Practical guides for business owners who want marketing that pays for itself. Strategy, content, websites, analytics and what actually moves the numbers, from 20 years of running campaigns.
“Why do we still treat brand and performance as two different jobs?” It’s a strange question when you consider how people actually make decisions. A customer doesn’t think, “First I’ll see a brand campaign, then I’ll encounter a performance ad.” They see a video on social media, notice a billboard, hear a recommendation, search Google, visit a website, read reviews, see a retargeting ad and eventually buy. To the customer, it’s one journey. To marketers, it can be multiple campaigns, teams, budgets and agencies, each measured against different goals. This is one of marketing’s biggest contradictions: we organise marketing around…
Your Google Ads campaign was running this morning. Now it is not. Your ads have stopped serving, your traffic may have dropped, and you have received a notification saying your Google Ads account has been suspended. For any business that relies on paid search to generate leads or sales, this can be a serious disruption. The first instinct may be to make changes immediately, create a new account, or submit an appeal without fully understanding the problem. Those actions can make the situation harder to resolve. A Google Ads suspension does not always mean your account is permanently closed. Google…
The world is evolving to a point where people's attention spans are incredibly shortened. Psychologists have found that people only focus on their screens, especially when it comes to reading, for an average of 47 seconds. For you as a business owner, this means that when people go on the internet looking for answers in your field, they are going to leave your site early if you don't provide it fast. So your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts have to go beyond keyword stuffing and formatting and feature three important optimizations: featured snippets, voice search optimization, and page speed. These…
An argument broke out on my timeline the other day. Somebody posted research on outcomes for kids from two-parent homes, and the replies filled up with the same sentence, over and over: "I was raised by a single mother, and I turned out fine." Hundreds of people, all making the same move. And the wild part is, every one of them was right. They did turn out fine. They also proved absolutely nothing about the research, because they were answering a question no one asked. That thread is one of the best examples of what of one of the most…
ROI Introduction Virality on social media doesn't equal sales. As a small business owner, this is probably a sentence you're already familiar with. If we're being honest, it's the truth. The most watched video on TikTok is this video by Zach King. It amassed over 2.2 billion views, but there was no product attached to it. This video went viral because it was entertaining and not because he had something to sell. So if you get a viral video, it's not always because of your product or service. Most times, the quality is great, there's something interesting happening and that's…
Introduction “You should be posting more so your audience can find you.” “You need to post consistently.” “Content is king.” As a small business owner, you have probably heard one or all of the three pieces of advice up there. You also probably know that in this digital age, most people are shopping online. And the only way to get attention is by posting on social media. But most content advice available online aren't tailored to people running small scale businesses. How are you supposed to post multiple times a day when you're also customer care, sales lead, packing and…
Introduction When was the last time you scrolled to the bottom of the first page on Google in search of answers? You probably can't remember, right? Well, this is the reality of many people, including your potential clients. People go on Google, type in their questions and get an AI generated answer from Google AI Overviews. Some don't even use search engines, they just open ChatGPT or Perplexity and get straightforward answers. No more doomscrolling through hundreds of links and tens of website pages for one sentence. But these AI chatbots aren't pulling the answers from thin air. They are…
Capsules in focus against a backdrop of a dynamic biotech stock index signify a robust healthcare market. Pharmaceutical business. Development of new medicinal pills..
I've seen firsthand how healthcare and pharmaceutical brands, organizations, and small businesses struggle to break through the noise of an infinite number of. Healthcare isn't simply about selling a product or service. It's about trust.Patients, healthcare providers (HCPs), and family members are looking for reliable information. Personal well-being is at stake, and that's where Google's search engine has a distinct responsibility. This responsibility is why marketing healthcare products and services online presents unique challenges to marketers due to strict regulations, sensitive topics, and high competition. Don't let this deter you because, done right, Google Ads can do more than drive…
I love Instagram reels. But as an Instagramer and a marketer, there are a lot of hidden gems within this addictive platform. I covered Instagram Marketing for businesses extensively a few years back and recently went in depth about how many people are making a living using Instagram.Instagram reels are just the latest innovation by the Meta-owned platform. In many ways, reels are my substitute for television shows and, many times, YouTube. I prefer Instagram reels over TikTok since reels exist within the Instagram app alongside other videos, stories, and posts. It's the entire social experience without being pigeonholed into…
PPC pay per click advertising in the internet. Marketing strategy for business promotion. Pay for banner on the web page. Flat vector illustration
Why Paid Search Audits are Important Paid search audits are essential to the digital marketing process. The digital marketing world is constantly in flux. That's why it's crucial to regularly conduct an audit to ensure the best optimization strategies are in place and get the best possible return on investment.Paid search advertising is more complex than many marketers would like to admit. Google Ads constantly posts new features, releases, policies, interface updates, discontinued features, and announcements. On top of that, many small changes don't warrant a separate announcement, and that's much change. This is why keeping up with Google Ads, Bing…
