Five lessons to learn from Fantasy Football

You gaze out the window of your business, slowly letting your mind wander to all things peaceful. The leaves are slowly falling, a crisp wind is rustling through the trees … it truly is a picturesque fall day.

“RINNGGG RINNGGG”

You’re jerked back to reality when your phone sends you an alert. You pick it up quickly, thinking it’s a business client, but recognize that it’s your fantasy football app!   Your heart rate increases as you scan the words and see a big red “IR” over your star running back’s name. Forget about daydreaming or work …this has thrown you off royally, and demands your full attention!

It’s the first year that you have jumped into the dark pit of fantasy football, and you are quickly regretting it. It seems stressful and chaotic, although strangely fun at the same time. You begin thinking through how you can make next year’s football season easier and more effective, and decide to quickly write down some points to remember while it’s all fresh. As you scribble your ideas down, your mind begins to make a connection between your fantasy football world and marketing ideas for your business ….

• Study in the preseason

Let’s start with the basics. Are you getting your pre-draft party ready? That’s great! Grab the soda, pizza, and let’s get ready for a fun time. It’s easy to get so caught up in all the festivities that we forget a very crucial part: studying. Know what each player has to offer, and figure out the positive and negative elements associated with the player you like. You liked the preseason Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham? Great! But before you choose him I hope you remember that he has a knee injury.

In the same way know what marketing opportunities are available before you buy. Take time to study the highs and lows of each option.

• Without drafting you have no team

It’s really simple. You set aside three hours of your life to draft your team. In the same way, when marketing your business, sit down and come up with a detailed plan! Believe it or not, it can actually be a lot of fun!

• Even the best QB has a BYE week

Football season can get long, and players are expected to be on their “A game” at all times. But let’s be real; they can’t be. So they have a bye week to take a rest. In the same way, manage your expectations when it comes to the marketing you choose. Just because one venue of marketing has a slow season, does not mean it’s not worth your time. At the end of the year, spend time to evaluate the entire picture of each marketing option you used.

• Stop checking your phone every 45 seconds

Trust me, it’s easy to do. We all get addicted to results. We want to see how Carson Palmer is playing today. But let’s be real, you took the steps ahead of time to choose the best players you could. No need to dwell on it every second. Have you ever used Google analytics? It’s pretty awesome! Set it up, use it, but don’t look at it every second! Once a week? Great. See what is happening and how you can enhance it. But let’s not let it rule our lives.

• Learn from the past mistakes and draft well next year

I am excited, probably a little too excited, for the football season to be over. This year I learned how fantasy football works, and I loved it, but I am ready to analyze this year’s data and get ready to take on next year! Get excited about your marketing – it’s fun! Don’t get down if or when you made a mistake for your Christmas advertising. Look over the information, make changes, and get ready to rock Christmas 2016.

Merry Christmas! 

Jena Powell