It’s not a secret, and it isn’t Jeff’s, and now that Jeff’s name brought you, here it is: Work on getting better every day.
In digital marketing, we call that optimization, and somehow it’s an activity that isn’t greeted as enthusiastically as, say, an afternoon at the driving range.
Optimization efforts unquestionably improve conversion rates, and a small uplift in conversion rates translates to significant bottom line uplift. So why are these efforts not as universal, as for instance, financial auditing?
I wonder if optimization lacks a compelling metaphor. Perhaps it is too hard to explain optimization to all of those stakeholders who already regard marketing as a mysterious black box, or even a sinkhole of corporate cash. What should we compare it to? A golf swing? A lawn? A budget? A product roadmap? Your kid’s SAT scores? You know, things that are never perfect, that must be constantly adjusted and evaluated.
I wonder if optimization needs a better advocate. Jack Welch, then CEO of GE, kick-started the Six Sigma craze for “continuous improvement.” Perhaps it would be easier to sell optimization to an organization if we called it Six Sigma Marketing or Continuous Im-provement Marketing.
Or if we found the right sponsor. Maybe Jeff Bezos, or Arianna Huffington, or Michael Bloomberg could be persuaded to talk about how optimization sent their business soaring. Then everyone would want it.
On Target 