Age-positive stock photo; overpaying ads; email revenue

Joel Kelly at Kelford Inc. is a local marketer I hope to be like when I grow up some day. I was nodding with agreement on all three of his takes in "The secrets to LinkedIn content".

It's an exploration of his own findings after almost giving up on LinkedIn, and then finally figuring out what worked for him. It's not so much an article about "do X, Y, and Z", but a reflection on what sort of content attracted folk, and why that would be the case.

My question to you: when creating content, do you ask "what's in it for the end consumer" as part of your editing process?

#3
We've got an overpaid doorman, and his name is Google.

Another marketer I want to be like when I grow up (Hmm, I'm pretty impish, this might take a while) is Justyna Ciecierska-Göçeryan.

I love a good marketing meme and she totally delivers as she points out that Google (and a lot of paid ads) are getting all the "click credit", even though it took a whole village to get that click.

The ads might be the last click-to-the-sale-or-booking, but typically there were other marketing touchpoints that warmed folk up. Your company doesn't pop into existence and immediately into the hearts of your (high intent to convert) prospects. There's a whole journey folk took, with many touch points, before what the ad said really resonated with them. I'd argue even moreso with B2B and B2O offers that involve a bit of risk and investment.

I'm not poopin on ads: they are important. They're just not doing all the heavy lifting they're getting credit for. To believe they are would be like believing a basketball team is made up of only the people who get the ball in the net. Uhhh... how'd the ball get that far down the court to begin with?

My question to you: how do you measure success progress beyond the end game?

#4
A breakdown of earning $100k for every 1,000 email subscribers

Are you as weary of "X money from X effort" content as I am? Good. So much of that stuff is fluffy garbage.

But Growth In reverse covers, in detail, how a nonprofit consultant charging $40/hour came into a very profitable niche email marketing strategy. Jess Campbell breaks down how she got her first 100 subscribers, the various strategies she tried as she grew, all the while keeping notes of monthly progress (so you can see what this sort of success looks like, realistically).

What I love about these kinds of breakdowns is that there's always lessons learned and inspiration to be had. Even if your audience and brand goals aren't the same as hers, it's the experimental attitude I want you to take away from reading it.

My question to you: if email marketing is part of your strategic plan for 2025, what are you covering in terms of list growth, specifically?

You could stand to be more spicy

(A repeat from last June, but still juicy. The week got away from me.)

Social impact brands could stand to be more spicy.

Lemmie explain.

I love spicy food: ramen, potato chips, chicken wings. The hotter the better. I go through chili crisp oil like most go through ketchup.

Spice lovers believe "it's not just about the heat, but the depth of the flavour." There's something about spice, when done right, that creates depth for the palate.

And this is why brands in sustainability, social impact, and who create amazing transformation for their clients need more SPICY with their marketing.

Now, I don't mean spicy as in click-baity, combative, or unethical content. I don't want you to be "hot for the sake of scorching".

Buuuuuut what I AM saying is that your ideal audience should be able to TASTE the depth you bring:

> The passion behind your mission.
> The ingenuity of your solution.
> The importance of the change you're trying to collaborate on.
> The joy they'll feel when they work with you.

But in a quest to be "palatable", many social-impact brands are playing it too safe with their marketing seasoning. Add ChatGPT and other "get it done quick solutions" to the table — there's a LOT of bland content out there.

Bleeh. Your cause is too important!

So I encourage all impact-based brands to heat things up a little.

You probably won't be go full ghost pepper, but for the sake of your mission, splash some sriracha on that LinkedIn post! Haul some jalapenos on that next email campaign!

Stimulate your audience's appetite, delight them with the depth of insight you bring, and make them forget all about the mayo-level options out there.

So my question to you Darlin is: what sort of spice do you have in your marketing rack? ;)