Reading Time: 8 minutes One of the traps that marketers fall into is trying to speak to everybody. The problem is everybody isn’t going to listen. It could be because they think what you convey is utter nonsense or maybe they are just indifferent. You aren’t going to be able to convince everybody that your product or service is for them because it’s not. The key has always been to focus on those you have the best chance with… Read More »Market to the Right People
Reading Time: 4 minutes Sometimes I’m surprised about which articles I’ve published get traction and which don’t. It’s a reminder that your masterpiece may not do what you hoped and what you see as a more modest, utilitarian article might take off. Your audience will always tell you what they want to see so don’t ignore them. After taking some time off at the end of 2022, I’ve been easing into 2023. I’ll be back to publishing regular posts… Read More »The Top Five Articles From 2022
Reading Time: 21 minutes You are likely thinking about what your marketing will look like in 2023. I know the prediction and trend articles can be interesting and kind of fun but I want to do something a little different. I want to give some with more value. As I started to write this, it was still a few weeks before the midterm elections and I was being hit by political ads in a way that would have made Mike… Read More »What Marketers Should Consider for 2023
Reading Time: 5 minutes Have you ever gone to see that movie that everybody raved about only to feel that you were duped? For me, it was Spiderman 2 which would go on to be an enormous hit. I had seen early footage and wasn’t impressed but it was all the rage so purchased a ticket and headed to the theater. My friends thought it was great but I didn’t like it. That’s not exactly true. I HATED it. … Read More »All Your Content is Subjective
Reading Time: 4 minutes The events of the last few days in the world of social media have been, well, interesting. So much so that I decided to interrupt my regularly scheduled program. There are some important takeaways that you should understand that I’ll talk about toward the end. First, I need to set the stage. I opened Twitter to find my timeline flooded with people talking about Instagram. Some people found a message saying their accounts were suspended.… Read More »We Need to Talk About Twitter
Reading Time: 8 minutes The options for content have grown but for some reason, the idea of content marketing has stayed the same. There is a shift that needs to take place and it should have happened yesterday. Let me rephrase that. You must make a shift in how you think of content marketing or you will be wasting your time and money. Does this all sound a little dramatic? If you’re still clinging to the old ideas of… Read More »Your Approach to Content Marketing is Ancient
Reading Time: 5 minutes There is an idea that I’ve seen over and over again. It’s that marketing creates demand. You might agree because you have seen that when you’re actively marketing sales are doing well. You’re creating demand. That’s not always the case though. There are plenty of companies that have heavily marketed a product and then watched it flop. You might simply say, “Of course, the product flopped because the marketing wasn’t very good. Bad marketing won’t… Read More »Does Marketing Really Create Demand?
Reading Time: 7 minutes Gardening has become a nice summer hobby. For some reason, I find it relaxing. The other day I was pruning some tomato plants and my mind started to wander. I was thinking about the work to get done and an idea hit me like a ton of bricks. There are some interesting similarities in the work I do both as a gardener and a marketer. It may sound kind of strange but it’s true. You… Read More »What Do Gardening and Marketing Have in Common?
Reading Time: 5 minutes For as long as I remember I have been attracted to the “big sexy idea.” Based on what I see online and from conversations with clients, I’m not the only one. The problem is that the big sexy idea can become a distraction. It leads you away from the things that can have a sustained impact over the long run. For many, it ends up as only fantasy – something you’re chasing but can never… Read More »Are You Chasing The Big Sexy Idea?
Reading Time: 5 minutes There is no doubt that social media has changed society. Whether it’s for better or worse is a judgment I’ll leave to you. From a marketing and public relations (PR) point of view, social media has presented the opportunity to reach and connect with people that you may not have been able to reach easily before. This leaves the question of how you should use social media. It’s a big question and I don’t intend… Read More »Is Social Media Just Another Promotional Channel?