Don't Get Distracted
Posted On: 2008-01-23
I'm not sure why but one of the hardest things in this business is to stay focused. Perhaps it's because many of us here are imaginative and creative and doing the same thing over and over again tends to become a bit boring. When we get bored we just need to try new things but when we do that we get distracted and we place our future in jeopardy.
All it might take is a suggestion on a board that someone is making a heap of money doing something different and we've got to drop what we're doing and rush over and have a look. If it looks even vaguely like it might make us money we'll give it a try, spend some time building whatever type of site works with this new 'thing', throw some traffic at it, spend some money on it just because there's the hint that it might be the pathway to fast money.
Now don't get me wrong ... a little experimentation and a willingness to try new things is fine. However so many of us get distracted from what is really making us money to the point where we change our focus completely and concentrate on whatever that new money-making thing might be. And that's where we really begin to have problems.
I remember some years back when TGP2 first saw the light of day a lot of people - us included - stopped building ordinary free sites and galleries and changed our focus to those five image galleries. Some of us made money too ... but there was a lot of hype about TGP2 by interested parties that was way beyond the reality.
For many webmasters dropping their gallery and free site work for TGP2 was a major mistake and ultimately set back the development of their online businesses ... but then it all looked so wonderful that it was hard to resist the temptation to drop everything for this new 'thing'.
Even today there are many many distractions out there for webmasters ... especially new webmasters who want to make money fast. And the secret to succeeding is not to let all those new money-making ventures distract you from your core business. As I said earlier, it's quite ok to experiment with new things and to play around the edges just to see if it's going to work for you but don't turn your back on what is already making you money.
I'm sure a lot of people have been taken in by all the hype about blogs. I know that I've certainly been a very vocal evangelist for blogs but it has never been something that would make you rich overnight. In fact, if you want to make money from blogging then you really do need to be in it for the long term so it needs to be something that you do in conjunction with the other ways you market your sponsors and not a distraction that completely replaces those marketing strategies.
The same thing applies outside of direct marketing. Look around the Webmaster boards and you'll often see disputes, arguments and debates that can become quite heated. Karma can be a bitch for those that you don't agree with ... especially if you get the chance to put them down in front of everyone else but that desire to hurry karma along can be a huge distraction.
The old adage about not feeding the trolls really applies here. Don't waste your time on board disputes; don't waste your time trying to score points against people who might attack you on the boards. Don't let them distract you from the serious business of making money.
And if you find it hard to let those board disputes slip by without a response look at it this way. While they may be making a lot of noise on the boards and maybe even attacking you they really have zero influence on your ability to make money in this industry. They have absolutely zero control over you.
As soon as you respond to them and spend time fighting with them on the boards they're in control, they're pulling the strings and pressing your buttons and they're costing you money. They're costing you money because while you're fighting with them you're not working and when you're not working you're not making money so simply ignore them and don't let them distract you.
As long as you can stay focused on what is making you money without being distracted by trolls and fools gold then you'll succeed in this industry. The moment you let yourself become distracted you're placing your future in jeopardy ... it's really that simple.