One of the most significant periods of my life was the three years I studied under the world’s greatest business consultant, Peter Drucker. Dr. Drucker is known as the father of modern management, but he also contributed to the creation of marketing as a professional discipline, wrote extensively about entrepreneurship and innovation, and is generally regarded as the greatest business philosopher of all-time.

There is not a single day that I don’t hear his voice in my head as I work through customer problems. His advice has become the foundational pillars of my work and in many respects, my life.

But there is one piece of advice he gave me that is remarkably useful to me in this overwhelming world of change, and I think it will help you, too. Let’s reveal that today.

Immersed in the problem

I studied under Dr. Drucker while pursuing an MBA at the Claremont Graduate University. He had retired from most of his professional life and devoted his time to mentoring students in the business school that now bore his name.

He would sit on the edge of a desk with a carafe of coffee and talk about his books. It was impossible to outline his talks as he took us on a jagged journey through his life and the fascinating people he met along the way.

Dr. Drucker taught us through the Harvard case study method. We were assigned a long text detailing a complex business problem. Over weeks of classes, we would dissect the issues from every angle. As business leaders, our tendency was to try to solve the case and resolve the problem.

And that’s when Dr. Drucker would go nuts.

It’s not about the right answers

This class was filled with experienced leaders eager to display their intelligence and insight by “solving” the case study.

Nothing irked Dr. Drucker more.

“The people in this case study have been working in their business for 30 years or more,” he would say. “What makes you so arrogant to think that you can solve the problem when they can’t? Your job is not to have the right answers. Your jobs is to have the right questions.”

This might be the most important advice of my professional life and informed how I approach all my business consulting assignments. I approach business problems very humbly because I am never the expert in the room. Why would I have the right answers?  However, I can guide people to the right questions — the real key to a resolution.

I’ve found that most leaders have the knowledge and insight to solve their problems if they know where to find an answer.

Relevance of the right questions

The marketing world is far too complex to be an expert in everything. I’m not sure you can be an expert in anything! However, you must be immersed enough in the day’s issues to ask the right questions. You have to have a sense of what is possible.

I think curiosity is the most important soft skill for marketers today. For me, asking the right questions is not just a prerequisite to effective consulting. It helps me become a better author, speaker, and teacher.

Asking the right questions is also the true heart of all great content creation. If you put the work into finding the right questions, great content will surely follow.

Jay Acunzo and I just dropped a fun podcast episode demonstrating the opportunity to ask the right questions. We challenged each other to pose questions that the other person had never been asked before. And it worked! I invite you to have some fun with us and enter a world of challenging questions.

All you have to do is click here >

Click here to enjoy Marketing Companion Episode 305

Please support our sponsor, who brings you this amazing episode.

Bravo for Brevo!

This episode is brought to you by Brevo (formerly Sendinblue). Brevo gives you the tools to attract, engage, and nurture customer relationships.

Now, any business can build automated customer experiences, email marketing workflows, and landing pages that guide your customer to your main message. We are here to support businesses successfully navigating their digital presence to strengthen their customer relationships.

Go to https://www.brevo.com/marketingcompanion to sign up for Brevo for free and use the code COMPANION to save 50% on your first three months of Brevo’s Starter & Business plan!

Illustration courtesy MidJourney

The post You don’t need to have the right answers if you have the right questions. appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

The AI Revolution isn’t just about creating new tools – it’s about transforming how we learn, understand, and interact with information. And that’s exactly why NotebookLM has become the darling of the AI research community. As someone who’s spent decades observing how technology reshapes human behavior, it’s been fun for me to experiment with this new application.

Here’s what’s really going on: We’re drowning in information. Between podcasts, blog posts, and the endless stream of developments on social media, staying current is like drinking from a firehose. NotebookLM isn’t just another note-taking app – it’s an AI-powered research companion that actually understands context and helps connect the dots.

It’s as close to getting a brain extension as you’ll see (at least for now!).

What makes NotebookLM different is its ability to act as both a librarian and a study buddy. When you’re deep in research mode, it doesn’t just store your notes – it actively helps you understand them. It can summarize complex papers, explain difficult concepts, and even highlight connections between different pieces of research that you might have missed. This is game-changing for anyone navigating the complex world of AI development.

But there’s something even more profound happening here. In all my years of studying digital transformation, I’ve noticed that the tools that truly stick are the ones that feel natural – that work the way our brains work. NotebookLM gets this right. It’s not trying to force users into a rigid system. Instead, it adapts to your thinking style, helping you build knowledge in a way that feels organic and intuitive.

NotebookLM — But wait, there’s more!

A few months ago, NotebookLM users discovered they could use the voice mode to command the app to have a discussion with itself, something similar to a podcast episode. A few people have even produced AI-fueled podcasts with synthetic hosts!

While I have no plans to do this with The Marketing Companion, I did turn to NotebookLM to help me in a pinch this week. My podcast is now in its thirteenth year, and remarkably, I’ve never missed an episode. But this week was close!

My human co-host became too sick to record, and out of time, I turned to NotebookLM for help. The new episode provides extraordinary value in two ways: It’s a mesmerizing demonstration of AI voice capabilities. But what’s really cool is that I uploaded my upcoming new book “Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI World” and asked the “hosts” to review the book.

The result was more than I expected, and I think you’ll love this mind-bending podcast episode. If you haven’t experienced NotebookLM in action, this will get your head spinning. Ready? All you have to do is click here:

Click here to enjoy Marketing Companion Episode 304

Please support our sponsor, who brings you this amazing episode.

Bravo for Brevo!

This episode is brought to you by Brevo (formerly Sendinblue). Brevo gives you the tools to attract, engage, and nurture customer relationships.

Now any business can build automated customer experiences, email marketing workflows, and landing pages that guide your customer to your main message. We are here to support businesses successfully navigating their digital presence in order to strengthen their customer relationships.

Go to https://www.brevo.com/marketingcompanion to sign up for Brevo for free and use the code COMPANION to save 50% on your first three months of Brevo’s Starter & Business plan!

Illustration courtesy MidJourney

The post A mind-bending demonstration of AI and NotebookLM appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

The world is moving at the speed of Nvidia these days, and no career is being disrupted more than marketing.

I host a community called RISE that’s dedicated to the future of marketing. What’s coming next and how does this impact us? I thought it would be interesting to ask some people in the community about their biggest marketing lessons from 2024. Some of these are personal, some of them are enlightening, but all the lessons are worth your time today …

Sarah Stahl, ROI Driven Marketing Executive at Sarahstahl.com

Sarah Stahl

This year reminded me that marketing holds the power to make or break businesses, often in ways we underestimate. I watched the startup I work with navigate every business phase—highs, lows, and everything in between. The lifeline that kept cash rolling in? Instagram.

When we surveyed guests, nine out of 10 said they discovered us on Instagram—not through third-party booking apps like Airbnb, which most vacation rentals rely on. By the end of the year, 87% of our bookings were direct, driven by consistent Instagram growth powered by strategic influencer partnerships.

No viral stunts. No massive budgets. Just clear, focused marketing that turned Instagram into a revenue machine. This simple yet powerful strategy helped a startup reach breakeven within its first year. I’ve always believed in the craft of marketing, but 2024 showed me its unparalleled ability to save a business—or sink it.

Mike Carr, Cofounder of NameStormers & Autism Labs

AI is forcing us to be more human. As LLMs and agents emerge that can mimic how we talk and even how we look, authentic and raw content that reveals our feelings and emotion behind what we say will never be more important.

Polished, scripted, and overly-rehearsed podcasts & even keynotes will give way to communications that are more real, vulnerable, and reflective of who we are as flawed human beings. The sign of a true professional will be a combination of invaluable insights presented with unquestionable passion.

Brian Piper, Director of Content Strategy and Assessment, University of Rochester

Integrating AI into your marketing workflow is not a technology project. It’s a change management project.

Many companies and brands must clean up their data and content significantly before AI integration into their marketing or content workflows is successful.

Roxana Hurducas, Brand Strategy Advisor

2024 taught me an uncomfortable truth: Hate is the most efficient fuel in marketing, and the most powerful buying argument.

Roxana Hurducas

This revelation came from the presidential elections in my nation of Romania, where a candidate turned an electoral campaign into a marketing campaign. There were no substantial policy proposals, no detailed plans to address the challenges the country is facing. Instead, his campaign was pure marketing, built entirely on one central message: hate. Hate the system, hate the establishment, hate the political class. And it worked.

In marketing terms, he identified the pain point (a broken system) and offered a solution (himself as the alternative). The messaging was emotional, not rational. And as we know, people don’t buy products, services, or even candidates. They buy feelings, and hate is a feeling that unites people more strongly than almost anything else.

The fact that we long to belong, as Mark Schaefer has pointed out, is painfully relevant here. Georgescu’s campaign didn’t just sell hate; it sold a sense of belonging. They weren’t just voting; they were joining a movement. The against-the-system movement. This is the same dynamic that powers communities – only here, it was used as a weapon for political gain.

But this lesson applies far beyond elections. Hate and Belonging are two of the most powerful forces in human behavior, and marketers know this.

So, do we accept that hate sells and lean into it? Or do we, as marketers, take responsibility for the narratives we create and the emotions we amplify?

For me, the answer lies in ethics. Yes, hate is efficient. Yes, it works. But at what cost? The lesson of 2024 is as much a warning as it is a revelation: the fuels we choose to power our messages can burn more than we intend. And sometimes, what they destroy is trust, unity, and hope.

Tyler Stambaugh, Co-Founder of MAGNETIQ

Digital experiences are heavily undervalued as a way to differentiate and create a competitive advantage.

Iris van Ooyen, Life Navigation Mentor, Founder of Bright Eyes

Genuine enthusiasm sells— and that ripples through best in live interactions. This summer I crafted a new mastermind and I was so thrilled about the concept that when I spoke to a former client about it, he signed up on the spot. AND offered to share it with two peers (one registered as well). This would not have happened through an email exchange. I learned that your personal energy and enthusiasm are crucial and most effective live and one-on-one.

Aaron Hassen, Chief Marketer at AH Marketing and host of Business with Humans YouTube series

B2C channels are also B2B channels.

Aaron Hassen

Earlier this year, I was developing a campaign for a B2B client, pulling a prospect list from their CRM, when I noticed the data was woefully inadequate: company emails, company phone numbers and office locations. Not very useful. See, I had interviewed scores of their best customers, and when asked where they went to find solutions like theirs, the answer wasn’t corporate newsletters, cold calls or trade magazines, it was a trusted colleague, podcast and social media.

The sources of B2B influence have shifted. Forrester predicts that more than 50% of B2B buyers, particularly younger ones, will rely on social media and their value network to help make purchase decisions in 2025. And according to LinkedIn, social media was a top source of B2B marketing investment (75% of companies) in 2024. The fastest growing B2B channel? Streaming television! 55% of B2B marketers said they plan to increase investment there in the coming year.

It’s clear that in today’s work-from-home environments, B2B professionals are consuming information like B2C consumers: from their laptops, iPads, smart watches, smartphones, smart home devices and smart TVs. Reaching busy professionals in their everyday lives and getting them talking about our brand is difficult. This is why we must move past traditional B2B channels toward consumer channels that better connect us with our customers.

Emiliano Reisfeld, Marketing Manager

In 2024, marketing evolved toward more agile and compact funnels, where investment in conversion is key to empowering consumers who demand instant personalization.

An example: From Zero to Millions: TikTok Shop’s GMV Journey

Trona Freeman, Social Media and SEO Specialist for small businesses

Trona Freeman

More people are looking for alternatives to the Meta platforms for their small business marketing.

People are increasingly finding these platforms difficult for a host of reasons. 2024 has also been a very challenging year socio-culturally, and people want to have an escape online, and that place is moving toward Pinterest. Pinterest is people’s happy space, a place to go to escape the noise of the internet and the world at large.

Research shows that Gen Z is the fastest-growing audience on Pinterest, making up 42% of its global user base. And they’re searching and saving more than other generations.

Lush discovered this a few years ago when they moved from the Meta platforms and now use Pinterest as a key platform online as a positive way to promote and connect with their audience. Context matters, so make sure you are meeting your customers in a place that resonates with them. That could be Pinterest or smaller, more intimate spaces like Discord.

Joeri Billast, Host of the Web3 CMO Stories podcast

In 2024, I discovered that authenticity, consistency, and patience are the keys to building a personal brand that resonates globally.

In Belgium, I’m seen as a peer. At conferences in Toronto, Barcelona, and Lisbon, I received incredible feedback about my podcast. And in Cairo, I felt like a hero after my keynote (I killed it!). People lined up for selfies, connected with me on LinkedIn, and two days later, my AI workshop sold out, so much so that it was moved to a larger room in another hotel.

The surprising part? Context matters, but consistency and authenticity build relationships that transcend borders. People don’t connect with perfection—they connect with real stories and genuine engagement. The takeaway: Keep showing up, even when it feels like no one’s watching … because they are!

Zack Seipert, Marketing and Communications Specialist

This year, I (re)learned that relevance is the cornerstone of modern marketing success. Whether it’s crafting a social media post or developing a full campaign, the key is understanding what truly resonates with your audience in the moment. Even the most creative content will fall flat if it doesn’t align with your audience’s current needs, values, or environment. Staying tuned in to the pulse of culture and pivoting when necessary can make all the difference in creating content that truly connects and moves.

Bruce Scheer, Co-Founder of ValuePros.io

My lesson was the power of a consistent online presence.

Being part of the RISE community transformed my perspective on digital engagement. Mark Schaefer’s Personal Branding Masterclass provided the foundation. The real magic happened when I finally conquered my imposter syndrome and committed to regular online participation.

Bruce Scheer

My journey began with a simple decision: show up consistently. This meant producing weekly content and engaging daily, particularly on LinkedIn. I had Mark and others in the RISE community as role models to follow. The initial hesitation gave way to a natural rhythm of authentic interactions.

I next launched the “ValuePros Show” across YouTube and podcast platforms, which became a gateway to extraordinary conversations. Each guest brought unique insights, making 2024 a year of remarkable learning and growth. Finally, I set up a weekly newsletter that already has 1,500 subscribers and is growing.

This has been a year of deeper professional relationships, expanded business opportunities, and enhanced visibility for our tech-forward consulting firm.

Consistency truly reigns supreme in marketing. By maintaining a steady presence and authentic engagement, what started as a personal branding challenge evolved into a powerful business strategy.

Julie Van Ameyde, Founder of Simply Social Media

When a long-time client sold their business, my routine was turned upside-down. While I continued working with the new ownership, the transition highlighted the need for adaptability and resilience to navigate unexpected changes. Marketing success isn’t just about being prepared for technological change. It means you have to be resilient enough to be ready for anything. 

Rob LeLacheur, Owner of Road 55 in Edmonton, Canada

Traditionally, my team has produced Triple A, polished video content and we’re proud of that. But we learned in 20204 that there is a large space for low fidelity (Lo Fi) content, and in many cases, that content performs much better than Hi Fi.

Lo-Fi reduces the barrier to entry by creating a feeling that you’re not being sold to. The content is more real and people are willing to give it a chance. An example of Lo Fi that works well is an imperfect,
behind-the-scenes blooper reel.

Hi Fi is most appropriate for situations where the consumer is already engaged, like a website or presentation.

Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez, Co-Author of The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever

People crave being back at live, in-person events. I just attended a conference that was sold out, and that hasn’t happened since before COVID. There is an unmissable magic that happens when people gather together. When in doubt, make it in-person and make it awesome!

Martin O’Leary, Creator of “Uncharted” Newsletter

Taste is the new superpower.

Martin O’Leary

Remember endless Slack messages and three-week waits for a simple video edit? Those days are dead. But this isn’t just another AI story. The real shock isn’t that AI can help make content – it’s that it’s forcing marketers to become master craftsmen.

Think about it: when everyone can create anything, the differentiator isn’t access to tools. It’s taste.

Pre-2024: Marketing meant being a professional coordinator. You managed designers, video editors, and endless Figma feedback loops. Your job was orchestration. Post-2024: Marketing means being a filmmaker, designer, and writer rolled into one. One person with Claude, Getimg.ai, Runway.ai, and CapCut isn’t just replacing a team – they’re rewriting the rules of what makes marketing great.

The winners aren’t the tech-savvy marketers. They’re the ones studying Kubrick’s camera angles, dissecting Nike’s brand guidelines, and obsessing over typography. Because when AI democratizes creation, deep craft to write better prompts becomes the moat. Just like the iPhone killed Blackberry by making computing personal, full-stack marketers are killing the assembly line approach to creativity.

Sharon Joseph, VP Marketing

“Advertisements suck, I don’t care, Please Make It Stop.”

That quote from my eight-year-old, mocking the streaming ads, hit a nerve. Growing up, I loved ads—their creativity, humor, and storytelling inspired me to pursue a career in advertising.

Over two decades, I’ve seen the industry evolve, from a passion-driven art form to a relentless stream of noise. Now, as a VP of Marketing, I market to the very people creating the ads that my child—and frankly, most of us—find unbearable.

It was the first week of 2024 when two campaigns stood out: Calvin Klein’s Jeremy Allen White spot and Brlo Brewery’s parody. They reminded me that authenticity and storytelling can still resonate. But most ads in the past year? Forgettable.

As marketers, we must rethink our approach. People crave connection, not interruption. If we can’t offer something meaningful, maybe we shouldn’t offer anything at all. Because in a world tuning out, it’s not about shouting louder—it’s about creating with purpose.

Mark Schaefer, blogger-in-chief

I learned so many lessons in 2024 but here are a few significant ones.

• The world is changing at an overwhelming pace, and I cannot remain relevant on my own. Being part of a supportive community is the only way to survive this onslaught.
• Every day is a new marketing day. What was true yesterday may not be true today. Be willing to let go to grow.
• Competence is a commodity. Competence is ignorable. If you are merely competent, you’re vulnerable.
• It’s easy to get caught up in the latest AI magic trick, but don’t lose sight of the fact that marketing is a people business. Work through the tech hype and stay focused on fundamentals.
• 99% of the people in the world have no clue what’s about to happen to their lives through AI.
• As the big tech companies race toward AI dominance, they are systematically and unabashedly breaking the law as part of their business strategy. 2024 was the year that “character” went out of fashion.
• In all of history, this is the most fun and interesting time to be in marketing!

Many thanks to my brilliant and generous community for adding their wisdom to this post today.

Need a keynote speaker about the future of marketing? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

Illustration courtesy MidJourney

The post What we learned about marketing in 2024 appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

by Mara Singer, {grow} Community Member

Without authenticity, you cannot connect; without connection, you have no consumer relationship.

Over the past year, my research on generational differences in perceived digital authenticity has found a few golden marketing nuggets. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and settle in, because I will share my findings concerning the four consumer generations, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers.

Gen Z: The Digital Natives’ Playground

Let’s kick things off with the youngest consumer crowd on the block – Gen Z. These tech-savvy youngsters were born with smartphones in their hands (okay, not literally, but you get the idea). In order to gain their digital likes, you need to be their friend, but they are the “authenticity police” and spot a fake from a digital mile away. The key is to make your message short, sweet, multi-sensory and funny.

• Connection is King: Gen Z sees influencers as their BFFs from afar. It’s like having a cool older sibling who always knows what’s up. Without that connection, there is no trust.
• Authenticity Detectors: One of the most fun pieces we gleaned from our research is that Gen Z knows they can smell a fake from a mile away and appreciate influencers who keep it real. They can’t always tell you why someone is not authentic or deceptive, but they are completely positive they can sniff out a fraud.
• Edutainment Enthusiasts: They love learning new things, but it better be fun and multi-sensory. Just listening or reading is WAY too boring for Gen Z.  They want to take in all the sights and sounds at the same time, otherwise they will simply move along to the next flashy lure.
• Humor is the Secret Sauce: If you can make a Gen Z’er laugh, you’ve won half the battle. That circles back to the first point: if I laugh with you, we must be friends.

Takeaway:  When targeting Gen Z, focus on creating genuine, relatable content that educates while entertaining. Collaborate with influencers who can maintain an authentic, friend-like presence. Don’t be afraid to inject some humor and personality into your brand voice!

Millennials: The Digital Adopters

Now, onto the avocado toast lovers – Millennials! These consumers remember a time before social media but have fully embraced the digital world. Interestingly, they do not want to connect as much as they want an expert to dish out edutainment. For Millennials, influencing and marketing are equivalent professions and they want, no expect, to a certain degree of professionalism or they just cannot take you seriously.

• Integrity is their Jam: They want influencers who walk the talk and stay true to their values.
• Expertise Matters: Millennials appreciate influencers who really know their stuff.
• Professionalism Expected: They see influencing as a legit profession and expect a certain level of polish.
• Authenticity Balancers: They value realness, but with a professional edge.

Takeaway: For Millennial audiences, showcase your brand’s values consistently. Partner with influencers who can demonstrate expertise and maintain professional credibility to strike a balance between being authentic and polished, yet still entertaining.

Gen X: The Balanced Act

Gen X might not get as much attention, but they’re quietly rocking the social media world. Gen Z are the bridge between Baby Boomers and the “kid consumers,” retaining the value of quality and expertise expected by Boomers but enjoying the entertainment of social media. That said, flashy and catchy don’t sell for Gen X, and, in some cases, even erode perceptions of authenticity. Gen Z are much more balanced in how they consider the authenticity of social media content, appreciating expertise above honesty and shared norms. Interestingly, they have no interest in original content when deciding if something is authentic, so forget the muti-sensory overload if you are targeting the ‘80s babies.

• Masters of Balance: Gen X considers multiple factors when judging authenticity.
• Skills Pay the Bills: They highly value influencers who demonstrate real expertise.
• Substance Over Style: They’re not easily swayed by flash and pizzazz. Quality content matters more than flashy presentations.
• Originality Appreciated: Gen X loves content that stands out without trying too hard.

Takeaway: When marketing to Gen X, focus on providing substantial, skill-based content. Avoid over-hyped messaging and instead demonstrate real value and expertise. You can be original, but don’t go overboard with unnecessary frills.

Baby Boomers: The Traditional Touch

Last but not least, we have the Baby Boomers. They might not be the first adopters, but they’ve got their own unique take on social media. Like Gen X, Boomers have no faith in sparkly, shiny marketing. Although they may appreciate original content, it does not mean anything to them in terms of authenticity. Be a humble expert if you want to gain their trust.

• Integrity is Everything: They want influencers who demonstrate strong moral principles.
• Skill and Expertise Reign Supreme: Boomers appreciate a true master of their craft.
• Humility Goes a Long Way: They’re not big fans of show-offs or over-the-top personalities.
• Personal Connection is Secondary: They don’t need to feel like besties with every influencer they follow.

Takeaway: For Boomer audiences, emphasize your brand’s integrity and expertise. Partner with influencers who demonstrate mastery in their field while maintaining a humble approach. Focus on delivering value rather than trying to be their new best friend.

The Authenticity Balancing Act

Here’s where the findings get really interesting. Across all generations, there’s this delicate dance between accuracy (being truthful and transparent) and humility. The younger crowds tend to value accuracy more, while the older generations put more weight on humility. It’s like a social media seesaw!

This insight presents a unique challenge for marketers aiming to reach cross-generational audiences. Striking the right balance between being openly authentic and maintaining a sense of humility is key to resonating with diverse age groups.

So, whether you’re trying to make Gen Z laugh, impress Millennials with your expertise, provide substantial content for Gen X, or demonstrate integrity to Baby Boomers, you’re now equipped to play the social media generation game like a pro!

Mara F. Singer is a Ph.D. Candidate in Public Communication & Technology at Colorado State University. Her research focuses on perceived authenticity, fandom, and generational differences in modern communication. Mara will continue her marketing research as she teaches business communication at the University of North Texas’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business.

Illustration courtesy Unsplash.com

The post New Research Shows That From Boomers to Zoomers, Authenticity Matters appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

I recently saw a post touting the importance of a “timeless content marketing strategy. As I read the article, my response was, “Yes… but.” It occurred to me that there are many exceptions to the “rules,” and maybe it’s time to disrupt the traditional notion of content marketing. Let’s see if you agree.

Today I will repeat the elements described in a post as the timeless content marketing strategy and challenge conventional wisdom.

1) Define clear buyer personas.

Buyer personas can be very helpful in large, far-flung company with complex agency relationships. Having a target customer in mind can keep everyone on the same page and focused on content that serves the market.

However …

Creating content meant to serve made-up people can be stifling. Chances are, your closest competitors have drawn up the same personas. So you are all creating the same content for the same made-up people. There might be a small SEO advantage to this, but if you’re trying to break through the noise and create something worthy of attention, being a slave to personas simply creates a pandemic of dull.

Personas can be self-limiting in another way. In our fast-changing world, customers are evolving. Even long-held values and norms are changing. Focusing on one personality type, or even ten of them, can ignore new needs and new customers coming into the fold. In my upcoming book Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World (Feb 2025), there’s an interview with Kory Marchisotto, the CMO of e.l.f. cosmetics. She said:

“When I came into e.l.f., every marketing guru, every marketing advisor, everybody on my personal board of directors told me I had to create a customer persona. Every textbook said the same thing: ‘Go create a persona. Put e.l.f. in a box: Alpha is a person who carries this handbag, she does this thing, she shopped at this store.’

“And my gut instinct was to do a manual override. Creating personas just seemed so wrong for this brand. I was reading letters from 60-year-old women, 8-year-old kids, teenagers, and no one person is a ‘persona.’ We’ve taken a stand that e.l.f. is for every eye, lip and face. That is the lighthouse that guides us, and that is also an enormous responsibility.

“We don’t draw borders and boundaries around our customers.”

Think carefully about how personas can limit the creativity and reach of your content marketing. Don’t just follow the guru rules.

2) Develop a content calendar.

Again, this might be a good idea for the largest companies, especially if content requires lengthy legal approvals. But it also imposes two significant limits on content marketing effectiveness.

A few years ago, I was working with a healthcare company that followed a content calendar. But since they had their heads down in a prescribed content calendar, they were focused on National Pencil Day and missed a critical opportunity to comment on relevant legislation passed in their state. Don’t be so wedded to a content calendar that you never look up to see what’s happening in the world.

The second issue is the advantage of timeliness. Plenty of research shows how engagement on content topics degrades over time. For example, I wrote some of the first articles exploring how ChatGPT could be used in marketing. These posts attracted many shares, downloads, and comments. If I had published these ideas just two or three weeks later, they would be old news and far less effective.

Timeliness matters. Fresh ideas matter. To get the most traction for your posts, you need to jump on ideas early, which usually means abandoning whatever was prescribed on the content calendar.

3) Leverage SEO best practices.

In my digital marketing university classes, I explain that there are two high-level content marketing strategies: 1) win SEO or, 2) develop authority and earned subscribers.

What’s the chance I can own one of the top two search results for “digital marketing consultant?” This is a highly saturated field. Competitors have much deeper pockets than me. Just not going to happen.

But could I create content that serves people instead of algorithms and build a mailing list of people who are vitally interested in what I have to say? People who would hire me? I have an excellent chance of doing this.

Add to this issue zero-click Google results, the competition from AI search, and other complications, and it’s easy to conclude that for many companies, a focus on “authority” over “SEO best practices” makes more sense.

SEO gets you visitors. Authority gets you believers.

4) Use a mix of content formats.

This depends on the size of the company.

If you’re a large brand seeking an omnichannel presence and have the budget and agency relationships to do it, then yes.

But if you’re a small company, a startup, or a solopreneur, then absolutely no. To stand out today, you have to be great. And you don’t have the time and resources to be great in 10 places.

My recommendation to small businesses is to fish where the fish are and, at least at first, focus on one, or at the most two, content formats. If you decide on video, then double down on video and then triple down on it to earn your audience.

I’ve probably studied audience-building strategies more than anyone else earth. There are millions of tips and tricks, but there is only one strategy above them all. There is no close second. And that is, focus on quality. Everything else is just noise in fancy marketing pants.

You might trick somebody into clicking a link. But you can’t trick drive-by visitors into viewing your content or subscribing to it. You must earn that, and that only comes through quality. You can’t growth-hack your way to trust.

If you have any resources devoted to content marketing strategy, do NOT go wide by trying to be everywhere. Go deep and create unmissable, vital content that serves customers well in one way.

Stop trying to be everywhere and start being essential somewhere.

5) Regularly analyze and optimize.

I actually agree with this one, and this is historically a problem for many businesses. We are often so busy creating that we don’t dive into the numbers to learn, evolve, and grow.

History won’t help us predict the future. If you’re in marketing, you’re waking up to a new customer reality every day.

Data can help us learn about what connects to customers to help us serve them better, at least in the short-term.

Timeless content marketing strategy?

The biggest problem with being wedded to the “timeless marketing strategy” is that the more you’re obsessed with a persona, an SEO plan, or a calendar, the less you’re reacting to change.

Speed might be the biggest driver of marketing success today, but we don’t talk about it enough. A lot of the timeless marketing strategy ideas are handcuffs when you need to be responsive.

I’m also concerned that the word “quality” isn’t mentioned in this formula. Too many marketers are obsessed with the game. Stop chasing algorithms and start creating something worth following.

Sound about right?

Need a keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

Illustration courtesy Unsplash.com

The post It’s time to disrupt the “timeless content marketing strategy” appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

Some brands are making a U-turn away from safe and reliable marketing practices into something bizarre and even … horrifying. The trade press began to characterize the new wave of unhinged brands as DGAF (for Don’t Give a F*ck).

But nothing could be further from the truth. These brands care deeply about their products and customers but realize that their enemy is indifference. Without awareness and conversations about the product, there are new sales. A disruptive narrative unlocks consumer attention and the DGAF brands are plowing into exciting new territory.

To understand the connection between today’s over-the-top weirdness and consumer attention, we need to start with Liquid Death.

Liquid Death: A pioneer of unhinged brands

When it comes to disrupting a boring brand narrative, Liquid Death is a rocket-fueled joyride to the kingdom of badassery. It’s turned a bland, commoditized category (water) on its head by breaking every marketing taboo in the history of marketing taboos.
This is fearless marketing.

• Let’s start with the name. “Death” is usually not the ideal topic to bring up when selling a consumer product, especially when competitors are normally called something like Rainbow Springs.
• And its packaging. Water is supposed to be a symbol of purity. Liquid Death does the opposite—it’s sold in oversized aluminum cans featuring a macabre illustration of a heavy metal skull. By embracing the imagery and language of darkness and danger, Liquid Death subverts every expectation of what a politically correct brand should be.
• One notorious campaign featured a blind taste test in which participants compared Liquid Death to toilet water. The brand’s founder, Mike Cessario, drank from a toilet on camera to prove that Liquid Death tastes better.

The brand embraces its (many) critics. One review said, “I would rather lick the back of a sweaty fat man than drink Liquid Death.” The company turned this into a viral video when it asked customers to lick the back of a sweaty fat man. It quickly proved that 100% of consumers prefer its drink.

You really need to see this:

Liquid Death aligns with controversial figures and subcultures like heavy metal bands and tattoo artists. By embracing fringe elements of society, Liquid Death appeals to consumers who feel alienated by the mainstream and crave a sense of belonging and rebellious fun.

Unhinged brands emerge

Recently I wrote about the nightmarish TikTok videos published by Nutter Butter brand cookies. If you haven’t checked this article out, go ahead, I’ll wait.

At a time when many marketers are covered in fear-induced night sweats over the potential to make a mistake or offend, there’s a growing crop of brands proving people will reward crudeness and candor when it’s actually entertaining. The strategies and product markets differ, but brands like Nutter Butter, Liquid Death, Duolingo, and Pop Tarts are using edgy, agile laughs to win over audiences. Arguably, the much-maligned Jaguar re-brand is a DGAF nod to the old school marketing world.

While there has always been an element of weird in the ad world, I think we’re on a cusp of really audacious content because the world is ready for it.

Indifference is the enemy

I don’t pretend to completely understand the imagery and narrative presented by Nutter Butter or Liquid Death. But I do understand that they have people talking.

And I love this refreshing take. It’s objectionable but not offensive. I mean, what is the legal department going to say about people licking sweat of a guy’s back?

It doesn’t cross a line because it creates new lines in a unique brand universe. Liquid Death and Nutter Butter have looked at the “rules” of water and cookies and determined that they need to be re-written. Awesome.

Weird marketing isn’t new but perhaps it is newly relevant in a world where people are just tired of the same repetitive ads and marketing.

If you’re going to take a big brand risk, maybe the safest play of all is inventing a new world where there are no rules and nobody to offend. Even small brands are entering the DGAF universe.

You only win with brand

In an interview, Liquid Death founder Mike Cessario contended that dull is usually embedded in a brand from the beginning. “Entrepreneurs create something new. They have a product name, and maybe they hire a graphic designer, but it’s not that interesting or smartly branded. Later in the game, when they have money, they hire marketing agencies to build campaigns around this uninteresting thing to make people care about it, or somehow make it relevant when it’s not. But when you can have the people involved at the beginning who understand culture and psychology and have them create the brand, it’s a far more powerful position.

“You’re only going to win with branding. You won’t win with some functional ingredients you can’t own. In that case, when you’re big enough, Coke or Pepsi or someone else will just produce the same thing—same ingredients, cheaper, more widely distributed, and then you lose. With water, there’s minimal, if any, functional difference between the brands. The difference is purely marketing. People want to walk around with this thing instead of that thing. None of the water brands were interesting. I did my homework. There was a huge opportunity to tell a different story.

“The big mistake entrepreneurs make is thinking ‘what has worked in the past is what’s working now—let’s make something like that.’ Most new things are just copies of existing things. If you aspire to be truly unique or innovative, you have to trick your brain and force yourself to consider bad or dumb ideas. That makes you consider things that don’t exist, because why would anyone create a product that’s a bad idea?”

DGAF brands? No. The wisdom is far beyond that.

Need a keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

The post DGAF: Why unhinged brands could be the safest marketing path appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

The other day I checked in on Twitter (Still can’t bring myself to say X) and saw this tweet:

About a year ago, Twitter started injecting tweets into my “notifications” stream from people I don’t follow. So, I don’t know Faith Back Rub. Never heard of the account before. And yet, Twitter’s algorithm somehow thought this was one of the most important things for me to see that day.

The message I received was “a famous American football player slammed a presidential candidate.” And then I went on to something more interesting in my busy day.

But then I thought about it a little more: this celebrity American football player is usually non-political. He makes millions in product endorsements and podcast sponsorships. This statement seems uncharacteristic. So I went back to the tweet and clicked on the actual Kelce message:

Now my reaction was — well, this is a verified account. Looks like Travis Kelce really did take a clever swipe at Trump. Surprising. But what is this “Parody by Rub” thing in the corner? Is this real or not? Now, I had to dig to figure out what was going on. And here’s the truth:

This did not come from Travis Kelce, but how would I obviously know that? Remember how this showed up in my news feed: There was no indication that this was fake news when it was displayed to me. I read the headline and moved on.

As it turns out, most people who clicked through were fooled by this tweet, even though it was identified as a “parody.” I know this because there were nearly 1,000 comments on this tweet, most of them Trump supporters blasting Travis Kelce — who had nothing to do with this opinion.

And this is the true problem with social media. The threat to our society doesn’t necessarily come from what people say, it comes from algorithms amplifying disinformation.

The implication of amplification

Everybody has a right to say what they want to say, even if it’s incorrect or controversial. When the American Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution, even the most powerful and compelling voice back then could only hope that somebody would read their pamphlet or hear a speech. Information spread slowly, and mostly, locally. Even a juicy conspiracy theory couldn’t get nationwide attention very easily.

But today, damaging content can spread instantly and globally. And that puts a new spin on the issue of free speech.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously said there is a limit on free speech: “You can’t yell ‘fire’ (with no fire) in a crowded theater.” But today, anybody can yell fire, and it can impact the opinions of hundreds, thousands or even millions of people. Amplification matters. Amplication is the threat. Why isn’t anybody taking responsibility for this?

Social media companies must be accountable

Let’s think through the case study I presented today.

• Twitter’s algorithm—no human being—decided to amplify news clearly marked as fake into user news streams without indicating that it was a parody (the first screenshot above).
• Based on the comments, two-thirds of the recipients of this tweet thought it was real, or 342,000 people.
• But that’s just the beginning. This fake news was retweeted 7,700 times!

This example was relatively harmless. The parody tweet probably caused Travis Kelce some irritation, but maybe that goes with the life of a celebrity.

However, what if this amplified fake tweet was devastatingly serious?

• What if a “verified account” called off evacuations in the middle of a hurricane?
• What if a fake account said every computer was hacked and would blow up today?
• What if the tweet accused Travis Kelce of beating up his girlfriend Taylor Swift?

My point is that Twitter and any other platform that employs algorithms to knowingly spread false claims should be held accountable.

In a recent interview, author and historian Yuval Noah Harari made this comparison: People can leave any comment they want on an article in The New York Times, even if it’s false. But amplification from social media companies is like the newspaper taking a bizarre, false comment and putting it on the front page of their newspaper.

That’s irresponsible and dangerous to society. Nobody would stand for that. And yet, we do.

Aim at amplification

As we enter the AI Era, the danger of fake news and its implications grows profoundly.

Let’s cut to the chase — Twitter knowingly lied to me to increase my time on their site and benefit its bottom line.

While it would be nearly impossible for any platform to monitor the comments of millions (or billions) of users, it’s much easier to hold companies accountable for spreading known false information to innocent people. This is a simple first step to protect people from dangerous falsehoods.

Why is nobody talking about this? Addressing bot-driven “sensational amplification” is a much easier fix than trying to regulate or suppress free speech. This must be a regulatory priority.

Need a keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

The post The biggest threat to free speech and democracy isn’t speech, it’s amplification appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

Today, I’ll explain the Parasite Economy and why it is destroying businesses but opening up new opportunities for creators.

For many years, I’ve subscribed to Ted Gioia’s newsletter, “The Honest Broker.” It’s hard to describe this newsletter. Ted is a music critic and historian whose musings tend to wander all over the cultural landscape. But he has a knack for consistently connecting the dots in insightful ways, and I almost always learn something from his posts.

In an article titled “Are We Now Living in a Parasite Culture?” Ted makes an observation that is profound in its simplicity and wisdom. It goes like this:

“Nowadays, parasite businesses are the largest corporations in the world. Their technologies do many harmful things, but lately they have focused on serving up fake culture, leeching off the creativity of real human artists.

“Just take a look at the dominant digital platforms—and consider how little they actually create. But the amount of leeching they do is really quite stunning, especially when compared with the dominant businesses of the past.

• What does Facebook really create? Almost nothing. It relies on 3 billion users to create content (ugh!—their word, not mine), and then monetizes these people and their unpaid labor.
• What does Google really create? Almost nothing. Just look at how it destroys newspapers, while doing zero journalism itself. The comparison with a parasite could hardly be more apt. It feeds off the news, but never adds to it.
• What does Spotify really create? Almost nothing. The folks at Spotify don’t worry about their lousy app, because they’re so busy sucking blood from the creative economy, to which they contribute not one whit. Meanwhile, their CEO is now richer than any musician in the history of the world.
• What does TikTok really create? Almost nothing. This company relies on one million creators—none of them are employees. Most of them are working for hopes and dreams. TikTok is run like a Hollywood studio, but without cast, crew, directors, scriptwriters, or any creative talent whatsoever. But that hardly matters when you’re just a parasite living off unwitting hosts.

“Consider the case of the woman who attracted 713,000 TikTok followers and generated 11 million views for her videos—and got paid $1.85 over the course of five months. No that’s not $1.85 million—it’s one buck and eighty-five pennies. You can practically hear the lifeblood getting sucked out of the creator economy.”

Ted’s post continues, and he concludes by saying, “For the first time in history, the Forbes list of billionaires is filled with individuals who got rich via parasitical business strategies—creating almost nothing, but gorging themselves on the creativity of others.”

As usual, Ted made me think long and hard. I agree with him, but there is another side of this coin. In fact, the Parasite Economy is the best thing that ever happened to me in my professional life. And it can be for you, too. Today I’ll explain why.

The Parasite Economy’s Poster Child

On the surface, I am the poster child for “Victims of the Parasite Economy.”

I’ve probably added 20 million words to the social web through my blog and podcast alone. Google and its algorithm brotherhood crawl the internet like bugs, chewing my content like termites and then hurling it back out as an indistinguishable paste. The molecular material of my precious content is within everything now—no attribution, no money, no customers.

The years of effort behind this content are now part of the immortal glue that holds AI together. How have I been compensated for my significant content contribution? Nothing at all. I’ve never received one penny from Google, social media sites, or an AI company.

And yet, after 15 years of blogging and 12 years on the podcast, I keep churning out more. In fact, I think I’m doing my best work ever, giving away my most valuable ideas and insights every week.

Through Ted’s view, I should be incensed. But I’m grateful. Here’s why.

The Benefits of the Parasite Economy

While it’s true that I’m not making money from my content, I’ve made millions of dollars over the course of my creator career because I built an audience. You can’t have an audience without awareness, and you can’t have awareness without giving away valuable content.

I can see why Ted or any creative would feel abused because their content is consumed, loved, and shared without compensation. The key to surviving in the creator economy is not counting on your content for revenue. Those days are gone. So go ahead and grieve that reality, but get over it and look for other profitable ways to serve your audience.

I have 24 revenue streams. The most important ones are:

• Keynote speaking events and corporate workshops
• Personal coaching
• Book sales
• Private marketing retreat (The Uprising)
• Online classes

Until last year, I would have had marketing strategy consulting on the list — this was number one for many years. But I’ve been turning down these opportunities due to the wear and tear of travel.

My point is that, purely based on the awareness provided by the Parasite Economy, I’ve reinvented myself in a way that has allowed me to move away from the 9-5 corporate job.

The economics of our world today

I’ve never received a dime from Google or Facebook, but I’ve also never paid them (or anyone) a dime in advertising. So, at least for me, it’s been a fair trade-off.

Likewise, even a media company like The New York Times has been able to reinvent itself by diversifying into new media properties like podcasts, events, books, and speaking (they are building personal brands for their best reporters).

I am NOT dismissing the galaxy of negatives about internet parasites, including many of the good points Ted made in his post.

But I wanted to provide an alternate view that, with some creativity and resourcefulness, a creator can thrive, even under these strange circumstances.

Need a keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

Illustration courtesy of MidJourney

The post The Parasite Economy: An Upside for Creators appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

I’ve given hundreds of speeches all around the world. Many kind people come up to me after my talks and thank me for some new insight or learning. But here is one phrase I’ve never heard: “I really loved that pie chart.”

People don’t normally respond to data and graphs during a speech. They don’t go back to the office telling people about the awesome Pareto Diagram they saw at an event.

People retain and share stories. People will come up to me, even years after an event, and tell me about one of my stories they fondly remember.

Every successful professional salesperson, marketer, or keynote speaker knows that effective storytelling is the best way to create a lasting, memorable, emotional connection with an audience. And when you craft that one story that truly captures your passion, expresses your values, and drives h0me your point in a memorable way, you have something special — the signature story.

In the latest episode of The Marketing Companion podcast, I cover the art and science of the signature story with Jay Acunzo. Jay has spent much of his career studying this craft and this is a fun and enlightening episode you won’t want to miss.

In this recording, each of us tells a favorite signature story and then dissects its essence to reveal why it works. In my story, I reveal why an audience literally gasped when they heard it for the first time.

You won’t want to miss this. You just have to click here to listen:

Click here to enjoy Marketing Companion Episode 299

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