Seriously. Have you ever thought about it that way? Could that be the reason why you try new marketing things, and then stop?
See, I research marketing a lot. I read a ton of books. I watch a lot of videos.
And everyone is telling you of the massive success they’re having doing one thing. Or all of them.
I cannot figure out why I’m holding back. Or can’t keep going – just thinking about it makes me feel drained. I’ve read every tutorial, studied every platform, read reviews, watched walkthroughs, and yet…
And it’s not procrastination. This is something deeper. Something else.
Everyone says to be everywhere. Repurpose content by sawdusting it into pieces, and putting it on a bunch of different networks.
I know so many of them are right; video will save the world! Everyone is making six figures (apparently) because they’re going live and making youtube channels! Or they’re hosting groups or running courses or live seminars.
- I can’t post regularly on Instagram. I’m rarely on there.
- I gave up on Facebook a while back.
- I’m mostly on Linkedin.
And yet, everyone talks about the incredible success they’re having by going live every day, making short videos, running polls and quizzes and engaging the heck out of everyone.
Here I am, scratching my head, trying to figure out how to make the time for it all.
I tried really hard with video. I put myself through my own 30-day challenge to record, transcribe, and post a video a day. By the end I was starting to get the hang of it.
And was exhausted from it all.
Then I tried a weekly podcast. That was a lot easier. But once I got into the swing of it, creating video snippets, transcribing, quote graphics, and posting it everywhere, I burned out.
I’m trying to figure out what keeps happening.
Everyone says to push through it.
Somehow, I find myself watching TEDx talks on procrastination.
Why can’t I just switch on a video camera and just talk about the things I’m passionate about? Why does it feel so hard?
I have a problem. I’m either procrastinating, or it’s my personality.
Wait, what?
I might have the wrong personality for everyone else’s recommendations.
There’s a reason why you often feel you have to ‘push’ through something. It’s because it goes against your grain. Your not built to function that way. Your gifts lie in other methods, other practices, other areas.
I think the Myers Briggs tests are a whole lot of fun, mostly for thumbnail sketches of who we are at the moment. (16Personalities.com is my favorite destination so far.)
When I realized that there are more than just introverts and extroverts out there, but a spectrum of 16 types of people, I started to relax. That means 16 different kinds of people, who each like to handle marketing in their own unique way.
- So an extrovert who dominates in video will naturally get up and tell people why it’s amazing, and all you have to do is do it.
- If you’re a ruler archetype who thrives on human interaction and argument, you’ll write a book about the revival of Facebook groups and why it’s the future.
- If you’re introverted highly sensitive person, you’ll find them blogging about running Patreon accounts and newsletters.
My response to them all: yes. You’ve found what works for you, and probably for those in your personality spectrum.
So what’s the answer?
Find what works for you.
All of these incredible tools can be amazing, but perhaps they’re not your cup of tea.
Perhaps you need to try a bunch to find the one with the least friction. Find the one that feels the most comfortable, the lowest barrier of entry. The one that lets you keep everything moving for you.
Can’t you imagine a Marketing Academy for Human Personalities?
I think it would be amazing. I would pick the ‘INTP’ profile, and it would say something like, “Hey, you’re probably awesome with video, but it’s ok. You’re likely better in interview situations rather than running your own talking-head show.”
Wow! That’s so true!
“Focus on blogging, and set aside brief times to dip into social engagement. Your genius is on thinking through your ideas by writing them out. So blog away, regularly. You need the output.”
Or something.
And then it would give plans on what to do next. Given that I’m sort of an ambivert, I need plenty of quiet time to process how loud things get in my mind. And then follow that up with lots of short chats with people to decompress and share what I’ve learned.
That sort of thing.
All the rest of it? Videos, slides, courses, content marathons, TikTok, Instagram Lives… I could do it, but the effort involved will grind me down.
For now, at least.
So hopefully that makes you feel better too.
The answer is not to follow the next guru and bestseller marketing book. It’s to learn about it, test it, see if it works for you.
Certain kinds of people naturally gravitate to market in certain kinds of ways.
If you’re pushing for the wrong one, it might gum up the works, and is probably why you keep stopping.
Your challenge is to find what makes you excited, and inspires you to want to come back and do it again, and again.
