As we get closer to the end of tax season, most business owners will fall into one of two categories. First, there is the group who got everything they needed together a long time ago, and see April 17 as just another day on the calendar. And then there’s the second group – you know who you are – who are facing something akin to a “paperwork apocalypse” coming down on them quickly.

While we hope that all of you are falling into the first group, and not second, the fact of the matter is that the “rush” that so many of us go through around tax time is actually a pretty good analogy for online marketing in general.

Although there isn’t a calendar date when your blog post, pay-per-click campaigns, and other Internet marketing tools are due, that only adds to the problem. Why? Because business owners tend to put these activities off until they really need to start finding new customers – at which point it’s often too late for things like search engine optimization and social media campaigns to do much good.

And so, the lesson is that online marketing is a bit like your taxes, and that it’s best handled on a daily basis. Here are a couple of quick tips to help you stay on top of your plan:

Think in small steps. Instead of trying to cram and handle a lot of different Internet marketing activities at once, focus on one or two at a time and then move on. That will make you more consistent while keeping the process from being overwhelming.

Make a schedule. Just as you have to check in on your taxes and financials quarterly, it’s a good idea to keep to a regular Internet marketing schedule, too. By adding things like social media updates and budget reviews to the calendar, you’re less likely to put them off.

It helps to know what you’re doing. Online marketing – like the tax code – can seem confusing and arbitrary. The more you know about the role of things like keywords and online ads, however, the easier they are to manage… and the less likely you are to get yourself in trouble.

Expert help goes a long way. Everyone wishes they had a hotshot accountant when April rolls around, and Internet marketing expertise sounds great when you want to reach one of the first positions on Google. Don’t wait too long to get the expert help you need, since it’s much easier and cost-effective to plan ahead than it is to undo mistakes.

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In many ways, the viral video represents the “Holy Grail” of online marketing – something that a lot of businesses are looking for, but few seem to find.

It’s not hard to imagine why. When a video truly goes viral, it can be spread dozens, or even hundreds, of times by people you’ve never even met or had contact with. That’s potentially millions of people spreading your marketing message around. Who knows what kinds of profits could be generated from something like that…

A Couple Of Problems With Viral Marketing Videos

Of course, for all of the great things that should supposedly come from a viral marketing video, there are a couple of problems, too. The first is that generating a viral marketing video for your business is harder than it looks. For every one that racks up millions of views on YouTube, there are hundreds of others that fail miserably, and make the companies that produce them look foolish.

And secondly, going “viral” isn’t much of a business goal, anyway. Who is to say that a percentage of those viewers – even a small one – are going to turn into buyers? Most viral videos get spread around because of their entertainment value, not their commercial content, meaning that the best ones typically don’t work well as promotions for a business or company.

The Cure For Video Marketing Woes

Luckily, there is a simple cure for both of these problems: Instead of going viral to millions of people, strive to shoot an online marketing video that’s well done, meaningful to the customers you care about most, and is likely to be shared within small circles.

The key difference in that formula is that you’re aiming for a much smaller group, and one that’s easier to reach and influence. By trying to market your video to every business accountant in Seattle, for example, you make your task a lot easier. And at the same time, you make it a lot more likely that you’re going to shoot something that will interest them enough to contact you for help.

Too much time, effort, and money is wasted on looking for viral online marketing videos, which can be the equivalent of a winning lottery ticket that may or may not have any value. For real online marketing impact, stop trying to appeal to everyone, and focus on the small group of buyers who can make the biggest impact in your business.