So how many x86 instructions are there anyways?
This was a recent topic on of the Google Groups that caught my attention, if for no other reason but to be a bit nostalgic. As you might expect, it is not that easy of a question to answer. Part of the fun in reading through the chatter was the reveal that it didn’t really matter how many instructions there were. From the genesis of the x86 architecture, the instructions have evolved along with new capabilities in the processing power of the hardware. And so, new instructions were regularly created in order to enable the hardware to perform operations more effectively.
In reality though, things get to a point where the benefit of some instructions becomes marginal or of value to only specific types of applications. As someone on the forum pointed out, compilers use a much smaller subset in the compilation task. Only 30% of the instruction set in fact. Clearly it highlights the fact that you can develop a higher degree of proficiency by concentrating on the subset that matters most. As another poster commented, it would be nice to have compiler for video drivers, a compiler for math software, and so on. Again, highlighting the benefit of picking the subset that matters to the task.
And so it is with the tool set for demand generation. The tool set is growing by leaps and bounds. Of course, trying to keep up with the pace at which the world is being digitized. And here is where we can take our lesson from the development arena. There are more tools than we can use. The key is to harvest the subset that is most effective for you, and that you can develop the required proficiency.
Marketing Automation software has quite a luster about it. And with that comes the attraction to be able to mechanize so much. To do more. To do it better. And to be able to efficiently reach your target market. But as has been pointed out by many independent marketing professionals, you need to get the process developed before you can get to the automation stage. And when you are ready for automation, it still does not happen automatically. At a minimum, you need a dedicated resource to keep the engine stoked. That is, at least one dedicated employee.
Of course, it is a natural tendency to go for the gusto. Which in this context means the tendency to dive right to specific tactics with unwavering focus. AdWords. Retargeting. Youtube. Blogging. But that unwavering focus on tactics may actually turn out to be a short sighted vision of what needs to be accomplished. Much akin to working with too large of an instruction set and not becoming proficient or effective with any subset.
Successful marketers today are the ones that have established clarity on the company’s goals and capabilities first. And have established comparable insights into their customer’s problem and behavior. This establishes the framework through which the marketing tool set can be put together. All of the tactics need to work together as a tool chain, to complete the objective as a whole. Adding a tool is always about whether it fits with delivering your message to your customer. Otherwise, you may be succeeding with the individual tactics; surrounding yourself with an unwelcome lot; and asking yourself: “Who are these leads anyways?”.