Oneupweb : Oh, Be Careful …

What do we do when we’re squeezed? When the pressure is on?

I’ll tell you the first thing I am tempted to do, every time: hide. Instead, I’m sure to do the right thing, because I’ve been taught to do it, practiced doing it, and been rewarded for doing it.

And the truth is, if you are doing anything significant, it will be noticed by others, for better or for worse.

You notice, right? There are people you expect to be smart enough to know when they are about to do something frightfully stupid—and to stop. Examples on my list with which we are familiar include the “grocery shrink-ray”, out-of-control congressional spending, and (as a software developer, I have to mention) software patents. The fallen companies, would-be heroes or respected leaders in today’s news are only the most recent in a long line.

When I notice these things, I had better quickly remind myself, “Hello! They probably are as smart as you are! So what’s the difference?” The first difference has got to be that humble self-recognition, and the second, equally important, is accountability. Because no matter how smart you are, you will never see your own faults like someone else will.

If you don’t listen to your friends when they advise you to change course, any guess to whom you will soon be listening? That’s right, your enemies who are capitalizing on your lapse now that it’s gone public. I’m glad I have had people in my life (starting with my parents) who had the nerve to hold me accountable. Those times are some of the most painful memories in my life, but without fail ushered in new and exciting opportunities.

The same lesson holds true in online marketing and for digital marketing agencies. Accountability is key.  You should be working with an agency that is accountable for their work and the results it does or doesn’t provide. And, when working with an agency, consider the outside perspective they’ve been hired to bring to your brand. Do they provide adequate analytics package that gives a holistic picture of the digital marketing campaigns you’re paying them to create and manage? If not, they certainly should. And with the hundreds of platforms available today, there’s no excuse not to.  That, after all, is the beauty of digital marketing. It can be tracked and the results, good and bad, accounted for.

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” – Saul of Tarsus