The marketing trend train moves quickly. Whether it’s Facebook live or podcasts, affiliate marketing, e-books or Instagram, I notice too many designers spinning their wheels and trying to catch up to promises made about how these tools will deliver business results fast, or my personal favorite, create passive income. Aside from the fact that passive income is usually linked to very active online infrastructure setup and content creation now, you have to ask yourself, is this fun for me?

Does this feel organic with my brand communication and message?

Does the implementation of this marketing tool require so much support in terms of team, education or effort, that I don’t have time to actually run my business?

And most importantly, is the client, whom I most love to serve, who is my true fit, going to find me using said tool?

If you’re regularly dazzled by the possibilities of what could happen, when you try the next big surefire, must-have marketing thingy, you may have a case of Shiny “Objet” Syndrome. SBS will cause you to see the success of your big, and continually expanding vision, so vividly that you’re oblivious to what is glaringly obvious, your blindspot.

No one tool is the answer. You are the answer.

Marketing experiments are important and I highly recommend them but not when what they really are is a distraction. Distractions keep us from doing the right work. Distractions keep us invisible.

Floating on clouds of possibility is safe and so is trying some marketing tool for a week or a month before you drop it. Talking about what you’re going to do someday, quitting before you finish, or making a decision and then just as quickly changing your mind, are tactics we use to stay unseen. Being visible requires commitment and change and that we keep our word, not just to others, but to ourselves. That means you have to listen to what you’re truly saying.

I can pretty much guarantee that no one tool du jour is worth you driving your business off your track that is unless you want to keep distracting yourself from where you’re going?