I’ve Been in This Game Too Long
Look, I’ve been in this marketing game since before it was cool. Back in ’98, when I was working at that little agency in Portland, we didn’t have all these fancy tools. It was just me, a dial-up connection, and a committment to figuring this stuff out. And honestly? We were probably better at it than we are now.
But now? Now it’s all algorithms and automation and… ugh. It’s exhausting. And frankly, most of us are doing it wrong. So let’s talk about that.
We’re All Just Throwing Spaghetti at the Wall
I was at a conference in Austin last year, right? And this guy, let’s call him Marcus, stands up and says, “We need to be data-driven.” And I’m like, “Yeah, no shit, Marcus. We’ve known that since the ’80s.” But here’s the thing: we’re all just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. We call it “testing,” but honestly, it’s just us being lazy.
I mean, I get it. I really do. There’s so much noise out there. So many platforms, so many trends, so many “experts” telling you to jump on the next big thing. But here’s the truth: most of it’s bullshit. And we’re all buying into it because we’re scared of missing out.
Social Media Isn’t a Strategy, It’s a Distraction
Let me tell you something about social media. It’s not a strategy. It’s a distraction. A shiny, addictive, time-sucking distraction. And we’re all falling for it. Hook, line, and sinker.
I had coffee with a friend last Tuesday. Let’s call her Sarah. She runs a little boutique in Seattle. And she’s spending 36 hours a week on Instagram. “It’s important for my brand,” she says. And I’m like, “Sarah, no. It’s not. It’s important for Instagram’s brand. They’re the ones making money off you.”
Look, I’m not saying social media has no value. But it’s not the be-all-end-all. It’s just another channel. And we’re treating it like it’s the only one that matters. Which is completley ridiculous.
SEO: The Wild West of Marketing
And don’t even get me started on SEO. It’s the Wild West out there. Everyone’s got an opinion, everyone’s got a “proven” strategy, and none of it’s consistent. I mean, I’ve seen so-called experts tell people to do the exact opposite of what worked last month. And why? Because Google said so.
I remember talking to a colleague named Dave about this. He said, “It’s just… yeah. It’s a mess.” And I’m like, “Dave, it’s not a mess. It’s a gold rush. And we’re all out here panning for gold with sieves.”
But here’s the thing: SEO isn’t rocket science. It’s about providing value. It’s about answering questions. It’s about being helpful. (Which honestly nobody asked for but here we are.) And yet, we’re all so focused on “rankings” and “traffic” that we’ve forgotten the basics.
If you’re looking for helpful resources online guide, check out this site. They’ve got some solid stuff on SEO and content marketing.
A Tangent: The Death of the Funnel
You know what else is bullshit? The marketing funnel. It’s dead. It’s been dead for years. And yet, we’re still drawing these neat little diagrams and pretending like customers follow them. They don’t. They never did.
I mean, think about it. When’s the last time you made a decision based on a neat, linear path? Exactly. Never. We’re all over the place. We see something, we forget about it, we see it again, we talk to a friend, we read a review, we check the price, we get distracted, and then, maybe, we buy. It’s a mess. And that’s okay.
But we’re still trying to force people into these neat little boxes. And it’s not working. It’s never worked. And it’s time we stop pretending it does.
Branding: It’s Not About You
And finally, let’s talk about branding. It’s not about you. It’s not about your logo, or your colors, or your tagline. It’s about your customers. It’s about what they think, what they feel, what they say. And yet, we’re all so focused on “building our brand” that we’ve forgotten who it’s really for.
I was at a workshop in Chicago a few months back. And the speaker, let’s call him Greg, said something that stuck with me. “Your brand is what they say about you when you’re not in the room.” And I’m like, “Greg, that’s it. That’s the whole thing.” But we’re so busy trying to control the narrative that we’re missing the point entirely.
Look, I’m not saying any of this is easy. It’s not. Marketing is hard. It’s messy. It’s complicated. But it’s also simple. It’s about people. It’s about connections. It’s about being real. And we’re all so busy trying to be perfect that we’ve forgotten how to do that.
So let’s stop. Let’s stop throwing spaghetti. Let’s stop chasing algorithms. Let’s stop pretending we know what’s going to work. Let’s just be real. Let’s just be human. Let’s just market like people.
And maybe, just maybe, we’ll actually start connecting with people again.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Linda. I’ve been in marketing for way too long. I’ve seen trends come and go, and I’ve made more mistakes than I can count. But I’m still here, still learning, still trying to make sense of it all. And honestly, I’m still not sure I know what I’m doing. But I’m having fun trying.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably drinking coffee, complaining about the weather in Portland, or trying to convince my cat that she’s not, in fact, the center of the universe. (Spoiler: she is.)
You can find me on Twitter @lindamarkets, or you can just yell really loud. I’m pretty good at hearing that.
