No doubt about it: marketing and selling even the best of solutions in a bad economy is a hard job. On the sales front, cycles are longer, it's tougher to close business and profit margins are thinner. For marketing, the pressure is on to produce better results with less money. While the natural tendency is to react quickly, this may do more harm than good. Surviving in this economy is not so much about technique as it is about attitude—so suggests Frank Reed in the Biznology blog, as he poses the question, "Are you proactive or reactive?" And he describes both types of 'tude:

Proactive Internet marketers plan, spend wisely and control their message. Not afraid of audits and other methods to properly plot a strategy, these folks understand what works in their specific industry. They proactively spend valuable marketing dollars in areas most likely to create positive results. Active participants in social media, proactive marketers take control over what is being said about them—and limit potential damage. They monitor and measure along the way, recognizing that these efforts will return value.

Reactive Internet marketers rush in, respond to trends and put out fires. These marketers do whatever they're told or just follow the latest fad. In most cases, this approach ends up being more wasteful than successful, requiring multiple cycles to determine that something doesn't work. With a "damage control" attitude toward their online reputation, these folks are vulnerable from a PR standpoint. Most often, they wait until the annual budgeting process to assess what happened to their money and efforts.

The Po!nt: For many of us in the marketing trenches, the pressure has never been greater. While you need to act swiftly, consider your attitude. Take the time to map out your success and execute a well-designed plan.

Source: Biznology Blog. Read the full post here.

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