Any of you that know me, have had a conversation about marketing with me, or read my 15,000 word post on social media strategy, should be well aware that I know how to do some pretty complex stuff as it relates to marketing.
- I can tell you about what works, and what doesn’t.
- I can tell you what’s predictable, and what’s not.
- I can tell you what’s measurable, and what’s not.
I have the skills to take any business and identify opportunities for them to raise more awareness, generate more leads and close more sales. I know how virtually every type of marketing fits together in an integrated way, and in the event that there is a new marketing strategy or tactic that Im unaware of, I’m pretty sure I’d know how it fits.
I’ve shown some of you how to run high converting but low cost Facebook ad campaigns. I have built out a complete integrated marketing model that looks like a spider web, capturing new prospects from every marketing tactic, moving existing prospects through a process, and identifying new prospects from audiences that never even knew you existed.
Do As I Say
When I work with clients, I am being paid to generate results. I won’t do anything unethical and I certainly won’t do anything illegal. However, I will do some things that I’m not personally comfortable with.
I’ve always struggled with my dual identities.
On the one hand, I’m a strategist, and for about 9 years of my career, I was strategizing, primarily, about effective use of social media. That gave me a tremendous runway to learn all about how it works and doesn’t. It also gave me an inside look at all of the problems that came along with social media. I came to know a little too much.
On the other hand, I’m a human being. While this identity intersects with my identity as a strategist, it does have some unique properties. As a human being, I don’t care about conversion rates. I don’t care about cost per click, engagement rate, time on site, or increased brand awareness. I care about my family, I care about my friends, I care about my privacy, and I care about my hobbies and interests.
What I’m comfortable with as a human being is not necessarily what I am as a marketer, and even more importantly, may be in conflict of what I know is effective, as a marketer.
- While I don’t want to see Facebook ads, I know that they work.
- While I don’t want my data collected or used in a remarketing campaign, I know it works.
- While I choose to use Duck Duck Go and Ecosia instead of Google, and Firefox instead of Chrome, I’d be crazy to advise my clients to do the same.
The Marketing I Won’t Do
While I will design complex and comprehensive campaigns for my clients, my line is in a different place.
So, here’s a quick list of common marketing tactics, that I won’t do.
- I don’t do website remarketing or run any tracking pixels except basic website analytics. If you visit my website, it will not be the reason you see an ad from me online.
- I don’t upload your email address to any advertising platform in order to create a custom audience to serve ads to.
- I don’t add you to my email list without permission. Ever. I also use double opt in 98% of the time.
- I don’t embellish or spin my results, my abilities, or my credentials. In fact, I’ll probably understate all of those things.
In short, I respect your privacy the way I want my privacy respected. I don’t spam you, just like I don’t want to be spammed. I don’t lie to you, just like I don’t want to be lied to.
That’s how I market myself: honestly and respectfully.
What a novel concept, eh?
P.S. You should watch the Social Dilemma on Netflix.
