Should Marketers Follow or Lead?

Should we follow or lead?

There is the argument that one should follow the proven path to success that someone has already blazed.

Then there is the argument that one should be original, innovative and stand out from the pack.

I can remember a Frank Kern email where he did that classic email opens case study and whenever he used the title "Bad News" he got huge amount of opens.

Then the next day I open my special email account that I use just for signing up to different marketers newsletters. I use that special a account to self educate. I take notes on which one actually gets me to open it and why.

And the very next day after that Frank Kern email you already know what happened....I had like 20 "BAD NEWS" email titles in a row!

So my reaction to this is honestly kinda split. If you are using something that is proven to work you would be crazy not to place it in your arsenal and use it if you are going to get results.

But on the other hand....I kinda saw all these different marketers as a herd...not so much as creative individuals...at least at that moment.

Physically and philosophically a path that has the most traffic will be smoother and easier to navigate but one that has been traveled too much may also have some potholes to avoid.

So I figured out that the best route is to know what has been proven to work and then make it yours....meaning tweak it to be uniquely YOU and YOUR style.

Its like sending out one of those pre made affiliate email promotions not realizing that other marketers could be taking the same shortcut and you get lost in the pack when someone opens up their incoming email.

So I say we should make it unique which ever route we take but no need to re-invent every time sometimes just needs a little YOU or a little ME flavor sprinkled in.