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When Peter Askew tried building a business around VidaliaOnions.com, it wasn’t just luck that helped him. After a lot of effort, he teamed up with Aries Haygood, the owner of A&M Farms.   Gradually, he started selling onions online, and…

Are you even a marketer if you haven’t been punched by the market at least 50 times?   “Even if you think you can crack it, the truth will still land a few blows.” That’s okay and that’s natural.  …

The internet hasn’t made marketing easier, but it has created far more opportunities than ever before.   It’s like having more walls to throw spaghetti at and see what sticks.   Before the internet, figuring out what worked took enormous…

Pieter Levels @levelsio   One of the most important things I’ve ever read was this by @shl “The market you’re in will determine most of your growth”  It sounds basic but it’s not. You think how much you work on your…

Socks are a commodity, but @LittleMissMatch knew how to market standing out.   Mattresses are a commodity, but @Casper knew how to market better sleep.   @BYDCompany is a commodity, but they knew how to market affordability.   Water is…

From time to time, seek opinions from outsiders to gain a fresh perspective on how things really work.   Being too deeply involved in your business can create a veil you can’t remove.   An objective outside view can reveal…

Fragile Marketer: Who relies on social media followers, SEO, and getting Google sales rep advice to run Google Ads; ignoring customer service team advice, not bothering with inputs from product developers.    Robust Marketer: Mostly focusing on paid advertising (social…

When Antoine was a prisoner of war, he discovered the nutritional value of potatoes. But at the time, they were considered animal feed, and people avoided them, believing they could cause disease. To overcome this prejudice, he served potato dishes…

Despite 93 percent of French people believing that switching to electric cars requires more infrastructure, better autonomy, or living in a big city, Renault proved them wrong in a big way.   In partnership with Publicis Conseil, Renault transformed Appy,…

Probability is not a mere computation of odds on the dice or more complicated variants; it is the acceptance of the lack of certainty in our knowledge. — @nntaleb   You can’t be sure how it’s going to work out,…

Once you become a commodity, even a price increase of 50 cents will be perceived as expensive by customers.   Example: Supermarkets   Many staple goods, like basic groceries, are commoditized, so price sensitivity is very high. Customers quickly notice…

Status is your perceived position in a social hierarchy—the respect, admiration, or influence people believe you have.   It can come from many sources:   Material: wealth, possessions, job title, home, cars. Social: who you know, the groups you belong…

Don’t underestimate or overestimate marketing.   Always give it the respect it deserves. If you underestimate it, you’re going nowhere.  Many entrepreneurs still believe a great product alone will bring customers. But no matter how great you think your product…

SEO Expert: This is how you can rank your website.Google: Everyone has a plan until they get hit by my algorithm.SEO Expert: Yep, I’m an ex-SEO now. Google is the real boss when it comes to SEO. It constantly changes…

Are you even a marketer if your campaign has never made any sales?Are you an investor if you’ve never lost money?Are you even an entrepreneur if you’ve never felt completely clueless?Are you even a salesperson if 100 messages have gone…

Anyone can do marketing, if they have   Brain — to think strategically and creatively. Common sense — to keep things practical and focused on real problems. Action — because ideas alone don’t move the needle. Patience — since results…

Customer Service = Reactive Customer Experience = Proactive   Your primary job is to anticipate customer needs and address them before they come to you with a problem.   If you are always thinking in terms of downstream instead of…

Marketing is the only profession where, even if you don’t know what you’re doing, simply tinkering with your product based on assumptions about your customers can still take you a long way.   Here’s what 21st Century greatest thinker says…

When the wind dies down, it’s easy to tell which is a bird and which is just paper. The same goes for marketing. Just because you’re getting sales doesn’t mean your product truly solves the customer’s problem. Sometimes, clever campaigns,…

Marketing is one of those fields where, even after 20 years of experience, you might still not know exactly how to do it right.   That’s because marketing touches every part of the business from understanding your customer’s story to…

After getting hit by Google’s algorithm changes, many content creators and entrepreneurs have gone back to relearn the basics of marketing.   Before these shifts, most didn’t prioritize email marketing—not an ideal move given how volatile the content business can…

Selling is straightforward until no one replies. Marketing is straightforward until you don’t get any results. Copywriting is straightforward until no one reads your copy. SEO is straightforward until Google pulls the plug.   Real learning starts when you keep…

1. Embrace Active Voice Active voice makes your writing clear and dynamic. Which directly engages with your readers.   Examples: – Turn “The apple pie was eaten by John,” into “John ate the apple pie.” – Instead of saying “This…

Even after a hundred years, most advertisers still haven’t grasped Claude C. Hopkins’ core insight   1. Advertising is salesmanship “The one purpose of advertising is to make sales.”   In an age obsessed with AI-generated copy, flashy visuals, and…

When a distraught supermarket manager complained to the dean of Drexel Institute of Technology about slow-moving checkout queues costing him profits, he pleaded for a technology that could speed up the lines. However, the professor shrugged him off.   Overhearing…

“Which would you buy? A dress shirt priced at $60 or the very same dress shirt, priced at $100, but ‘On Sale! 40% off! Only $60!’?” — Dan Ariely and Jeff Kreisler    What is called Anchoring? “The first number…

New approaches will never be embraced by everyone at first. If you need unanimous consent, you’re not going to move forward. – Seth Godin   Until 1916, most American consumers handed their grocery lists to a store clerk, who would…

When Thami Mazibuko returned to Soweto six years ago, he discovered that there were very few bookstores in his township. So, he decided to launch one for his community. He firmly believed that reading not only improves literacy rates among…

In Washington D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood, a small ice cream shop is serving up freshly made cones with a generous spirit. At Everyday Sundae, owner Charles Foreman believes no one should miss out on ice cream — regardless of their ability…

A hairdresser named Pon Mariappan in Thoothukudi wants to encourage more people to invest their time in acquiring knowledge through reading books rather than wasting it endlessly scrolling through their phones.   To make this happen, he devised a plan…

Peter Askew is the kind of person who has always believed in giving more than receiving.   He worked as a marketing manager for several companies and helped generate solid profits during the early days of online marketing. But time…

Trying to change people’s behavior is a core part of marketing. But when a business relies too heavily on this approach, it can risk its future—especially for small businesses like a coffee shop, where even small missteps can seriously affect…

Marketers and businesspeople still cling to the illusion that people care about their brand’s purpose instead of making a real effort to understand their customers’ worldview.   But the truth is, customers only care about one thing—does it solve their…

“Think big. Start small.” “Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress.” “The only thing worse than starting something and failing is not starting something.” “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up…

Most marketers have started asking, “What is your LinkedIn strategy, Facebook strategy, Instagram strategy, or Twitter strategy?” instead of asking, “What is your people strategy?” Social media marketing and advertising are not strategies—they’re about buying attention on these platforms or…

There are only two types of brands Purpose Brand Popular Brand What is a Purpose Brand?   A purpose brand serves as a two-sided compass. One side guides customers to the right products, while the other directs designers, marketers, and…

“Don’t just satisfy your customers, delight them.” ~ Warren Buffet. Just think, how many companies’ products have you used or consumed over the past year that truly delighted you?   After reflecting for a moment, you might recall a few…

To innovate a product for people, you need to understand their  1. Wants and Needs Distinction between Wants and Needs: Wants: Desires or preferences that are not essential for survival or basic well-being – “Nice to Have” Needs: Necessities required…

For years, consumers were led to believe that only picture-perfect vegetables deserved a place in their shopping carts. Misshapen or “ugly” produce was often discarded, contributing to a significant amount of food waste. However, a clever shift in marketing has…

How can you differentiate yourself when your products and services are very similar to those of dozens of restaurants in the market? Let’s take the example of a hotel in Salem, India, where the restaurant is run by a couple.…

In his book Influence, Cialdini writes that reciprocity is one of the most powerful forms of persuasion.   He explains that when someone helps us selflessly or goes out of their way to support us, we naturally feel compelled to…

Get rid of the free mindset  When customers pay for your product out of their own pockets, it sends a strong signal. Start asking them to pay from the beginning, or reduce the benefits of the free version.  If they’re not…

Customers form opinions about quality based on their experiences, yet many companies merely use the word ‘quality’ as a marketing slogan to catch their attention, which neither provides a strong value proposition nor effective positioning. Note: Word-of-mouth marketing only proves…

  📖✨ Unlock the Power of Storytelling for Your Business!    Dive into the StoryBrand 7-Part Framework – a roadmap to captivate your audience and drive sales! 🌟 #1: A Character Every story starts with a character who wants something.…

Until you know your customers worldview, marketing is a conundrum. Instead of making a serious effort to know their customer’s worldview marketers and business people are still living in the day dream that “People care more about their brand purpose”…