In modern marketing, people often think that if someone likes your post, comments, shares it with colleagues, or even gets your company logo tattooed somewhere visible, that person is truly engaged. But apparently, everyone else isn’t considered engaged. That’s a problem, because a large part of your audience is doing something much less noticeable. They…
Why your customers are quietly keeping an account you didn’t know existed. Somewhere between your website, LinkedIn page, podcast, email newsletter and the slightly neglected blog article you published seventeen months ago, your business has a bank account. You won’t find it on the balance sheet. Your accountant has never mentioned it. There is no…
There has never been a better time in human history to get someone’s attention. There has also never been a worse time. This is one of those peculiar contradictions modern civilisation produces, like having 147 television channels and nothing to watch, or owning a device capable of accessing almost the entire sum of human knowledge…
Should you buy the megaphone or slowly become the person everyone wants to listen to? There comes a point in almost every marketing conversation when someone asks a perfectly reasonable question: “Should we spend money on advertising, or focus on organic marketing?” This is usually followed by several people staring thoughtfully at a spreadsheet, as…
Why your best marketing department might already be sitting in the office next door. Many people in business believe that it takes large teams of marketers to build a successful brand. Some imagine there are hundreds or even thousands of them. They picture everyone wearing the same lanyards and sipping coffee with names that could…
Why shouting louder isn’t the same as becoming memorable. Modern marketing runs on an interesting economic system that often goes unnoticed. Many businesses take part in this system without even realising it. Every day, they spend money just to get noticed. Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Facebook campaigns, display ads, sponsored posts, trade show sponsorships, influencer…
Why the internet stubbornly refuses to celebrate your new website quite as much as you do. Somewhere out there, a strange force has puzzled business owners for years. It isn’t dark matter. It isn’t quantum mechanics. It isn’t even the mysterious office printer that only jams when the Managing Director is watching. No. It’s the…
Why the most effective marketing strategy is also the one least likely to go viral on LinkedIn. Many people in marketing seem to believe there’s a hidden button somewhere online that holds all the answers. Press it once. Customers appear. Revenue doubles. The sales team applauds. Someone writes a LinkedIn post that begins with “I…
Why has marketing become slightly more complicated than convincing people to buy things? Every January, the marketing industry performs one of its favourite rituals. Someone publishes an article entitled “The 37 Digital Marketing Trends That Will Change Everything This Year.” By February, another expert announces that half of them are already obsolete. By March, artificial…
Why growing a forest is still better than renting a plastic tree. Every few years, someone confidently announces the death of organic marketing. Usually on LinkedIn and occasionally in a webinar. Sometimes, while trying to sell you a course explaining why organic marketing is dead. That’s actually a pretty clever business model when you think…