Drawing a chart of what number of entities in any market sector achieve top ranked success vs. all the other ones who slog away for all eternity without ever reaching any form of significant presence will show a very tall pointed pyramid. There are a rarefied few at the very top that get all the attention and make all the money while on the other hand there are the innumerable throngs which slave away for years and never add up to much of anything. However, there are some strategies that online marketers can adopt to help break through this impasse.

The Singer Who Won over Aguilera in 1990 Is Now a Waiter

Years ago when I was the editor of a leading music industry publication, I had the opportunity to meet a considerable number of outstanding musicians, vocalists and entire groups whose talent literally knew no bounds and were head and shoulders above most of the top charting artists of the time. Like many “up and coming” musicians they had to make ends meet by flipping burgers at McD’s or cleaning hotel rooms, but the difference for them (and the countless thousands like them) was that they stayed at those menial jobs for the rest of their lives because they never got that “big break.” Unfortunately, talent has little if anything to do with getting that break. Christina Aguilera came in second in the 1990 Star Search, and the singer who won that competition is now a waiter. This is not a phenomenon that is exclusive to the music industry. It is present in every aspect of modern business.

The First Million Is the Difficult One, the Second Is Easier

There is only a certain amount of space at the top of any industry. General Mills sells $15 billion of food products every year. For every General Mills there are nearly endless numbers of home cooks packaging their grandma’s secret spaghetti sauce or berry jam hoping to sell enough at the Sunday Farmer’s Market so that they can pay the rent. Although it’s true that General Mills started with a single mill at Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River and took over 150 years to reach its present market dominance, the nearly infinite number of General Mills wannabes are also aiming for the top but find the going pretty tough. Many millionaires will tell you that the first million is the really difficult one, the second is easier, and by the time you get to the tenth or hundredth, it’s a cake walk. Inertia in vertical market movement can be overwhelming and when you finally get going, you’ll find that you can pick up speed at an exhilarating rate. The problem is that it’s not that easy to get up to that critical mass so that it gets easier and easier as you go on because achievement begets achievement and money begets money.

Companies Content with Their Current Market Position Wilt Away

Online marketers can accept this scenario as the way life is, or they can take proactive steps to claim their “rightful” place in this highly stratified hierarchy. First of all you need to accept that no one is going to come along and help your company rise up on this Stairway To Market Heaven unless you do it yourself. You have to take responsibility for your market position and make the unwavering commitment to dedicating all of your efforts as well as the efforts of your entire staff to becoming an upwardly mobile company. In order to rise in the pecking order you have to take well-calculated risks. Companies which stand still and are content with their current market position are the ones that wilt away over time, but the ones that aggressively and indefatigably seek new challenges and attempt to conquer new territories are the ones that succeed and go on to become the market leaders.

You can never rest on your laurels as in today’s online marketing business each day brings new opportunities. Apply your creativity, wisdom and market insight to position your company as a progressive leader, and enjoy your newfound status!