History has a tendency of repeating itself – and as Google rolls out the change to Gmail’s inbox layout and sorting methods, now it’s the email marketer’s turn to freak out!

Just like the SEO guys did with the infamous Penguin algorithm in 2012…

Just like the PPC experts when Adwords announced changes to campaign settings in 2011…

The Internet is an ever-changing beast, so for those of us that do a lot of business online, these changes to Gmail are another reminder that we simply can’t get too comfortable with the status quo, and more importantly, we can’t rely on one single strategy for success.

Remember the old adage about putting all of your eggs in one basket?

Marketing works the same way – if you rely to heavily on one strategy, and the terms of that strategy change, you’re left high and dry without any other marketing methods to fall back on!

In the Predictable Profits Insiders’ Club, we refer to this idea as the Money Wheel…

If you picture each marketing effort as a spoke in your company’s money wheel, a wheel with only a few spokes isn’t very robust (or reliable) at all…

On the other hand, the more spokes in a wheel, the stronger the structure of the entire thing!

So, for email marketers lamenting these recent changes to Gmail inboxes, it’s not the end of the world… It could just be a gentle reminder to reevaluate your strategy (and that it’s time to start thinking about diversifying your efforts).

Ideally, though, it won’t take a huge change – and the “slap in the face” feeling it can bring with it – to show you the importance of having a range of strategies in place.

But consider this your fair warning…

Whether it’s direct mailers, email marketing, PPC ads, billboards, tradeshow presence, or any other method of making your business visible to your prospects, you can’t rely on just one to get the job done…

You never know when the rules will change… (and they do!)

And you never know when your prospects’ behavior will change.

Check out our related article on direct mail, “Is Direct Mail Marketing Still an Effective Strategy in an Increasingly Digital World?”

The safest way to ensure you’re getting your message in the right hands is to make that message available in plenty of different formats…

That way, when one spoke in your Money Wheel fails, the others are there to support it.

In your corner,

Charlie

P.S. More marketing strategies are discussed every month, and revealed exclusively to these Strategic Entrepreneurs.