Are You An SEM Burnout?

Christine Churchill has an interesting column on Search Engine Land called Ten Strategies For Avoiding Search Marketing Burnout. I, for one, was caught off guard by the title, thinking "Search marketing burnout? It's an oxymoron!" I can't think of a field I'd rather be working in than search marketing - it's perpetually interesting, changing, growing - and where else do you get an opportunity to make an immediate impact on ROI?

Then I read the article, and it made sense. Owning your own business, whether it's an SEM firm or any other, is stressful. There is always the temptation to do just a little bit more - and many people end up working all the time, with no down time. In SEM, as in many industries, there is always more to do, and successful entrepreneurs want to get that extra edge by doing more than their competitors. It's what makes them successful - and what burns them out.

The article has several tried-and-true tips for finding balance in your life, which is always a good thing. Reading through the tips, I realize I'm already doing all those things. Even though I don't own my own business, our agency is growing so fast that there is, like I said, always more to do. I suppose keeping the balance is what's keeping me so interested in my SEM career instead of burning out. If you're feeling burned out, take Christine's advice and nip that burnout in the bud.