Lessons from a Five Year Old

Welcome to my new blog!

This whole blogging thing is a bit awkward and uncomfortable right now. It reminds me of how my 5-year-old son must have felt last evening as I let go of the back of his brand new Spider Man bike (sans training wheels) and watched him wobble about 10 yards down the street before he realized that I was no longer holding on. I cheered. He started laughing and turned around to see where I was...and then he crashed! Thank goodness for elbow pads and helmets!

Like my son, I am a little wobbly, too. This blog is my new bike. The training wheels are off and I'm peddling hard, hoping to get my balance. If I crash, I simply get back up, dust myself off and do it again...just like I told him as we plucked tiny pebbles out of his knee.

I've learned a lot about blogs over the past couple of months. It's not the blogs that my teen daughters are creating on the social blogging sites that I'm referring to. The ones that especially interest me as a marketing and sales consultant are those focused on, well, marketing and sales topics.

It seems that everyone blogging on the topics of marketing or selling has an opinion and "their" way of doing things. What one person offers up as gospel, another person may repute as pure bunk. That's the beauty of blogging. You get so many different views based on a person's personal experience, education and beliefs. Who's right? Who's wrong? Who's really an expert and who isn't?I sure don't have all of the answers. I do have a lot of experience. Am I an expert? I guess it depends on the topic. I've had a successful marketing and sales career up until now. I'd like to think others can learn from my experience and will value my advice.

One absolute belief that I have is that what I'm doing right now, "blogging", is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to marketing in today's world. Web 2.0 (or Marketing 2.0 as the marketing community has designated it), the newest generation of the Internet gives businesses the tools to expand their reach and communicate beyond boundaries. No longer do I have to limit my business to a small geographic area, I can use the new tools available to me to take even my small business global.

There is a consensus among the marketing bloggers that a lot of businesses are destined for failure if their owners or executives don't understand, embrace and leverage new and emerging technology to grow their business. That's why I'm blogging and integrating new tools on my website. I need to integrate new technology into my business so that I am prepared to help my clients integrate that technology into their business marketing mix.

The days of pinning your business card to a bulletin board in the lobby of the local grocery store are over. It's all about online networking and keeping people engaged and returning to your website or blog. It's about providing information to help your clients solve a problem or learn something new that enhances the value of their personal life or business. I invite you to visit often and participate if you'd like. Hopefully, you'll find this blog interesting and informative...and maybe event a little thought-provoking... so that your business can grow and prosper.

Like my son, I'm certain that blogging will only get easier over time. No, I won't be jumping ramps, popping wheelies and riding with no hands. But, I hope to take some risks and open up topics that will elicit responses and open dialogues. I encourage you to join in any time you feel compelled.

If you'd like to discuss how BTK & Associates can help your business stand out in a crowd, visit my website at http://www.btkmarketing.com/.