Brilliant Advice, So I Finally Took It

More than once I have advised a colleague or client to think about purpose before using a marketing technique. A couple of times I have even caught myself wrestling to learn how to use a marketing tool or medium before I have a clear idea why. I have written about using the guiding question, “To What End?” Now, finally, I applied this wonderful advice, made an important decision – one which I made before but then rescinded – and acted on it.

I closed down my autoresponder account. Thirty bucks a month doesn’t seem like much, until you total it up for the year. Then I start wondering what I’m getting.

The idea of having an autoresponder is to build your list. That means getting a bunch of people to sign up to receive regular e-mail information. The purpose? When you have something to sell, or a product to recommend as an affiliate where you’ll get a commission, you tell your list.

I don’t have anything to sell, I’m not close to having anything to sell, and I haven’t seen any products that match my own mission that I can sell as an affiliate. Having the autoresponder has been about learning to use one and what it can do for me.

In recent weeks I’ve gotten feedback about my e-zine articles from people who aren’t on my autoresponder list. They’re people I know, and they’re reading my articles by going to the web site or subscribing by RSS feed.

While making the decision, I thought about the fact I publish my weekly e-zine On The Twisting Road online. Sending it by e-mail is an additional step.

Then I remembered I used to publish my Twisting Road Travel Log blog on Fridays as a summary of my week. This helped me. It made me reflect on how things had gone in my career discovery for the week and ponder the lessons learned. When I started sending out the e-mail newsletter, I decided to publish the Travel Log on Mondays, a second article on Tuesdays, and On The Twisting Road by Wednesday.

I realized I want the rhythm of a Friday blog post about creative career discoveries. I want the freedom and flexibility to write and publish other articles when I am moved and inspired. It’s the schedule Barbara Winter follows. She’s an excellent role model for living and working authentically.

I found myself trapped in rules: Build a list, send the e-mail early in the week, send it out every week or two weeks, be predictable, yada yada. I forgot the main reason for me to write and publish articles is to express myself, to share useful ideas that might help people and to give potential clients a chance to get to know me. I’m not every week. I’m not predictable like clockwork. And I’m not yada yada. Authentically, I share information when something good happens and I see how it can benefit others, or something crummy happens and I see how it can inform or warn others.

It’s out of synch to have rigid, methodical marketing schedules when the product is information on living creatively and authentically. Maybe this lesson will stay learned.

Find Your Mission – Write Your Story – Tell The World

Steve Coxsey