OK, so he wasn’t actually fired and the ground isn’t shaking any more than usual here in California, but the announcement of the resignation of Danny Sullivan, the founder of Search Engine Watch and the driving force behind the highly successful Search Engine Strategies Conference series certainly shakes the world of SEM. I started reading Danny’s column in 1997 and I believe it is his absolute integrity and objectivity that created the atmosphere of sharing information at SES. Without him, look for companies to return to the secretive and xenophobic delivery of half truths that are so pervasive in the world of Search Engine Marketing.
The fact that Danny wasn’t able to make a deal with the new owners of the conference should serve as a warning to all business owners. Your hype isn’t your product. Understand the value you deliver and don’t get lost believing your own buzz.. Successful business keep focused on the connection between the product or service with the customer. Make sure all of your marketing, print, radio, internet and direct mail, emphasized that connection clearly.
Advertising agencies around the world are filled with awards for campaigns that created buzz without driving results. As soon as you start hyping the package instead of the substance, you’ve stepped down the road to failure. It doesn’t matter how successful you’ve been or how great your creative is, never loose focus on what you’re actually offering.
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