The bridge between Internet marketing theory and application

I marvel at the great bridges that I have been on in my life like the George Washington that connects NJ and NY, the Verrazano Narrows that connects Staten Island, NY and Brooklyn, NY and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Let’s not forget the Chesapeake Bay Bridge that is just incredibly cool, so who cares what it connects. These structures connect two important areas and make them one. Internet marketing has two places, The United States of Internet Marketing Theory and Internet Marketing Application Island, that apparently have an on-demand bridge system since they are not always connected although they should be.

Image by Christopher Chan via Flickr

These two areas are critical to each other, in that neither can exist to its fullest without the other. Just having too much theory and no application does nothing. In the reverse, just applying stuff randomly without having the knowledge of the theory is fruitless as well.
So what does it take to build a permanent bridge between these two “places” that need each other so badly? Essentially the same thing needed to build real bridges. Here’s what I mean:

1. A plan. Good luck building a bridge without a plan and all the engineering that is required to make the thing actually work. Same goes for Internet marketing. No plan means no good results. Whether you plan or not, you will get results. Just that the ones with no plan suck and the others have a much greater chance of success.
2. Raw materials. You are not going to build a bridge with straw and twigs. It requires iron and steel and asphalt. Same goes for Internet marketing. If you are trying to build your efforts with materials that aren’t “aged” (read have any experience) or are from the Dollar Store (read cheap), then your success will be spotty at best. You do not need to have the world’s greatest experts to do Internet marketing, but you do need to have someone who knows more than just the basics.
3. Teamwork. Bridges are incredible team efforts. In fact, most of the big bridge construction stories talk of heroism and even loss of life. Fortunately, Internet marketing isn’t so dramatic. It is, however, a real team effort. The biggest need will be between the Web developers and designers and the marketing folks. Make sure there is buy-in on both sides or else you will experience frustration and project overruns. Trust me.
4. Hard work. Plain and simple, it’s hard to build a bridge. Once again, while not nearly as hard, Internet marketing is still challenging. It requires a nose to the grindstone attitude. Part-time effort with Internet marketing returns half-baked results
5. Maintenance. Once the bridge is built, it better be maintained. There are awful stories of what results can be expected if maintenance is ignored. Same thing goes for Internet marketing. If you build it and it works for a short while, but you stop putting effort into it, then it will stop giving returns. You have to commit to maintenance or else your returns will be short lived.

So you want to bridge the gap between Internet marketing theory and application? Please do, because there could be many people who benefit from your willingness to do what others will not. Just like a bridge that is built by some for the service of many, the same can be said when you help your business thrive. Many people, like employees and suppliers, reap the rewards. Happy building!