[tweetmeme] What does War and Peace have to do with executing great online marketing campaigns? Everything. Once you have the most efficient and effective strategies and tools in place, Tolstoy’s General Kutuzov declared,

“the strongest of all warriors are these two: Time and Patience. It is not difficult to capture a fortress but it is difficult to win a campaign. For that, not storming and attacking but patience and time are wanted.”

Kutuzov dismissed a rival general’s accomplishments, saying “Kamenski would have been lost if he had not died. He stormed fortresses with thirty thousand men… Everything comes in time to him who knows HOW to wait.”

We shouldn’t try to win over a client with brute force PPC campaigns, impressive amounts of Twitter followers, Facebook Fans or a website chock full with keywords, hoping for that quick hit and show of appreciation. Establishing reasonable expectations during the sales process is key. Next, setting SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) goals for a client, and then executing them, is the way to go. Finally, being patient while they play out, and providing reporting tools to track those incremental gains over time, will keep your (and your client’s) expectations in check.

Patience and Time. It’s also essential when trying to read War and Peace.

Image via Bengoshi-san.