What’s Your Internet Strategic Profile?

Take a look at this process visual and then please follow my instruction below:

The columns at the top indicate competitive (only as good as most of the competition), distinct (contains distinguishing features), and breakthrough (leading edge and state-of-the-art). Now take a look at the marketing gravity categories I have included on the left hand side. There are three things I would like you to do now:

First, review each of the rows on the left and then indicate where you think you are today, by placing the letter “T” in that box. So for example, is your content or intellectual property competitive, distinct or breakthrough? Where would you rank the design and navigation of your site and then, where would you rank your web site, your blog and the rest of the categories on the left? When you are done, you will have a vertical line drawn, diagnosing and indicating where you are today.

Second, for each of the rows on the left, representing the various categories, place the letter “F” indicating where you think you need to be in the future, in other words, where you need to be in the next 2 years. There are a couple of points I need to clarify. Although most may want to become “breakthrough” in each category, it is completely unrealistic to do so and would require unimaginable amount of energy. And stagnation or not doing anything, creates the gravity which actually moves you to the left. Obviously, not the desired direction to move in. Once you have completed this step, you would then have one line representing where you are today and one where you need to be in the future. That is your call to action. Start focusing by moving each of the categories.

Third, how would you rank some of the top, most successful, thought leaders?

Finally, when I present this diagnostic tool to my clients or to the audience during my speaking presentations, it is not uncommon to see them diagnose themselves somewhere between competitive and distinct with the majority of categories falling in the competitive side. Yet, they rank most thought leaders somewhere between distinct and breakthrough, which is also where most want to be in the future.

So here is to your remarkable transformation.

© Chad Barr 2011. All rights reserved