I’m passionate about this subject because I’ve seen countless companies get caught up in the jargon, structure, and formalities of building a marketing plan and never actually get to marketing. My KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple) methodology spits in the face of traditional plans. If you jump on board with my approach, you’ll be adding…
We have an eCommerce client enjoying 400% revenue growth this year. Facebook ads, email marketing, and conversion optimization played a part in that success, but these tactics are worthless without product-market fit. The thing that really moved the needle in this company’s success was cutting 80% of what they sell and refocusing the remaining 20%…
I’m going to share an important lesson about exploiting a competitive advantage, but first, you need to read this true story… “Mike,” Patti said. “You’re going to cut off your fingers.” “No, it’ll be fine, Patti. You just need to know what you’re doing. There are all kinds of safety features on new saws.” Patti and…
Running a client-based business can be a rollercoaster. One minute you’re riding high on that big project you just won. The next, you’re dog cussing your chosen profession and questioning why you ever agreed to work with that unreasonable client where it’s Never Enough. Don’t point fingers at the client who hired you. That dumpster…
Branding jargon is a curse that plagues businesses around the world. It’s hard for me to wade through the bullshit that branding firms and marketing agencies spew out to sound smart—and I’ve been in branding for 16 years. But not all branding terminology is for posturing and show. Take the concept of a brand promise…
We often obsess over fonts, photography, forms, and SEO and forget the most important function of a website… Your website exists to move someone from awareness to purchase. This is true for billion-dollar brands, freelancers, SaaS websites, eCommerce websites, home builder websites, CPG websites, nonprofit websites, and almost every other website on the planet. The…
You came here to learn the difference between branding and marketing. I won’t dance around the subject. Let’s use sports to make the explanation easy. Marketing gets you to buy a ticket to your first game with a clever, “First 5 beers free” promotion. Ok, it’s probably a first beer free, but I’m allowed to…
I stumbled across the book Inbound Marketing from Dharmesh Shah and Brian Halligan of Hubspot back in the summer of 2010. It changed the way I think about marketing and paved the way for creating my own demand generation framework. Inbound marketing is now the driving force in my career. I use it to shape…
I was conducting my evening scroll through Instagram, as I usually do, when I stumbled into a mysterious brand I had never heard of—Bandulu. The name captured my eyes and the “ulu” echoed in my ears as I said it over and over in my head. What an impressionable brand name—I didn’t know it’s meaning…
A tagline becomes part of your brand identity. It’s often the most memorable part. You might even call it your verbal logo. Don’t believe me? Well… Just Do It. Think Different. The breakfast of champions. The happiest place on earth. I rest my case. Listing the company for each isn’t necessary. The brand is synonymous…
