Digital Marketing Reality [& How Not to be Foolish]

So, you thought that digital marketing (all of it, including teeeek Tooook) was all fun? You really think that all it takes is a $10 domain name and cheap $5 per month WordPress hosting? 

Then, you thought you could show up, write one or two blog posts (or get them written)?

Then what? You’d be the next Facebook? Or PayPal? Or Tesla? 

I’ve had a potential client reach out to me and ask me this: 

Client: “I want you to write specific blog posts for each of my three blogs — each blog is in a different vertical/industry/niche.”

Me: What are your expectations from doing this work, for the next 9 months and more? 

Client: I want to be the next Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuck, or Elon Musk. 

Me: 🤦‍♂️

See where I am going?

For that client specifically, here’s the end result in 2056: He won’t get there. He won’t even show up Google search for his own name. 

There’s years and years of work behind every succes story. You wanted to hear about some secret sauce, there just isn’t one. 

Ridiculousness = Hard To Trust You

…and trust is everything when it comes to business. You can be jovial, spirited, an easy brand to get along with (MailChimp has a chimp for a mascot). 

You can be bold, dashing, badass, and even on the edge. 

I am all for a wee bit of controversy. Or if you’d like to take a stance, approach a topic with a hard right (or left), or a unique angle that you’d want to take — it’s interesting. I’d say, go all out.

Just don’t overdo it. 

If you show up on Twitter and ask ridiculous questions (just for engagement) or make sky-high claims about how much money you make, you are not doing yourself any favors.

Mere engagement is just engagement. Not money in the bank. 

If you show off, it reeks of insecurity [+ the fact that you really don’t have what you claim to have] 

Your TikTok video saying crappy things like, “Do this. Get rich tomorrow” isn’t helping your personal brand (and God forbid any business you bear the weight of, on your back). 

Yes, some folks might buy your $9999 course, maybe once.

Don’t lie. 

Don’t be sneaky. 

Don’t show off. Don’t get toxic. 

What kind of a brand are you building if you go down that path? 

Digital Marketing Takes Work, Patience, & Some [More than you think] 

Writing 1 or 2 blog posts won’t get you anything. Exactly 12 LinkedIn posts that you hired someone to ghost post for you won’t move the needle either. 

You forget what it takes for digital marketing success — or insert [anything else here such as wealth building, health, and what have you.

It takes back-breaking, work, it takes patience, it takes your soul.

That’s the price you pay for even a modicum of success — especially in the realm of marketing where you also have to compete with “flash on Instagram”, “YouTube Stories that waste your time”, and It’ll be so forgetful (and rude) of me to NOT include “Cat videos”. 

If you ever thought that you’d get 2 blog posts, instant “On-Page SEO”, a couple of “Twitter Threads”, or a make-believe persona belting out “thought leadership” stuff on LinkedIn gets you $$$ instantly….

You are wrong. 

Don’t Get Desperate With the “Hacks” Track 

Growth hacking, hacks — what does that tell you? Reminds me of masculine toxicity heavily dependent on steroids to build muscle. 

The reason why people look for “trick, cheat sheets, hacks, and growth hacks” is to bypass the actual work it takes. 

You can’t speed up success (while you can certainly beat the time it takes to succeed with work, commitment, dedication, and doing the hard things). 

For instance, to succeed with organic content marketing, all you had to do was to do blogging consistently (with a publishing velocity, as I like to call it).

This is not the time for you to chase “Skyscraper techniques” and write 7,500 word blog posts (or other content assets) when you know you can’t (or don’t want to), or don’t have the resources to spare. 

Be Real, & Be Rewarded 

Do you know why live streams are popular today? That’s because what you see on a live stream is real — no edits, and no fancy layers. Some creators, gamers, and influencers are popular because they are being real (apart from a few who put on an appearance, and you know that they don’t last long). 

Working on a personal brand? Pulling your entire marketing team to create content for your business so as to build trust and a steady pipeline of customers? 

Just be real. Say what you want to say (while being honest). You’ll be rewarded for it. 

Got something to share? Hit me up on Twitter or here on SPN. 

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About the Author 

Ash spent 18+ years delivering smart digital marketing results for small businesses and content creators. Racking up over $US 12 million in sales for clients and partners with consistent, well-rounded implementation of marketing channels and strategies. Now, blogging & coaching on digital marketing at fetchprofits academy. Read his blog or 🔥 Get his freebies now