought. Use your success as motivation and look down the road for your next milestone to work toward.
For all of the new Digital Marketers out there, don’t get discouraged if you think things are moving too fast for you to keep up. Pace yourself and master what you’re passionate about. Define your milestones and for each one you put behind you, take it up a gear and be on the lookout for the next challenge you can master that will bring value to your clients.