When was the last time you did something that scared you? Perhaps you watched a frightening movie, took a ride on a roller coaster or did a parachute jump. It felt good – right? The fear turned to adrenaline and got your heart pumping. When you overcome fear, you know that you are very much alive.
When was the last time you had the same life-affirming feeling from your marketing activities?
Fear holds many of us back. It has the potential to destroy ambition and restrict enjoyment in our professional and personal lives. It can make us very boring. But fear, if harnessed correctly, can also be a great motivator. When you are doing something you love, you should be excited, you should be nervous, you should be a little scared.
If you find yourself comfortably executing the same old tried and tested campaigns and activities, it might be time to give yourself a little shake. Let’s face facts, if your marketing activities don’t cause a stir in your own stomach, how can you expect them to whip up ongoing excitement in your target audience?
I would personally hate to execute a new marketing campaign without a little fear and trepidation. The lack of butterflies in my stomach would indicate that I was playing a little too safe. Vanilla ice cream is fine – but wouldn’t you prefer double chocolate chip?
Now, I’m not suggesting you throw out all your “bread and butter” marketing campaigns in favor of something more dangerous. Instead, how about you carry out at least one activity per week/month/quarter that makes you feel nervous and excited at the same time?
This could be:
- A podcast or YouTube video
- A Periscope broadcast
- A webinar
- A blog post
- A new email campaign
- A real-world event
- A competition
- A soft launch or beta test of a new product or service
It’s only by trying new things that you will push your marketing activities to new levels. Yes, change might be scary, but you have to ask yourself, what’s the worst thing that can happen? In most cases, there is nothing to fear but fear itself.
Combat your fears by facing new challenges head on, and you will become a richer, more interesting and more rounded marketer.
What are you scared of? Share your comments below:
This post first appeared on the iContact Email Marketing Blog.