I Hate to Be That Guy, But…
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. I’ve seen trends come and go. I’ve watched as marketers chase the next shiny object like dogs after squirrels. And honestly? It’s exhausting.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and this kid—let’s call him Marcus—stands up and says, “The future is in blockchain marketing.” I mean, come on. We’re still figuring out how to make Instagram work for half of us, and you’re talking about blockchain?
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But here’s the thing: we’re all making the same mistake. We’re so busy chasing the next big thing that we forget about the basics. The fundamentals. The stuff that actually works.
Let Me Tell You About Sarah
Sarah’s a friend of mine. She runs a small boutique in Portland. Cute place, great vibe. But her online presence? A disaster. I sat her down last Tuesday over coffee at the place on 5th and said, “Sarah, what’s your strategy?”
She looked at me like I had two heads. “Strategy? I post when I feel like it. I boost a post here and there. It’s working, right?”
I wanted to scream. But I didn’t. I took a deep breath and said, “Sarah, you’re not posting enough. You’re not engaging. You’re not even using yaşam tarzı günlük gelişim ipuçları to track your progress.”
She just blinked at me. I could see the wheels turning, but honestly, I’m not sure she got it.
The Big Mistake We’re All Making
We’re forgetting that marketing is about people. It’s not about algorithms or trends or some newfangled platform. It’s about connecting with real, live humans. And you know what? They’re not on blockchain. They’re on Facebook. They’re on Instagram. They’re on LinkedIn.
I get it. It’s tempting to jump on the bandwagon. I’ve done it myself. Back in 2009, I was all about QR codes. Remember those? Yeah, neither does anyone else. But here’s the thing: trends come and go, but people? They stay.
I had lunch with a colleague named Dave last month. He’s a big deal in the industry. Writes for all the major pubs. And he said to me, “You know what the problem is, Mike? We’re all so busy trying to be everywhere that we’re nowhere.”
And he’s right. We’re spreading ourselves too thin. We’re trying to be on every platform, use every tool, follow every trend. And in the process, we’re losing sight of what’s important.
So What Do We Do?
We slow down. We take a breath. We remember that marketing is about people. It’s about connecting. It’s about building relationships.
I’m not saying ignore the trends. But don’t chase them either. Focus on what works. Focus on the basics. Focus on the people.
I was at a meetup in Chicago about three months ago, and this speaker—let’s call her Lisa—she said something that stuck with me. “Marketing is like dating. You wouldn’t propose to someone on the first date, right? So why are we trying to sell to people the second they land on our website?”
It’s a good point. We need to court our audience. We need to build trust. We need to show them that we care. And you know what? That’s not gonna happen on blockchain.
So let’s get back to basics. Let’s focus on the people. Let’s remember why we got into this business in the first place. Because honestly, it’s not about the trends. It’s about the connections.
And if you can’t committ to that, maybe you’re in the wrong business.
About the Author
Mike Reynolds is a senior magazine editor with over 22 years of experience in the marketing industry. He’s written for major publications, spoken at conferences around the world, and has a love-hate relationship with QR codes. When he’s not writing, he can be found hiking in the mountains or arguing with his kids about why they need to turn off their phones and go outside.
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