Paradigm Shift #2 - The Power of One
This article is part of the Paradigm Shifts series where I discuss the principles that should guide the creation of your online business.
Introduction
Take a look at this chart below.
That is the state of digital marketing in 2023 which breaks down into 6 major divisions, 50+ individual categories, and thousands of software products to serve every nook and cranny of the Internet.
Two of the biggest factors that affect all entrepreneurs, but especially those starting out are: 1) technology overwhelm and 2) information overload.
And now you know why...
But these only become insurmountable problems if you allow them to take residence in your online business.
There is another way.
The Power of One
The solution to such overwhelm and overload is what I call "The Power of One."
It is choosing one thing in the 3-4 major categories of an online business and sticking with them UNTIL you have achieved mastery. This is incredibly difficult for most entrepreneurs because it requires patience, and a shift away from thinking that making money online is easy.
Without mastery in a few basics of digital marketing, building an online business will feel like a struggle. (I will talk more about mastery in another post in this series.)
For now, here are some examples of the "Power of One."
1. Choose one niche
This is hard for entrepreneurs like us, since it almost feels like we are abandoning our children if we don't focus on all of our passions or interest.
Here's how you need to think about this.
Every niche is like setting up a completely new business. It takes a tremendous amount of work to get one business off the ground. Two is impossible for most marketers.
2. Choose one business model
Within WA, the focus is on content marketing as a way to generate qualified organic traffic to your website. This is a tried and true business model though it does take a little time to prep, seed and nurture the digital ground for you to see results.
And again, this is where most folks get derailed. They lack patience or they seek an "easier" way.
By the way, if your heart sinks thinking about creating written content for several months, DO NOT BE AFRAID to change up your business model. There are 100s of ways to build an online business and you can find that training right within WA.
Perhaps audio or video is more your style, and you should not be afraid to experiment. I know of one entrepreneur who switched to making helpful and short videos as his content strategy. Writing took WAAY too long for him, whereas shooting a quick 5 minute video was effortless.
P.S. You can transcribe a video, and with a few tweaks, have a nicely written blog article.
3. Choose one software product for each major task
For an online business you will need, a website builder, autoresponder, and a payment gateway. If you use chatbots like we do, then a bot software. You can add a few more programs based on what you are trying to achieve, but these would be the minimum required to "sell" on the Internet.
Which one is the best?
Just choose one in each category. Honestly. By now, all of the established software products have great and similar features.
This leads to an aside that I see for many beginning entrepreneurs: Stressing out about inconsequential things (like colors, logos, design, and which autoresponder is best), INSTEAD of focusing on what is essential.
4. Choose one social media platform (and even one element inside)
For me, the social media platforms serve one main purpose: they give you access to massive audiences. Between FB, IG, YT, Whatsapp, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Tik Tok you now have access to half the world's population.
The problems for most entrepreneurs is that they waste an enormous amount of time on non-business tasks, or they feel like they need to be on all platforms at once.
And even within one platform, say Instagram, folks jump around between posts, reels, lives, instead of focusing on just ONE ELEMENT.
This is no way to achieve mastery, which is your ultimate goal.
Your Goal is Mastery
I am going to expand this principle into its own post in this series. For now let me just finish with this.
The digital world is filled with marketers creating cheap basic content (or now even AI created content) that only contributes to the digital glut that is the Internet.
What folks need today is someone who has achieved mastery in one or more aspects of the digital marketing world.
What folks need is a guide who can cut through the noise and clutter and help them make sense of this world, EVEN IF IT'S JUST regarding one niche, business model, social media platform, or software product.
That is the "Power of One" and it is my sincere hope that this principle will help you achieve your online goals no matter where you are in your digital journey.
Gustavo
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Check out the other articles in this series:
- Paradigm #1 - 80% of Success Is the Inner Game
- Paradigm #2 - The Power of One
- Paradigm #3 - Strive for Impact and Service
- Paradigm #4 - Develop an Expertise
Recent Comments
3
Thank you for the post, Gustavo! Well said! I will consider your suggestions as I go forward.
Continued success to you! :)
Colleen
Thank you Colleen.
Also, I would be interested to know what insights you have on the social entrepreneurship side. I sometimes work with vulnerable communities and it's incredibly time consuming just to get them to a 3 in tech proficiency (out of 10).
Anything you've tried that seemed to work effectively?
That's not an easy task! Having worked closely with individuals who have traumatic brain injuries with severe short-term memory loss, it's a huge challenge. Not only are they technologically challenged with equipment like a laptop, but they struggle to do basic things in a Word document. Even with the most simple of tasks, they can get confused, lost, frustrated, hit the wrong keys and buttons, and have things happen and have no idea what they did to cause things to happen. They truly need someone nearby to coach them and assist them so they can have any success.