Welcome to my space, where I hope you find helpful insights, a bit of humour, and maybe even some inspiration for improving your marketing and writing efforts. Feel free to wander around, but remember, this is just one person's take on the world.
28 years ago, I bought a cropped cardigan that was knitted in my three favourite colours: white, blue, and navy. I still have it, but it doesn’t fit me anymore. That cardigan lasted through many winters and many memories, just like many brands have. But other brands have dwindled into oblivion because of bad business and marketing decisions. Here are 6 examples.
Content decay is when your content experiences a gradual decline in its value, relevance, and performance over time. And, yes, even the best content can experience decay if it’s not regularly maintained. Here are six reasons why content decay happens and what you can do about it
When you outsource your content, the cheaper option can end up being the most expensive. Here are 10 reasons why cheap outsourcing is never a good idea.
I’ve made it to my 100th post since I decided to jump on the (almost) daily posting bandwagon. And, yes, I’m counting. It’s been quite a ride. There were a lot of ups. A lot of downs. A lot of discoveries. And a lot of “what was I thinking” moments. To celebrate this milestone, here are 9 things I’ve learned from writing 99 posts on LinkedIn.
Marketing fails are far too common. And the greatest content can’t save a sub-standard product. That’s because neither marketing nor content can compensate for a product that fails to meet basic standards of quality, relevance, and customer satisfaction. No matter how brilliant your marketing campaigns are or how captivating your content is, your efforts will ultimately fall flat if your product doesn’t meet the mark. Let’s dive deep into why your marketing and content efforts can fail (and how to fix them).
So, you build an MVP, land your first customer, and then continue to build your product based on that one client and their specific needs—disregarding the needs and pains of your broader prospects. Yes, it might seem like a good idea to cater to your first customer. It can also be valuable in the early stages or for niche markets. However, this approach can lead to a narrow focus that doesn’t address the broader market’s needs.
People have come to hate marketing messages, and that’s not good news for us marketers. Audiences hate the endless useless ads and sponsored content that offer little to no value to them. When they feel like they’re constantly being sold to, they automatically start to question a brand's authenticity and credibility. So, here are seven strategies for turning audience scepticism into trust.
You don’t have to be a marketer to practice marketing. And you certainly don’t need to be marketing a product or service. If you think about it, everyone is a marketer—in one way or another. Here are seven ways we all engage in marketing, often without even realising it.
Words like “leverage,” “boost,” and “enhance” still pop up everywhere. They might have been impressive at first, but now they sound too impersonal, generic, and cliché. And AI has made it even worse. Here are seven buzzwords you should stop using (and what you can say instead).
I recently signed up for an email-based course (EBC) by the lovely Yemi Pelumi. Her EBC tackled how to become a lead magnet by offering EBCs. And it got me thinking about my own lead magnet strategy. I was only doing cold outreach, and because it was working for me, I hadn’t considered anything else. Her course made me assess what was holding me back from doing something else. Here are five things that could be limiting your growth (and how to grow out of them).
Having a great product or service is no longer enough. You need to provide excellent customer experiences that complement your offerings. Here are six reasons why focusing on customer experiences is more important than ever.
The other day, I posted about wanting to hire a copywriter. And I ended up receiving numerous responses (most of which fell short of my expectations). Many applicants did not provide portfolios. Others had poor communication skills. And, to top it off, some submissions contained grammatical errors. So I put together these 8 red flags to watch out for before hiring a copywriter.
Intrusive marketing includes ads that pop up unexpectedly, interrupting the user experience and often leading to a negative perception of the brand. Instead of capturing attention, they push potential customers away. Here are six strategies to avoid being intrusive and, instead, create more effective and respectful marketing content.
Copywriting may be challenging when you first start. Especially since you’ll probably need to work with clients in different industries, understand diverse audiences, and create content that resonates with those audiences. If you’re just starting out, here are five tips to help you become a better copywriter.
It’s easy to get caught up in creating content only to promote your product or service. If you’re doing that, it’s time to reconsider your purpose. Because content has the power to achieve so much more for your business. But becoming a thought leader isn’t an overnight process. It requires dedication, consistency, and a genuine commitment to providing value.
Everyone knows that quality is more important than quantity. Yet, marketers are still producing content “en masse” in an attempt to capture audience and market share. But it doesn’t work that way. Whether new or established, companies must prioritise quality content over quantity. Here are eight reasons why.
I used to think that having a content strategy was a useless step that would take away my precious time and suppress my creativity. But when I struggled to see meaningful results, I realised it was important to have a clear plan before I started writing. So, here are five reasons why you should always start with a content strategy.
Have you heard of marketing fatigue? It’s when brands engage in excessive marketing that overwhelms their audiences. Excessive marketing, or 'marketing fatigue,' can have the opposite of its intended effect. It can annoy and disengage consumers. Here are 5 consequences of over-marketing your brand.
As marketers, adopting and adapting to new tools or platforms is not enough. We must look at changing trends and insights. We must constantly question our strategies and beliefs. We must embark on a journey of continuous learning and unlearning. I’ve done this, and it’s interesting to see how some of my initial ideas about marketing have changed.
Is there such a thing as too much content? Absolutely! As marketers, we need to strike a balance between engaging our audience and overwhelming them. And there’s a fine line between the two. Here are six signs that might indicate your brand is producing too much content.
Ask for testimonials. Ask for recommendations. Ask for referrals. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s actually a smart business practice that can help you grow your network, improve your reputation, and land more (and better) opportunities. Why? Because everyone is looking for social proof— evidence that you can deliver on your promises and provide real value.
Have you ever seen promoted content and thought, “This brand is doing social media all wrong?” Today’s social media users are super savvy, and they know when brands are inauthentic or overpromoting themselves. The result? Lost trust and lost business. Here are five favours you can do for your brand to avoid audience scepticism and lost opportunities.
In 2008, I interviewed Zoheir Garanah, Egypt’s minister of tourism at the time, for an article about the country’s growing tourism sector. I spent the next 12 years developing creative concepts and writing marketing copy exclusively for one niche. Here are 7 things I learned.
Marketing yourself has become more important than ever. But here’s the thing: You need to be able to market yourself effectively without sounding self-promotional or coming across as pushy. So, how can you do that? Here are seven tips you can follow.
In 2021, I took on a client in the customs brokerage industry. Working with a new niche is always challenging. But I’m lucky I got to work with a super supportive client. Here are seven tips that helped me deliver impactful results for my new client (and get great testimonials)
Stop making bold marketing claims and extravagant statements just to get people’s attention. Here are 12 crazy marketing claims you should avoid using.
Don’t try to overcomplicate things. Because the simplest strategies will often deliver better results and have the greatest impact. Here are seven of my favourite simple content strategies to help drive engagement.
Ask a marketer what keeps them up at night, and they’ll answer: capturing and keeping my audience's attention. It’s become more challenging than ever. Here are 7 strategies to help.
Failure is a part of any marketer's journey. Yes, we can work so hard on amazing campaigns only for them to fail. But failure doesn’t define us. It's how we respond to failure that truly defines us as marketers. Here are 5 things I learned from failing.
As marketers, our goal is to shape narratives, influence opinions, and drive action. Despite our best intentions, the marketing profession often has a less-than-stellar reputation. Thanks to those few who managed to ruin it. Here are 5 reasons why people don’t trust marketers anymore.
Working under pressure can be a good thing. In my first job as a retail marketing executive, I experienced my first pressured campaign. Read on to discover the nine things I learned from it.
There are two types of marketing: inadequacy marketing and empowerment marketing. As marketers, we have the power to shape the narratives that define our culture. So, let’s use our platforms to promote self-love, acceptance, and inclusion.
You know what can kill an article, social media post, or email? Not reviewing your writing. Make sure you review your work carefully to avoid these 7 writing blunders.
Bad marketing is expensive. Because it’ll cost you more to rebuild broken relationships with your audience. But what is bad marketing? Here are 7 examples of bad marketing practices.
Working in marketing is great. But the marketing profession isn't always rainbows and sunshine. Here are 10 things people absolutely hate about marketing (and how we can fix them).
As a writer, you should never stop reading. But don’t just read books (or shampoo labels). Here are 10 things you can read to improve your marketing and writing skills.
When I started as a copywriter, I made a whole lot of mistakes—from using plenty of pretty adjectives to writing overly verbose sentences and cliché-ridden headlines. Here are 10 copywriting mistakes I made (so you don’t have to make them).
Want to maintain a consistent flow of messages? Start with content pillars. Content pillars are the foundational themes or topics that represent your brand. Here's how to use them to guide your content strategy.
Stop creating content for the sole purpose of selling your products or services. Content can do much more for your business. It can help you become a thought leader. Read on to learn how.
In 1981 we thought video would kill the radio star. It didn't. Today, similar speculations are being raised about Instant Messaging (IM) overtaking SMS and killing SMS marketing.
What’s the difference between good content and great content? And what makes great content great? Is it the words, writing style, tone of voice, format, sentence structure, or something else entirely? Let's explore the differences.
It's time to go beyond measuring the ROI of content marketing and consider measuring the Cost of Inaction (COI). Here's why.
Used as part of your inbound strategy, email marketing still stands out as the best marketing tool you could invest your time and money in. Here's why.