If you hire an outside agency or freelancer to create or publish content, are they up on how to manage and protect your IP? Here’s a cautionary tale that comes up far too frequently in my work with clients.
Rants by Michael Boezi: Marketing Without the Marketing
I hate bad marketing. Sometimes I get worked up about it.
Below is a list of episodes where bad marketing gets the best of me.
#sorrynotsorry
A Discount Is Not a Gift
The nuances matter. Even if you’re genuine about it, are you unintentionally signaling that you’re not trustworthy? I hope not. I also explain why I haven’t been publishing as many episodes lately.
Right to a Response
When someone sends you an unsolicited email, do you owe them a response?
I Love Your Blog Post
My blog can’t be this great, can it? If I were to listen to the lies of scammers, I might start to believe that my blog is a must-read. I sincerely doubt that’s true though.
No One Cares About Us
Social media is a lie. It promises a podium. But instead, it hires you to be unpaid labor. Can you still get something out of it? Sure, but we have to see through the misconceptions to find a smart strategy.
LinkedIn Is a Tough Scroll
Scroll through LinkedIn, and it’s cringe after cringe. A never-ending stack of performative, self-aggrandizing humble brags. It’s done in earnest, I’m sure. But in expressing our genuine excitement, is it coming off the wrong way? Let’s audit my feed.
How to Ruin a Good Customer Relationship
It takes years to build a trusted relationship with a customer. It takes one bad decision to lose it all in a split-second.
Domain Renewal Scams: How to Avoid Them
Domain scammers have upped their game. I encountered a new variant of the Domain Name Expiration Scam recently. Episode 167 is about how to spot this new strategy and what to do if you are targeted.
No One Wants to Read an Email Newsletter
Email marketing is one of the most important tools for any small business. Can we come up with something other than “email newsletter” to call it, though?
Ethical Marketing Is Not an Oxymoron
Aggressive marketing tactics might have been effective in the past, but today’s consumers are more savvy. They see right through the lies, deception, and whitewashing. Ethical marketing is the only way to set yourself apart – to treat your customers with respect.
The Internet Is One Big Rickroll Now
The promise of the Internet has been ruined by advertising. There is no article you can read, video you can view, or social feed you can scroll through without being interrupted by some advertiser’s desperate attempt to steal your attention. Every time I experience this, I feel like I’ve been Rickrolled.
The One Word That Diminishes Your Work
People don’t mean to diminish your work, but that’s exactly what they are doing when they use this one insidious little word. It undervalues your expertise and experience by making it sound simple – as a way to sell you on doing something, paying you less than you’re worth, or not paying you at all.