One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is “everything communicates”. The problem is most of the time we are too busy to stop and observe what is being communicated. Living in Melbourne FL most my life, surfing is more than something you do, it’s part of who you are.
Every summer we look at the ocean and watch expectantly for a storm to make it’s way up the coast and pump in a few days of great surf. Surfing can teach us a lot about our surroundings and ourselves. As I sat here day dreaming about the next swell, I realized it has also a lot to teach the digital marketing community.
Table of Contents
#1. Research your spot
Finding the best wave in town doesn’t happen by accident. You have to do the research. Everything matters. The way a wave breaks at different tides and how the beach is formed are just 2 things that play a huge role. The same is true in digital marketing. Finding your sweet spot takes time and effort. To many marketers just throw anything and everything at a clients problem hoping that something sticks. Slow down, research and find your flow.
#2. Wait For A Good Set
Patience is key. I can’t even count the number of times I took the first wave in the set only to realize that if I had been patient I may have had the ride of my life. Too many marketers and SEO specialists are looking for quick fixes, but let me ask you this. Would you rather have a piece of content go viral for a week and then you drop off into nothing, or steady consistent growth that continually produces results over time?
#3. Wipe Outs Happen
Taking calculated risks is all part of the fun. The truth is some time you just get slammed. Realizing that even the best-laid plans sometimes don’t work is a great lesson to learn early. If you took a risk in your digital marketing efforts and wiped out, don’t quit. Learn from your mistakes and paddle back out.
With all the noise and pressure business owners and other agencies feel from our over saturated and high speed world, it’s important to take some time and look around. Everything is communicating to us, but in order to learn the lessons we have to listen. I have seen first hand how the lessons I learned while surfing here in Melbourne, FL have shaped how I run my digital marketing agency. Research has help me make better decisions, patience has help me get great results over time and wipe outs have taught me the power of paddling back out after getting slammed hard!
We’d love to hear your thoughts and lessons you’ve learned along your journey. Comment below and let’s start a conversation.
