I read a lot of marketing and business advice from different sources, and I see a lot of, “Always do this,” and, “Never do that,” in the words of the gurus. But should you “always” listen to the gurus? The answer becomes clear when you realize that much of the advice from one expert will directly contradict the advice from another.

Of course, there are a few things that will work for almost anyone, or that should generally be avoided. However, for everything a guru says is a waste of time and money and never works, there is someone, somewhere who is doing it successfully. Whether you are thinking about blogging, advertising, sending press releases, publishing a book, or other promotions, you will want to consider whether it is a good idea for you, not just what the gurus say.

So how to do you know which ideas will work for you and which will not? A bit of analysis and planning can help you decide. When you follow that with testing, you will know if you have a winner or a dud. [Read more…]