Today\u2019s post is going to be pretty geeky. Consider yourself warned. Anyway, growing up I was really into RTS (real-time strategy) games. Titles like Warcraft 1 and 2, Age of Empires, Starcraft, I couldn\u2019t get enough of them.<\/p>\n
In case you\u2019re unfamiliar, here\u2019s a brief\u00a0definition\u00a0of RTS games:<\/p>\n
Real-time strategy<\/strong>\u00a0(RTS<\/strong>) is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns.<\/p>\n
In an RTS, as in other wargames, the participants position and maneuver units and structures under their control to secure areas of the map and\/or destroy their opponents\u2019 assets. In a typical RTS, it is possible to create additional units and structures during the course of a game. This is generally limited by a requirement to expend accumulated resources. These resources are in turn garnered by controlling special points on the map and\/or possessing certain types of units and structures devoted to this purpose. More specifically, the typical game of the RTS genre features resource gathering, base building, in-game technological development and indirect control of units.<\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Perhaps I enjoyed them so much as I was always fairly strategy-minded having also been a chess player since a young age.<\/p>\n
Recently I was chatting with a friend and somehow the subject turned to RTS. I hadn\u2019t thought of them in years, but I made an almost instant connection back to them and realized how they have quite a bit in common with\u00a0digital marketing.<\/p>\n
Think about how the commonalities between the two:<\/p>\n
You need equity before you get to outcomes<\/strong><\/p>\n
In RTS you need resources: whether gold, food, wood or minerals before you\u2019re able to upgrade your armies or stronghold. You need to search for these resources and setup a process to harvest them. Then, you need to use your resources for outcomes: to summon additional forces or increase your defenses.<\/p>\n
Not really so different in digital marketing. Before you\u2019re able to get conversions from your activities or have them resonate, you need to to build equity: in the form of links, content, subscribers, etc. For example, you don\u2019t immediately gain outcomes from social media, rather you need to\u00a0build your community before you need them. Only then can you activate them for results.<\/p>\n
Newbies want shiny objects, experienced pros want to win<\/strong><\/p>\n
In RTS new players always want the biggest and most expensive weapons or fortresses. What they don\u2019t realize is in their quest to pursue these things, they skip over tactics that would actually let them easily win. Frequently the most common items are the most valuable if used properly, the cost of investing in the larger items is so great they actually don\u2019t make sense to invest in until you are already rocking the basics.<\/p>\n
In digital marketing, newbies want to skip to execute complex ideas that might generate buzz. And\u00a0buzz absolutely makes sense\u00a0as part of a mix of tactics. But without\u00a0consistency\u00a0it doesn\u2019t matter because you\u2019re not building up any momentum behind your brand or community. It\u2019s the daily\u00a0stuff in between\u00a0the big items that actually matters most.<\/p>\n
Being committed and passionate count<\/strong><\/p>\n
In RTS, those who practiced their craft dominated those who weren\u2019t as efficient with the systems. They learned the keyboard shortcuts, they spent time thinking about strategies and they practiced like it was nobody\u2019s business.<\/p>\n
In digital marketing, it\u2019s very much the same. Those who are committed and passionate take the time to\u00a0practice personally\u00a0and professionally. For it, they understand better how to lead their companies or clients to success. In both cases being committed and\u00a0passionate\u00a0count.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today\u2019s post is going to be pretty geeky. Consider yourself warned. Anyway, growing up I was really into RTS (real-time … <\/p>\n