Beware of this Marketing Trend

You know what I'm talking about...that feeling of "I WANT IT! any time a new marketing trend or buzzword gets mentioned and it fast becomes the next "must have! - must do!" on your task list and you just gotta have it!

This could be anything - a new website theme, a new mobile app, a new plugin, a new marketing concept that you just HAVE to try - anything! Your brain tells you you HAVE to have it - your success DEPENDS on it! You get it, and then instruct your team to use it...and this sometimes sends them into hysterics trying to achieve any outcome short of a disaster.

I used to feel bad for shopping addicts until I started my own business, and then, I realized...I'm just like them! Something new is shown or mentioned, and it becomes the one thing standing in the way of my ultimate success. After checking around, however, I realized I am NOT in this club alone. Shiny Object Syndrome can strike even the savviest of business owners and it usually occurs when the object is mentioned by another colleague or competitor. Thoughts start to creep in like, "Oh, they are using it or doing that and they're successful with it so, I need it, too!"

Recovering from shiny object syndrome requires just one simple first step.

Before you start grabbing all the latest trends and tactics off the shelves, hurling them at your team, and forcing them to have a "make it work!" moment, ask yourself the following questions;

So, once you've stopped to consider these questions, what next? Well, it too is fairly simple.

You hired a team of professionals to work with you on growing your business, right? You trust them to execute and perform to their level of expertise, right? Then, you should respect their opinions enough to at least check in with them and ask their thoughts on that shiny new object. Just because it happens to be the latest trend, doesn't always mean it's right for your business. Before you lose focus, productivity, and even money, assess your need first. Sometimes, they might already be using or doing something similar, or have a better option. Of course, sometimes they might help you see the benefits of using or buying into something new and can go into brainstorming mode on ways to utilize it within your company.

Now, what do you do if you are a solopreneur and there is no team around?

Those fabulous business besties that are also working in this crazy entrepreneurial world and ask them if they've tried this new shiny object - what successes did they have? Any failures? Of course, remember in these cases that, depending on the item in question, their core audience might not match yours. But, you can yield a fresh perspective and possibly some insight BEFORE you drink the kool-aide.

The bottom line is this double-check system of stopping to assess and checking in with your team gives you the time needed to process and determine exactly what outcome you want to achieve. Breaking the habit is not easy, but, as they say, knowing is half the battle. If you tend to buy into things quickly, or perhaps already have a pile of purchased items, it's not too late to stop - reassess the situation - refocus yourself and your team - and regain your momentum.