Do your best work standing still

Matt Jones

Are you sitting comfortably? If not, do so: a half-lotus is preferable. Now, close your eyes, and make your breathing even. Slow breath in, slow breath out. If you want, you can even hum a little – the guys in the next office might laugh, but that’s okay. What you’re doing is important. You’re achieving the state that will make your online marketing plan bring in huge rewards.

Okay, maybe you can dispense with the meditation. However, a zen attitude to your online marketing plan can really get you places.

Exactly how can you be zen about search engine optimisation and marketing? It all comes down to groundwork. Just as a meditative state can’t be achieved simply by sitting down, zen marketing can’t happen without the preparation of good content and community. Once you’ve polished your site though, it can be good to get a little zen, concentrating on the little things like replying to comments and maintaining your quality level.

Traditional marketing efforts involve rushing around, bidding on keywords, updating profiles or launching widgets. It’s important to realise that not all marketing efforts work this way, and that low-energy activities have a high impact. Some of the best moves you can make involve staying still.

There are two approaches you can take toward internet marketing. There’s the high-energy approach, and then there’s zen. A combination of the two is probably your best bet, involving the active seeking of links and rankings as part of your SEO plan, as well as the sit-back-and-let-them-come approach that builds for the long term.