Global interest is knocking.

You start seeing visitors from London. A few clicks from Sydney. Maybe even a lead from Toronto. It's subtle at first—curious traffic from markets you want to expand in but haven't actively campaigned for.

But when those same prospects search for your services in their country, your website is nowhere to be found. Not page one. Not even page three.

It's not because your firm lacks credibility.

It's because Google doesn't yet know you belong there.

That's where international SEO comes in. And no, it's not just about translation or adding a few landing pages. Done right, it's a positioning strategy. One that builds trust before the first call, aligns you with local search behaviour, and future-proofs your visibility in the markets that matter to you.

Core Benefits of International SEO for B2B Professional Services Firms

When most firms think about international SEO, they reduce it to visibility—just another checkbox on the marketing list.

But for B2B professional services firms, the benefits run deeper than rankings.

Think about how you win clients now. Through expertise. Through trust. Through demonstrating that you understand their world before they ever pay you. International SEO extends this across borders, but only when approached as a long-term strategy.

Here are the actual benefits:

1. You build credibility before the first conversation

When a potential client in Seattle searches for ‘compliance consulting,’ they expect firms that feel local. If your name appears alongside known regional players, even if your firm is in Singapore, you've already passed the first credibility test.

A website that speaks to local concerns signals belonging. It suggests you've been there before. That you understand the nuances of their market. Not because you claim it, but because Google—an impartial arbiter—has placed you there.

2. You attract leads who recognise themselves in your content

International SEO is not just about translation; it's about alignment.

A financial director in London doesn't search for ‘attorney services.’ She searches for ‘corporate solicitor London.’ A creative studio in Milan doesn't want ‘SEO agency’ but ‘agenzia SEO per aziende creative.’

When your content reflects the regional needs of your Ideal Client Profile, you don't just get traffic—you get the right traffic.

3. You create an acquisition channel that compounds over time

Paid campaigns stop the moment you stop paying. Referrals plateau when your network runs dry.

But international SEO builds like compound interest—slow at first, then accelerating. Each localised page, each regional backlink, each technical refinement adds to a foundation that keeps working whether you're awake or asleep.

Most firms see little movement for the first three to six months. From month six onward, momentum correlates with content depth, link velocity, and market competition.

The Landing Page Misconception

A colleague asked me a question recently that exposed a flaw in most international SEO attempts:

‘Isn't it a waste to create a couple of international landing pages if they won't really gain traction on their own?’

He was right.

One or two landing pages per country aren't enough to rank competitively—not even with perfect hreflang tags or technical precision.

Local landing pages matter, but they're just the front door. You still need a house behind it. And that house consists of service pages, an active blog with pillar content and cluster pages, guides, case studies, testimonials, and local proof points—all optimised for that specific market.

So, if you want genuine traction in foreign markets, you need:

A full content architecture per region

Each country needs its own site structure with interlinking content that keeps visitors exploring deeper into your expertise.

Localised content, not translated copy

Germans searching for professional services don't just want English content in German words. They want content that acknowledges their regulatory framework, business culture, and market challenges.

Country-specific backlinks

Google still evaluates your relevance to a region by who from that region vouches for you. Without local links, you're just a tourist claiming to know the neighbourhood.

How International SEO Actually Works for B2B Professional Services

International SEO has two parts: technical setup and market relevance. Most firms focus only on the first. Let me show you why both matter—and how to get them right.

International SEO Architecture (The Scalable Way)

For B2B professional services firms with global ambitions but finite resources, here's a model that works:

1. Use subfolders over subdomains

Build with yourdomain.com/uk/, yourdomain.com/sg/, etc. This keeps all SEO equity under one domain while clearly signalling regional intent.

Subdomains (uk.yourdomain.com) split your authority. Country-code domains (yourdomain.co.uk) create stronger local signals but multiply your management burden exponentially.

For most resource-constrained B2B firms, subfolders are simpler to maintain while still consolidating authority. Subdomains can work, but require the same level of content and technical investment as a root domain.

Unless you have dedicated teams per region, subfolders offer the best balance between SEO strength and operational simplicity.

2. Create regional content hubs, not isolated pages

Most international SEO strategies fail because they only create orphaned landing pages without a supportive content ecosystem.

Instead, build regional content hubs:

• Core service pages tailored to each market

• Region-specific blog content that answers local questions

• Case studies and testimonials featuring clients from that market

• Resources that address local regulations or challenges

The goal isn't to create one entry point, but a network that captures various stages of interest.

3. Implement proper technical signals

Tell Google explicitly which content belongs where:

• Hreflang tags to indicate language-region combinations (important: hreflang must reference all alternates)

• Consistent URL structures (/uk/services/, /au/blog/your-article-slug)

• Internal linking that respects regional boundaries

• Local business schema where appropriate (if you have local offices)

4. Start with one market, then scale

Don't try to conquer the world at once. Choose your most promising international market. Build it properly. See results. Then expand.

Content That Converts

The gap between showing up in search and converting lies in one word: localisation.

Too many firms approach international content like a translation exercise. But prospects don't hire firms that sound foreign to their problems—they hire firms that speak their language in every sense.

The British consultant doesn't ‘reach out to the client.’ He ‘contacts’ them. He doesn't work with the ‘C-suite.’ He works with ‘senior leadership.’ He doesn't provide ‘actionable insights.’ He delivers ‘practical guidance.’

Small shifts. Different world.

True localisation means:

• Adapting messaging to local terminology and spelling conventions

• Using country-specific examples, regulations, and frameworks

• Addressing cultural differences in business decision-making

• Showing understanding of regional market challenges

It's these details that make a prospect think: ‘They get how things work here.’ And that thought—more than keyword density or backlink profiles—is what converts.

Building Local Authority

The fundamentals of link-building remain the same across borders, but the execution demands market-specific precision.

1. Relevance varies by country

A modest global DA can punch above its weight if your site is locally authoritative. Evaluate relevance and local footprint, not just the headline metric.

2. TLD signals matter for regional relevance

Search engines still weigh country-code TLDs (.co.uk, .au, .fr) heavily when determining regional relevance. Your link profile should reflect your target markets through a deliberate balance.

A natural link profile includes a mix of local ccTLDs and relevant global domains, with greater emphasis on the markets you're actively targeting.

3. Anchor text localisation matters

Anchor text distribution should reflect regional search patterns. Monitor that your acquired links use natural, region-specific wording. Avoid forcing keyword-rich anchors; relevance beats precision.

4. Technical implementation for maximum equity

For international link acquisition, ensure:

• Links point to properly hreflang-tagged pages

• Regional links go to regional versions (not redirects)

• Ensure canonicals point to the correct regional URL so authority consolidates instead of splitting

Technical Foundations

International SEO sometimes fails because of small, overlooked errors that compound over time—errors that confuse search engines, frustrate users, and quietly tank rankings.

The technical requirements aren't especially complex, but they demand consistency:

1. Hreflang Implementation

These tags tell Google which version of a page to show for which language and region.

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://example.com/uk/blog/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-us" href="https://example.com/us/blog/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-au" href="https://example.com/au/blog/" />

The key rules:

• Always include a self-referencing tag on each page

• Ensure every regional version references all others

• Use correct ISO codes (en-GB, en-US, fr-FR, etc.)

• Implement consistently for easier maintenance (either in HTML head or XML sitemap—don't mix)

2. URL Structure

Choose a clear pattern and stick with it:

• yourfirm.com/uk/service/

• yourfirm.com/de/service/

Avoid parameters like ?country=uk or ?lang=de. They can create duplicate content issues and add unnecessary complexity that will be hard to scale.

3. Content Delivery and Site Speed

Your site must load quickly everywhere you want to rank:

• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

• Optimise images and scripts

• Test site speed from target countries, not just your home market (webpagetest.org is best for this)

4. Local Signals

Help Google connect your content to specific regions:

• Include local addresses and phone numbers (if applicable)

• Optimise Google Business Profile account and other local directories (again, if you have a physical local presence)

• Use local currencies and date formats

• Reference regional events, regulations, or industry benchmarks

• Use local currencies, date formats, and regulatory references (e.g., GDPR in the EU, PDPA in Singapore)

Common International SEO Pitfalls

Where does international SEO go wrong? Usually in these places:

Duplicate Content Across Regions

When your UK, US, and Australian pages are near-identical, Google struggles to differentiate which should rank where. Localise deeply, not superficially.

Broken Hreflang Implementation

Missing return links, incorrect language codes, or inconsistent application confuses crawlers. Audit your hreflang regularly.

Forced IP-Based Redirects

Forcing users to country-specific versions based on IP might seem user-friendly, but it can block Googlebot from discovering your international content.

The solution: Use hreflang to suggest the right version while allowing users to access any regional site.

Ignoring Mobile Experience Across Markets

Mobile usage varies dramatically by region. What works in Japan might fail in Brazil. Test your mobile experience in each target market—not just at home.

Neglecting Regional Search Intent

The same service might be searched for entirely differently across markets. Without keyword research per region, you'll miss how potential clients actually look for you.

These aren't glamorous considerations. But they're the difference between being visible globally and wondering why your brilliant content never gets seen abroad.

What to Expect (And Why Most Firms Quit Too Early)

International SEO doesn't deliver instant gratification.

It won't spike your traffic this month. It won't validate your strategy before the next board meeting. It won't impress anyone during the first quarter.

And this is where most firms falter.

They launch a few regional pages, check the metrics daily, see nothing dramatic, then redirect resources elsewhere. But the firms that persist are the ones that reap the compounding effect of international SEO.

Here’s what a typical international SEO could look like (actual timelines vary dramatically by market competitiveness, baseline authority, resource allocation, and algorithm updates, so treat the milestones below as directional benchmarks, not guaranteed deadlines):

Months 1-3: The foundation phase

Expect minimal movement. You're establishing technical architecture, implementing hreflang tags, and beginning to build content moats. Search engines are still figuring out what you're doing.

Months 4-6: The initial traction phase

You'll see glimpses of potential. A few regional keywords start appearing in positions 15-30.

Most firms quit here, right before momentum builds.

Months 7-12: The climbing phase

Regional landing pages edge onto page one for less competitive terms. Blog content starts capturing longer-tail searches. Local backlinks accumulate as you're now visible enough to be referenced.

Year 2: The compounding phase

This is where patience pays dividends. Content clusters start reinforcing each other, regional authority solidifies, and your firm begins appearing for competitive terms. The traffic becomes consistent, qualified, and conversion-ready.

The firms that survive the desert of months 1-6 reach this oasis. Those that don't are still debating whether international SEO ‘really works.’

Here's what sustainability looks like:

You start with one market. A few localised landing pages. One dedicated content creator.

Then, over time, and for that initial first market, you build topic clusters, regional backlinks, and deeper trust with prospects who recognise themselves in your content.

And one day, a client tells you:

‘We found you on Google, and we felt like you understood our market better than the local guys.’

That's the moment international SEO stops being a marketing tactic and becomes a business advantage.

I was halfway through an episode of David Perell's "How I Write" podcast—the one where he outlines his "Ultimate Guide to Writing with AI"—when I had to pause. Something was clicking into place. Perell described his process of using AI to expand his thinking while preserving his distinct perspective. It sounded eerily similar to what I'd been cobbling together in my own work, this intricate dance between human insight and machine assistance.

Later, I listened to Perell interview Tyler Cowen on the same podcast about practical applications of AI in writing. Between these two thinkers—both of whom I deeply respect—I found validation for what had been nagging at me: the line between using AI and being used by it is razor-thin, and most of us are crossing it without noticing.

The next day, I got an email from a company I wanted to work with. It was perfect in every way—impeccably formatted, grammatically flawless, and thoroughly researched. It was also dead on arrival.

You know the feeling. The words arrange themselves into sentences that make logical sense, yet something crucial is missing. The stakes. The specificity. The subtle friction of a human mind working through a problem. In short, the soul.

This is our reality now. We swim in an ocean of content written by no one.

In blind tests, people could only guess AI-written text correctly about 53% of the time—essentially no better than chance. The machines have gotten good at mimicry. But they haven't gotten good at meaning.

As Perell puts it, "We are on the precipice of a new paradigm of writing." This isn't something to be terrified about. But it is something we need to navigate with intention rather than drift through unconsciously.

Why Most AI Content Sounds Dead

AI writes like it has nothing to lose. Because it doesn't.

Human writing carries the weight of reputation, the fear of being wrong, the joy of being right, and the scars of past failures. These invisible currents shape every sentence we construct. AI mimics the patterns but misses the pressure points—those moments where you can feel the writer leaning in, dropping their voice, or clearing their throat.

The problem isn't grammatical correctness. If anything, AI is too grammatically correct, too metrically balanced, too safe. That’s because AI is trained to be in the middle of the distribution.

Look closer and you'll spot the tells: repetitive sentence structures, excessive hedging ("it might be the case that..."), and an over-reliance on formal transitions. Perhaps most damning is the jargon overload. AI, trained on countless corporate whitepapers and marketing blogs, readily regurgitates buzzword bingo: "Our innovative paradigm shift will leverage synergies to drive impactful outcomes." Technically fluent, emotionally vacant.

The Risk of Outsourcing Your Voice

Here’s my take: when you outsource your voice, you outsource your thinking.

Voice isn't decorative; it's structural. It's not the paint on the building; it's the foundation. Your voice reflects how you organize reality, what you notice first, what you skip entirely, and how you weigh competing values.

This matters even more for agencies and consultancies. Your clients don't hire you for your ability to sound like everyone else. They hire you for your particular, irreplaceable way of seeing their problems.

Marketing executives warn that AI produces exactly what effective branding fights against: homogenization. As Jen Iliff, a marketing CEO, noted, this runs contrary to the core of branding, which demands differentiation and authenticity. In the B2B world especially, where many companies already speak in similar industry jargon, a homogenized voice causes you to blend into the wallpaper.

What happens when voice gets diluted? Internally, marketers feel they've "lost their individual voice," and externally the brand's voice itself gets compromised. This isn't just some fluffy concern—it translates to poorer results. People can sense when content is just filler. They might not always know it's AI-generated, but they know when it's boring.

The greatest business risk of 2025 isn't being replaced by AI—it's voluntarily surrendering the very thing AI cannot replicate: your unique point of view.

How to Find and Protect Your Voice

Finding your voice isn't mystical. It's mechanical. It requires honest answers to simple questions:

1. What do you actually believe that others in your industry don't?

2. Which client questions make you sit up straighter?

3. What makes you angry about how others approach your craft?

4. Where do you naturally use metaphors or examples that others don't?

The answers form the substrate of your voice. But protecting it requires discipline:

• Write your first drafts by hand occasionally

• Read your work aloud before publishing

• Reject first-round content that could have been written by anyone

• Deliberately include the details only you would notice

Ann Handley, a leading marketing author, puts it plainly: "Especially today, when everyone with a social media account is a defacto marketer, and AI writing tools are improving at rapid speed, the ability to communicate with your own unique, unaffected voice is the key skill that makes great writers stand out." In an era when everyone has access to the same AI tools, your voice is what makes your writing stand out.

Seth Godin offers a useful distinction: "Your audience doesn't want your authentic voice. They want your consistent voice." By consistent, he means a voice that "rhymes" – it's recognizably you each time, delivering on the promise of your brand's character. "Not sameness, not repetition," he clarifies, "but work that sounds like you."

Perell echoes this sentiment when he says that in the age of AI, "Your writing is going to have to get better and better." He adds that "the more that a piece of writing comes from personal experience, the less likely it is to be overtaken by AI." This is where you have the edge—the lived experiences that only you can relate.

Most importantly: develop a ruthless editor within yourself who asks, "Would I say this at a bar to someone I respect?" If the answer is no, rewrite until it's yes.

How I Use AI (Without Losing My Voice)

I'm not against tools. I'm against abdication.

My process has evolved through deliberate experimentation with multiple AI models, each serving a distinct purpose in my workflow:

For research: Perplexity Pro has largely replaced Google in my daily work. It excels at finding relevant sources, providing citations, and delivering quick, comprehensive answers to factual questions. The speed and citation capabilities alone make it invaluable.

For ideation and structure: ChatGPT (o1, 4o, and 4.5) helps me brainstorm topics, develop outlines, explore different angles, and hash out the skeletal framework of my content. This is where I test the structural integrity of my thinking.

For drafting with humanity: Claude (especially 3.7 Sonnet) produces text that feels less mechanical and more creative. Its voice training capabilities allow me to customize outputs that align with my natural tone.

Listening to David Perell describe his process was like hearing someone articulate what I'd been feeling my way toward. He approaches AI as an amplifier of thought rather than a replacement for it. Like him, I'm interested in AI as a tool to help me think, not to think for me. This distinction is everything.

The magic happens in how I weave myself throughout this process. I've created specific projects within these platforms that contain detailed instructions about my voice, preferences, background, and objectives. This creates a consistent foundation across all my work—whether for The Creative Strategist, Prodigy, or client projects.

But here's the crucial part: I don't just review the final output. I intervene continuously during creation:

1. After the AI produces a workable draft, I use dictation to overlay my personal experiences, expertise, and unique viewpoint onto the structure.

2. When I encounter sections that don't align with my thinking, I select them specifically and dictate my perspective, asking the AI to rewrite just that segment.

3. I deliberately reserve certain elements as exclusively mine:

   • The introduction

   • The conclusion

   • Personal stories and examples

   • The central argument

   • Transitions between sections

These are where voice lives most vividly. These are where I stake my claim on the reader's attention. AI organizes what I know, but it doesn't determine what matters about what I know. That judgment—the essence of voice—remains mine alone.

What seems like an elaborate process actually saves tremendous time while preserving the authenticity that readers value. The key is remaining the active architect rather than a passive consumer of what emerges.

Your Voice Is Your Edge

We're entering a time where sounding human isn't just aesthetically pleasing—it's strategically essential.

This tension between human expression and automation isn't new. When the printing press was invented in the 15th century, scribes' guilds destroyed presses out of fear this machine would eradicate their livelihood and flood the world with low-quality, inauthentic text. When synthesizers entered music in the 1960s, critics derided electronic tones as "barking hell-hounds" from a dehumanized world.

Yet, in each case, creators who leaned into their unique voice not only persisted but thrived. The printing press didn't destroy the human voice in writing—it amplified it. Synthesizers didn't replace musicians—artists incorporated them to create entirely new genres.

Voice is the new competitive advantage. Not because it's pretty, but because it's proof. Proof that there's a mind at work. Proof that someone is willing to stand behind these words. Proof that if things go wrong, there will be a human being on the other end of the line—not just an apologetic algorithm.

The future belongs to those who refuse to outsource their humanity. The words are still yours to claim. The question is whether you'll bother to claim them.

Copywriting is one of the first skills that I learned when we started Prodigy, our digital agency. It’s one of the few skills I've consistently retained and regularly practised throughout my career, even as I've delegated most technical tasks to my team. Writing is integral to my identity—I proudly consider myself a copywriter.

So, I was convinced that I was a decent copywriter. I've devoured countless books on writing and copywriting over the years. Yet when I finally enrolled in Joanna Wiebe’s Copy School, I realised how much deeper and more nuanced the art and science of copywriting truly is. Frameworks, templates, methodologies, and principles—my mind was blown by the depth of knowledge and practical insights I gained.

Copy School had been on my radar for years, but only recently was I able to make the investment. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every dollar.

In this article, I'm sharing the ten most practical principles I learned from Joanna Wiebe—insights that even a decade of reading about copywriting hadn't revealed to me.

1. Voice of Customer Research Is an Unfair Advantage

Joanna often says, ‘If research isn't your biggest task, you're probably doing it wrong.’

I already know that effective copy isn’t creative guesswork—it’s reflecting the customer’s own words back to them.

But in Copy School, Joanna outlines powerful methods to uncover those words through in-depth qualitative research—interviews, surveys, user testing, and reviewing customer support tickets.

Let’s start with customer interviews. Ever since I read Adele Revella’s book Buyer Personas, interviews have been a part of my process. But the Copy School reinforced this method further:

Talk to five to ten customers, block 60 minutes for each, listening more than speaking. Speak to the people behind the product—founders, engineers, account managers—the ones closest to the offer. They often reveal insights about value and differentiation we wouldn’t have uncovered any other way.

Surveys have also become one of my go-to tools—especially when crafted to elicit open-ended responses. If I ask the right people the right questions, they practically write my copy for me.

UserTesting.com was another major takeaway from Copy School. It’s incredibly useful for website optimisation projects, but it also reveals anxieties and objections that I can use in landing pages, nurture sequences, and even email campaigns. Watching someone interact with a site in real-time is like eavesdropping on your future customers.

This type of research doesn’t just sharpen the copy. It sharpens strategy.

2. Clarity Beats Cleverness (Usually)

‘Clarity is always the most important thing,’ Joanna teaches.

However, this is one area where I slightly diverge from Joanna's philosophy. While I wholeheartedly agree that clarity is essential—especially when we're writing for busy people who need to quickly grasp what we're offering—I also firmly believe cleverness has its rightful place. Human beings appreciate creativity, humour, and wit. We remember messages better when they delight us, make us chuckle, or offer a surprising twist.

This viewpoint aligns closely with Bill Bernbach’s advertising philosophy and Luke Sullivan’s approach in Hey Whipple, Squeeze This. Here’s Sullivan’s take on it:

‘Think of that boring key message on the brief as a lump of clay and you've got to sculpt it into something interesting. So, you begin by taking this flat-footed message and you spin it. Maybe you shorten it. Or punch it up. Say it faster. Say it in slang. Add some attitude. Anything to change this boring sentence from a line you'd overhear at a sales convention to something more memorable.’

He then gave these three examples:

‘Call in rich tomorrow.’ (Mystic Lake Casino)

’We hear you need a new muffler.’ (Korman Muffler Shops)

’For more information on lung cancer, keep smoking.’ (The Lung Association)

Then, he continues:

‘Okay, so what is it about these lines that make them kinda cool?

’They're clever. And yet you understood exactly what the writer was tasked with saying. You understood them because the writers all knew they have to be both clever and clear.

’The client has every right to expect our advertising to be clear. Problem is, the reader or viewer isn't out there looking for “clear.” (“Man, right about now, I could really go for a clear message.”) What customers notice is stuff that's interesting.’

I love this image he used to illustrate the point:

‘Imagine the circle on the left represents all the ways you could clearly communicate the brief's key message. The circle on the right represents all the ways you could cleverly spin the key message into something interesting. The trick is to hit the sweet spot where the circles overlap.’

So, for me, copywriting brilliance lives in the intersection of strategy and creativity, clarity and cleverness. Particularly in today's age of AI, clear and straightforward copy is becoming easier for machines to replicate. What AI struggles with—and where humans excel—is creativity, nuance, and cleverness.

That’s why my favourite quote in advertising is this line by Bill Bernbach:

‘Dullness won't sell your product, but neither will irrelevant brilliance.’

Actionable tip: Aim for clarity first, but don't shy away from cleverness. Infuse your copy with personality, humour, or a memorable twist to ensure it sticks in your reader’s mind. As Luke Sullivan puts it: ‘First say it straight, then say it great.’

3. Frameworks Cure Blank-Page Anxiety

Blank pages used to paralyse me. I’d sit there, trying to sound brilliant, but ending up second-guessing every sentence. But, with repeatable frameworks like PAS (Problem–Agitation–Solution) and DOS (Desire–Obstacle–Solution), writer’s block was never an issue anymore. Instead of trying to ‘be creative,’ I now focus on being strategic first.

Whether it’s a landing page, email, ad, or lead magnet project, I just open up my framework vault. I still reach for the classics like AIDA (Attention–Interest–Desire–Action). It works because it mirrors how people naturally make decisions. PAS and DOS are especially great for persuasive long-form copy.

I also rely on several advanced frameworks I picked up from Copy School and have since made my own. The Transformation Message Map helps shape a clear before-and-after story for the audience I’m writing to. The Page Plan ensures every page has one goal, one message, and one clear path to conversion. The Service/Feature Messaging (Product/Feature Messaging in Copy School) sheet keeps me focused on benefits, not just features. The Offer Optimisation Worksheet pushes me to sharpen the offer itself before I even start writing. And when I need a quick spark of inspiration, my growing swipe file of Headline Prompts never lets me down.

Frameworks don’t limit creativity—they free it. They’re the scaffolding that lets you build better ideas, faster. And when deadlines are tight or your brain’s foggy, they’re the best tool you’ve got.

Because great copy rarely starts with inspiration. It starts with structure.

4. Every Line Has One Clear Job

This insight changed my editing style. Joanna’s rule is simple but brutal: ‘Every line must have a specific purpose.’ It sounds obvious—until you sit down and ruthlessly apply it to your own writing.

I used to fall in love with my phrasing. I’d try to sound polished, even poetic. But Joanna’s approach snapped me out of that mindset. If a sentence doesn’t build momentum, deliver value, or move the reader closer to the next step—it’s dead weight. It gets cut.

This line-by-line philosophy forces you to think like a strategist, not just a writer. Every sentence must earn its place. It has to do something—hook the reader, deepen the emotional pull, counter an objection, clarify a benefit, or create forward motion.

One helpful editing tip is to read your copy aloud and ask yourself after every line: ‘Does this line give the reader a reason to keep going?’ If the answer is no, you either fix it or lose it.

I also started looking for where I was ‘writing around the point’—stalling instead of selling. Clarity and momentum became the benchmarks, and that’s how you go from writing nice copy… to writing copy that sells.

5. Empathy Is Your Conversion Superpower

One of Joanna’s most underrated teachings is this: empathy converts.

Copywriting isn’t about pushing—it’s about understanding. And I’ve learned that the more I respect the reader’s anxieties, motivations, and context, the more likely they are to trust me. And trust? That’s what drives conversion.

That’s why every marketing strategy I build—and every copy project I take on—starts with one thing: knowing the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Really knowing them. Not just their demographics, but their lived experience. Their struggles. Their goals. Their worldview. Because when I write, I’m not writing to a list. I’m writing to one person.

And you can’t write with empathy if you don’t understand people.

That’s something I constantly teach my team at Prodigy: expand your worldview. Get out of your own bubble, travel and experience the world, mingle with people of different backgrounds, take risks and try new things, witness the beauty and flaws of human beings.

If that’s not an option, then read good fiction—literary classics, sharp detective stories, slow-burn historical fiction, even fantasy, if it’s well written. Why? Because great fiction forces you to inhabit another person’s mind. Their contradictions. Their dreams. Their fears. Their flaws.

Same with great films and well-written TV. The point isn’t entertainment. The point is empathy. If you want to connect with a real human being on the other side of the screen, you have to understand what it feels like to be someone other than yourself. Even someone you disagree with. Even someone whose life looks nothing like yours.

Empathy isn’t just a trait. In copywriting, it’s a craft. And the more you sharpen it, the more powerful your words become.

6. Headlines Do 80% of the Work

This wasn’t a new insight for me. I’ve always known headlines matter—probably more than anything else on the page. What Copy School did, though, was affirm that belief and sharpen it—gave it structure and backed it up with practical tools I could use immediately.

Before, I’d spend time crafting headlines, but I didn’t always have a repeatable process. Now I do. Thanks to Copy School, I’ve got swipe files, headline formulas, and the Specificity Rule as my baseline.

I now understand their role more clearly—especially when writing for web copy and performance-based ad campaigns. They’re not just a hook; they’re the hinge. If the headline flops, nothing else gets read.

Actionable tip: Include concrete details in your headlines—something as simple as a number or a timeframe. This helps cut through the noise.

7. Buttons Are Conversion Gateways

Of all the lessons that felt deceptively simple but deeply impactful, this one stood out: Your buttons matter—a lot more than most people think. Joanna calls them the ‘conversion gateways,’ and rightly so. They’re not just UI elements. They’re decision points. Micro-moments where your prospect either says yes… or drifts away.

Before Copy School, I knew to avoid the usual suspects—’Submit,’ ‘Click Here,’ ‘Learn More.’ But what Joanna helped me see is that buttons don’t just tell people what to do—they complete the thought already running in their head.

She calls it the conversation in your prospect’s mind. So if someone’s thinking, ‘Yes, I want this free guide,’ the button should literally say, ‘Send me the free guide.’ If they’re thinking, ‘I need help with my website,’ then ‘Let’s fix my website’ is infinitely stronger than ‘Schedule a call.’ The best buttons reflect desire, urgency, or a moment of clarity—not just an action.

Actionable tip: Rewrite every CTA from the voice of the prospect. Imagine what they’re thinking in the split second before they click. Then write that on the button.

8. Risk Reduction Builds Confidence

No matter how compelling your offer is, hesitation is natural. Prospects feel the friction of uncertainty—Will this work for me? What if it’s a waste of money? What if I regret this decision tomorrow?

Joanna’s Zero Risk Sweep changed the way I deal with those objections. It’s a systematic way to look at your copy and ask: Where are we leaving doubt unaddressed? Where might the prospect hesitate, and how can we dissolve that tension before it stalls the sale?

The idea isn’t to manipulate—it’s to remove friction honestly. The more confident people feel in their decision, the more likely they are to take action. That means highlighting things like guarantees, clear refund policies, free trials, transparent pricing, and even social proof from similar buyers. All of it adds up to a sense of safety—’This is a smart, low-risk choice. I won’t get burned.’

Actionable tip: Perform your own Zero Risk Sweep by reading your copy through the lens of a sceptical prospect. Where would you hesitate? Then, counter each hesitation head-on with clarity and compassion.

The truth is, people don’t need a hard sell—they need reassurance. If your copy can offer that, trust builds. And once you have trust, conversion tends to follow.

9. Specificity Builds Trust

This was one of those reminders I didn’t know I needed. Joanna constantly hammers this home: ‘Vague promises lose sales; details earn trust.’ And she’s right. The more specific your copy, the more believable—and persuasive—it becomes.

I’ve seen this firsthand. Early in my copywriting career, I’d default to broad claims like ‘We help you grow your business.’ It sounded nice, but it didn’t stick. It didn’t mean anything. But shift that to ‘We helped a London-based creative agency generate 143 qualified leads in 12 months’—and suddenly, people lean in.

Specificity tells the prospect: This is real. This has happened. This could work for you, too.

And it’s not just about numbers (though numbers are great). It’s about naming the pain, the outcome, the transformation. It’s about dropping in a product name instead of saying ‘our solution.’ It’s showing, not telling.

Actionable tip: Go through your copy and highlight every vague word: better, faster, more, powerful, effective, solutions. Then ask: What exactly do I mean here? Can I prove it? Can I name it? Can I show it?

10. Write Like a Good Therapist

This might be Joanna’s most poetic teaching: ‘Your job isn’t to push, but to gently guide.’

I love that. Because it reframes what we do. We’re not here to strong-arm the sale. We’re here to listen, understand, and help someone make a decision that’s already quietly brewing in the back of their mind.

Joanna often compares copywriters to therapists—and she’s right. The best therapists don’t bulldoze their clients into change. They ask the right questions. They acknowledge resistance. They help people feel seen, heard, and safe enough to move forward.

That’s the kind of copy I aim to write. Copy that feels like a conversation with someone who gets you. Someone who isn’t judging or rushing you. Someone who’s walking beside you, not dragging you from the front.

But here’s the catch—this kind of writing demands emotional intelligence. You can’t guide someone if you don’t understand where they’re starting from.

Actionable tip: Write your copy with this simple question in mind: What’s keeping this person from saying yes? Then, instead of brushing that aside, bring it into the light. Validate it. Name it. And gently reframe it.

That’s how trust is built. That’s how movement happens. That’s how good therapists—and good copywriters—create change.

Repositioning a marketing agency sounds exciting—until you realise how messy it can get. One wrong move, and you risk alienating existing clients, confusing your audience, and watching revenue dip while your new positioning struggles to gain traction.

I know this firsthand because we have repositioned Prodigy multiple times. And yes, we alienated clients, confused our audience and our team, and eroded our cash flow during some of them.

Despite the mess, we learned lessons and refined our process with each iteration.

We started as a generalist agency, doing almost everything—social media marketing, photo and video shoots, scriptwriting, web design, branding, out-of-home advertising, paid ads, radio ads, packaging design, community management, influencer sourcing, you name it.

For any client we could find, in any industry.

Over time, as we learned more about what makes an agency successful, we saw the value of narrow positioning. We experimented, adjusting our expertise, our strengths, and our preferences to match what the market was looking for.

One of our biggest repositioning efforts was when we specialised in marketing for knowledge entrepreneurs—coaches, consultants, course creators, and industry experts. We went deep into that niche for a few years. But despite the work being meaningful, we realised it was not a particularly lucrative market.

So, just last year, we repositioned again. This time, focusing on B2B digital marketing, working specifically with B2B professional services firms in the UK.

Not only have we repositioned multiple times ourselves, but we have also worked with clients going through the same challenges.

With each pivot, and with each client we helped with repositioning, we kept refining our approach.

I am writing this article to help other agency principals avoid the same mistakes we made. The following is a structured, strategic approach to agency repositioning.

When and Why Should an Agency Reposition?

Not every challenge requires a repositioning. Some agency principals assume a slow quarter means it is time for a drastic pivot, but more often than not, a few tactical adjustments can get them back on track.

That said, there are clear signs that repositioning is the right move:

1. You are competing on price, not value. If clients constantly push back on your fees or compare you to cheaper alternatives, your positioning is not strong enough.

2. Your sales cycle is getting longer. If closing new deals takes significantly more effort, it may be because your messaging is unclear or your value proposition is no longer compelling.

3. You are attracting the wrong type of clients. If your pipeline is filled with prospects that do not align with your expertise or profit goals, your positioning (or lack thereof) may be attracting the wrong audience.

4. Your team is uninspired. If your team feels like they are working on projects that do not align with their strengths or ambitions, a shift in positioning could help you win more fulfilling work.

5. Your market is changing. If new competitors are gaining traction, industry trends are evolving, or client needs are shifting, staying in the same lane could mean falling behind.

If any of these sound familiar, repositioning might not be optional—it might be necessary for your agency’s survival and long-term success.

The Risks of Repositioning and How to Mitigate Them

If handled poorly, repositioning an agency can disrupt revenue, create brand confusion, and even alienate existing clients. But with the right approach, these risks can be mitigated.

Revenue Volatility and Client Retention Challenges

One of the biggest fears during repositioning is losing long-term clients before securing new ones. Most clients reconsider contracts during an agency pivot, especially if they feel they no longer fit the new niche.

Mitigation Strategy: Gradual Transition

• Phase out old positioning gradually rather than making an abrupt switch. Maintain legacy services for existing clients while introducing new offerings in parallel.

• Offer transitional solutions—if certain clients are hesitant about the repositioning, find ways to integrate them into your new structure instead of losing them entirely.

• Secure long-term contracts before repositioning to stabilise revenue while new business ramps up.

The goal is to minimise disruption and maintain cash flow stability while repositioning takes hold.

Brand Confusion and Market Misalignment

A rushed repositioning often leads to a messaging disconnect, where old and new clients are unclear about what your agency actually offers. If your website, sales materials, and client communication do not align, you risk market confusion—which can delay new client acquisition and erode trust with your existing base.

Mitigation Strategy: Create a Communication Plan

• Develop a clear narrative that explains why the repositioning is happening and what it means for clients.

• Phase messaging updates across all channels (website, social media, Google Business Profile, personal social profiles of team members, email marketing, sales collateral, etc.) to maintain a smooth transition.

• Communicate early and often—both internally (so your team can confidently relay the new positioning) and externally (so clients and prospects clearly understand the shift).

The key is to avoid contradictions in branding and messaging. Every touchpoint—whether a blog post, email signature, or LinkedIn profile—should reinforce your new positioning without creating confusion.

Internal Resistance from Team Members

Your team is the backbone of your agency. If they are not aligned with the new positioning, execution will suffer. Employees accustomed to certain workflows, client relationships, and service models may resist changes, leading to gaps in service delivery and misalignment in client interactions.

Mitigation Strategy: Stakeholder Buy-in and Training

• Involve key team members early in the repositioning process—get their insights, address concerns, and make them part of the transition.

• Invest in training to equip them with the skills needed for the new positioning. If your agency is shifting to strategy-driven services, for example, your team may need upskilling in consultative selling or high-level marketing strategy. Account Managers are critical during this stage—they must be trained well and fast; they’re the glue that will keep things together during the transition.

• Ensure leadership alignment—agency founders and senior team members should be fully committed to the repositioning and reinforce it through their actions and communication.

The Step-by-Step Process for Agency Repositioning

Repositioning requires careful planning, validation, and phased execution. Done correctly, it attracts higher-value clients, clarifies differentiation, and secures long-term growth.

Below is our structured six-step framework to help agency principals with the transition.

Step 1: Conduct Deep Market Research

Before making any changes, you need to validate that your new positioning aligns with market demand. Too many agencies reposition based on gut feeling rather than hard data, leading to a mismatch between their offering and what clients actually need.

Pro tip: ChatGPT’s Deep Research has become an invaluable research tool for us in this phase.

Key Areas of Research

• Assess Competitor Positioning

  • Map out competitor messaging, service offerings, and pricing.

  • Identify gaps—where is the white space that no one else owns?

  • Analyse whether your new positioning offers a clear differentiation.

• Identify Ideal Clients

  • Which client segments bring the highest profitability and best working relationships?

  • Are there industries or business sizes that generate higher retention and referrals?

• Analyse Market Demand

  • Are businesses actively searching for your new positioning?

  • Use tools like Google Trends, Semrush, Ahrefs, and LinkedIn engagement data to spot rising demand.

• Customer and Lost Prospect Interviews

  • Talk to past clients and leads who didn’t convert—what was missing from your previous offering?

  • Conduct informal interviews with ideal prospects to validate their pain points.

Action Step:

Compile your findings into a market research report to ensure your new positioning is based on demand, not assumptions.

Step 2: Develop a Clear Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is the foundation of your agency’s new direction. It should be absolutely clear and compelling—not a vague mission statement.

Three Essential Elements of a Strong Positioning Statement

1. Who You Serve. Define your ideal client profile (industry, business size, common challenges).

2. The Core Problem You Solve. What specific pain point does your agency solve better than anyone else?

3. Your Unique Differentiator. Why should clients choose you over competitors? What makes your approach unique?

Here’s Prodigy’s Positioning Statement:

We help UK-based marketing, creative, design, and software development firms generate high-quality leads and scale profitably with expert-driven SEO, PPC, email marketing, and website optimisation—at a third of the cost of local agencies.

Action Step:

Develop a one-sentence positioning statement that your entire team can easily communicate to prospects and clients. Don’t try to sound clever. The positioning statement is supposed to be boring. Prioritise clarity over cleverness on this one.

Step 3: Validate the New Positioning with Market Tests

Before going all-in, test your new positioning in small ways to ensure it resonates with your audience.

Use Google PPC to Gauge Market Interest

• Run a targeted Google PPC campaign that positions your agency within the new niche.

• Create a dedicated landing page—not indexed on your main site—to test the messaging, differentiation, and overall positioning without committing publicly.

• Track conversions, engagement, and inbound inquiries. If there is strong interest, this is a positive validation of demand. If not, it may indicate a need to refine your messaging or explore alternative positioning.

Cold Email Outreach for Direct Market Feedback

• Use tools like Clay to compile a prospect list within your new industry or ICP.

• Craft cold email sequences that introduce your new value proposition, addressing key pain points of the new audience.

• Track response rates, objections, and booked calls. A strong, positive reaction indicates the market is receptive to your repositioning.

Publish Thought Leadership Content

• Write blog posts, LinkedIn articles, and case studies reflecting your new expertise.

• Measure engagement—are people responding positively?

Conduct Small-Scale Sales Conversations

• Approach select prospects with your new messaging.

• Gauge interest and address objections early.

Soft Launch to Select Clients

• Roll out new services or positioning messaging to a handful of trusted clients.

• Get their feedback before scaling.

Action Step:

Set clear success benchmarks—if early engagement is weak, refine your positioning before a full rollout. Your goal is to ensure demand exists before fully committing resources to the transition.

Step 4: Phase Your Repositioning to Minimise Disruption

Changing your agency’s positioning too suddenly can alienate existing clients and hurt revenue. A phased approach allows for a smoother transition.

Update Website and Marketing Collateral Gradually

• Keep old positioning on high-traffic pages while introducing the new messaging in blogs, social media, and landing pages.

Soft Launch with Select Clients

• As mentioned above, implement the new positioning for a handpicked group of clients before making it public.

• Then, you can use their feedback and case studies to strengthen your messaging.

Implement Internal Training

• Make sure your sales and account management teams can confidently communicate the new positioning. I cannot stress enough the importance of this step. It’s absolutely key to minimising disruption.

Action Step:

Build a transition roadmap with key milestones for gradual rollout over 6-12 months.

Step 5: Transition Client Communications and New Business Efforts

Your existing clients need to understand how this shift benefits them. Meanwhile, new prospective clients need to hear the updated positioning immediately.

For Existing Clients

• Have one-on-one conversations with long-term clients to explain the shift.

• Offer transition plans if they feel misaligned.

• Reinforce the value they will continue receiving.

For New Clients

• Fully adopt the new positioning in outbound marketing and sales materials.

• Retarget prospects that previously weren’t the right fit for your old positioning.

Action Step:

Develop a client transition strategy that retains core accounts while attracting new business.

Step 6: Measure Success and Refine Continuously

Even the most well-planned repositioning requires adjustments. Set clear KPIs to measure progress.

Track Key Metrics

• Lead Quality: Are you attracting better-fit clients?

• Inbound Traffic: Is your ICP engaging with your new positioning?

• Conversion Rates: Are your sales conversations improving?

• Client Retention: Are existing clients still satisfied with the transition?

Then, optimise as needed. If certain aspects do not resonate, refine your messaging or adjust service offerings.

Action Step:

Schedule quarterly reviews of performance data to iterate and optimise your positioning over time.

That’s it.

By following this six-step framework, you can reposition without losing revenue or confusing your audience. Because repositioning is not merely a fresh coat of paint—it’s a business transformation. The agencies that succeed take a phased, data-driven approach while communicating clearly to both their team and clients.

Thinking about repositioning your agency? Let’s discuss in the comments. What challenges are you facing? What lessons have you learned so far?

If you find this article helpful, please share it with an agency leader considering a positioning shift.

If I want to know when the next episode of Reacher Season 3 will drop, I go straight to Google, type in “reacher season 3,” and instantly scan the knowledge panel search results. No clicks needed—I get my answer in seconds.

If I am trying to find information on a brand, a movie, a band, or even a specific song, I do the same. Short-tail keywords, quick lookup. And if I am looking for a café, a resort, or a restaurant nearby, I go to Google Maps.

But when my queries go deeper—like a nutritional breakdown of celery, a comparison of Mao Zedong’s and Joseph Stalin’s death tolls, or a comprehensive analysis of Prodigy’s competitors in the UK B2B marketing space—I no longer turn to Google.

I go to ChatGPT or Perplexity AI for instant AI-generated summaries. And I’m not alone. Millions of people are doing the same—relying on AI for research instead of traditional search engines.

That shift—from simple, quick searches to AI-driven deep research—is happening across the board. And it’s shaking up SEO.

So, the questions on many agency owners’ minds are: will AI kill SEO? Will Google penalise AI-generated content? Is search traffic doomed for my agency?

The short answer? No, SEO is not dead. But it is evolving. Fast.

AI is changing how people search, how Google ranks content, and how agencies should approach SEO strategy. Google’s AI-powered search results (like AI Overviews) reduce organic click-through rates by providing instant answers, while AI-generated content is flooding search results with mass-produced articles.

But despite these shifts, SEO is still one of the most powerful and profitable marketing channels—if you understand where it’s headed.

In this article, we will break down whether AI-generated content is helping or hurting SEO, how agencies can future-proof their strategies, and why human-written content still wins (and how to use AI without compromising rankings).

Is AI-Generated Content Hurting or Helping SEO?

AI-generated content is everywhere. From automated blog posts to AI-written product descriptions, businesses are using tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Gemini to scale content production at an unprecedented rate. But with so much AI-generated material flooding search results, the big question is: Is this helping or hurting SEO?

It depends.

When used strategically, AI can save writers a lot of time, increase the quality of content, and enhance overall SEO efforts. But when misused—without human oversight, originality, or strategic intent—it can damage rankings and credibility.

What We Know About Google’s Stance on AI Content

The first thing to address is Google’s official position on AI-generated content. Despite the fear-mongering about “AI penalties,” Google has repeatedly stated that it does not outright penalise AI-generated content. Instead, it evaluates content based on helpfulness, originality, and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

According to Google’s Search Central Blog:

“Using AI doesn’t automatically make content spam. What matters is the quality of the content—not how it was produced.”

That means AI-generated content is not inherently bad for SEO. But, low-quality, mass-produced AI content that lacks originality or provides generic information will struggle to rank.

AI Content vs. Human-Written Content

Recent studies show that AI-generated content can rank well—but only when it meets high editorial standards.

• Neil Patel’s research found that human-written content consistently outperformed AI content in terms of traffic and engagement. His study showed that AI-generated content drove traffic inconsistently, while human-written articles experienced steady growth.

• Google’s Helpful Content Update (HCU) aims to prioritise content that demonstrates experience and expertise—something AI struggles with.

• Zero-click searches are rising. With Google’s AI Overviews providing instant answers, many users no longer need to click through to a website. This means generic AI-written content is more likely to be ignored.

All of these mean that…

• Over-reliance on AI can hurt rankings. Mass-produced AI articles tend to be repetitive, lack originality, and fail to provide fresh insights, which can lead to lower engagement and trust.

• AI content can trigger Google’s spam filters if it lacks depth, is keyword-stuffed, or is used to churn out thin, low-quality pages at scale.

In short, AI can be an asset or a liability, depending on how you use it.

When AI Helps SEO

AI is a powerful tool for optimising and scaling content efforts—when used strategically.

• Keyword Research and Topic Ideation: AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can analyse vast datasets to identify trending keywords, search intent patterns, and content gaps—helping agencies plan more targeted content. This is how I mainly use AI in my writing.

• Content Structuring and Outlining: AI can generate content outlines based on top-ranking pages, helping agencies create highly optimised content faster.

• Personalisation and User Intent Matching: AI-powered SEO tools can analyse user behaviour and provide hyper-personalised content recommendations, improving dwell time and engagement.

• Multilingual SEO: AI translation tools allow businesses to expand their reach internationally, optimising content for multiple markets more efficiently than traditional methods.

When AI Hurts SEO

AI-generated content is problematic when it prioritises volume over value:

• Low-Quality, Thin Content: AI-written articles often lack the depth, nuance, and expertise needed to rank well in competitive industries. Google can detect shallow content, leading to lower rankings.

• No Unique Perspective: AI can only remix existing information—it cannot generate truly original ideas, firsthand experience, or human insights.

• Keyword-Stuffing and Over-Optimisation: AI can be prone to keyword stuffing if not properly edited, which hurts SEO rather than helping it.

• Duplicate Content Risks: Because AI pulls from existing sources, it can inadvertently create near-duplicate content, triggering Google’s duplicate content filters.

The Verdict: AI + Human = The Winning Formula

So, is AI-generated content helping or hurting SEO? The best answer is that AI should assist—not replace—human writers.

Google values originality, trust, and experience. If AI is used to enhance human-created content rather than mass-producing articles, it can be a powerful tool for improving SEO efforts.

The key takeaway for agencies like us? AI should be part of your SEO strategy—but not the whole strategy. Personally, I view it as a force multiplier, combining AI’s efficiency with our copywriters’ insights and creativity to create compelling content.

How Agencies Can Future-Proof Their SEO Strategies

Since AI is here to stay, here’s how agencies can future-proof their SEO strategies.

Adopt a “Human + AI” Content Model

AI is great for efficiency. Humans are great for originality. The agencies that win will be those that blend the two.

At Prodigy, here’s how we do it:

• AI for Research, Ideation, and Drafting: Use AI tools like Perplexity (my personal favourite), ChatGPT, or Claude to generate content ideas, outline structures, and organise data. AI can surface valuable insights way faster than manual research alone.

• Human Oversight for Strategy, Creativity, and Final Edits: AI can’t generate original thought leadership or personal expertise. Writers and strategists should refine AI-generated drafts, adding experience, voice, and nuance. Here, I love using ChatGPT’s dictation mode. I narrate my thoughts, point of view, and personal experiences, the AI cleans it up and integrates it into the draft, then I do the final edits.

• Editorial Standards Still Matter: Google rewards depth, accuracy, and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). AI alone can’t meet those standards. Every piece of content should undergo a human fact-check and refinement process before publication.

Prioritise First-Party Data and Audience Insights

Google’s AI Overviews are reducing organic clicks. More people get their answers without ever visiting your website.

Agencies must build direct relationships with their audience to reduce reliance on Google.

• Leverage First-Party Data: Build an email list. Nurture leads through newsletters. Capture data directly from your audience to reduce dependence on search engines.

• Understand Search Intent, Not Just Keywords: AI-driven algorithms prioritise user behaviour over static keyword matching. Agencies need to focus on creating intent-driven content that directly addresses audience needs.

• Optimise for Personalised Search: Google tailors results based on individual users’ behaviour, search history, and location. Content must be adaptable to different search contexts.

Shift from “Content at Scale” to “Content That Matters”

SEO has long been a volume game: more content, more traffic, more rankings.

But with Google prioritising usefulness over quantity, the era of mass-producing thin, AI-generated content is over.

Instead, agencies should focus on:

• Authority-Driven Content: Case studies, expert interviews, research-backed insights—anything that showcases deep expertise.

• Long-Form, Comprehensive Pieces: Google still rewards depth. Detailed guides, ultimate resource lists (a personal favourite), and in-depth industry analysis outperform surface-level content.

• Multi-Format Repurposing: A single well-researched article can be repackaged into videos, LinkedIn posts, email sequences, and podcast episodes—ensuring broader reach and engagement. This one is incredibly powerful.

Optimise for AI-Generated Search Experiences

Google’s AI-powered search (like AI Overviews) is fundamentally changing how people find and consume information. Agencies must adapt.

• Target Featured Snippets and AI Summaries: AI-generated search results pull data from trusted sources. Structure content using clear headings, bullet points, and concise answers to increase visibility (much like this article).

• Write for Conversational Search and Voice Queries: With the rise of AI-powered voice assistants, more searches are phrased as natural questions. Optimising for question-based keywords will improve rankings in AI-driven results.

• Diversify SEO Beyond Google: More people are searching on Reddit, TikTok, LinkedIn, and niche industry forums. Agencies should optimise content across multiple search ecosystems to avoid total reliance on Google.

Actionable Tip: Reformat website content for AI-driven search—use FAQ sections, structured data markup, and direct, concise answers to common queries.

Focus on Brand Authority and Thought Leadership

AI can generate words—but it can’t build a trusted brand.

For agencies, brand reputation will become the ultimate SEO strategy.

• Invest in Original Research and Proprietary Data: Conduct industry surveys, publish exclusive reports, and provide data-backed insights that AI-generated content can’t replicate.

• Leverage Personal Branding: Founders and agency leaders should be actively publishing content on LinkedIn, guest posting on industry sites, and speaking at events to establish domain expertise. I know this is incredibly hard for a busy agency principal (I’m there), but it’s the most impactful marketing activity we can do.

• Foster a Community, Not Just an Audience: SEO should be paired with engaged communities—on LinkedIn, Slack, or private email lists. A loyal audience reduces dependence on Google rankings.

Actionable Tip: Prioritise trust signals—high-quality backlinks, media mentions, client case studies, and user engagement signals—all of which Google values in ranking algorithms.

If you have been in the industry long enough, you have heard it before: SEO is dead. People said it when Google cracked down on keyword stuffing. They said it when social media took off. They said it when voice search became a thing. And now, with AI-generated content flooding the internet, they are saying it again.

But here is the truth: SEO is not dead. Lazy SEO is.

The agencies that win will be the ones that focus on depth over volume, originality over automation, and brand authority over quick wins. The ones that create content worth reading, sharing, and trusting.

Agencies that focus on real value will always win. AI or not.

B2B buyers, particularly in professional services, have long, complex decision-making processes—sales cycles can span multiple years. And, unlike B2C consumers, who tend to make purchase decisions based on more immediate needs, emotions, and convenience, B2B buyers are looking for depth, expertise, and value in their content consumption, expecting brands to educate them before they even consider a purchase.

So, a well-crafted content marketing strategy is invaluable for B2B success. It aligns with prospects’ expectations and builds trust by delivering valuable information throughout the buyer’s journey.

Understanding the Marketing Funnel in B2B Content Marketing

Now, let’s revisit the funnel for a bit and see how content marketing fits into the model.

The marketing funnel is a visual representation of the customer journey, from awareness to conversion, and each stage requires different types of content and engagement strategies to guide potential clients towards making a purchase.

In recent years, countless marketers have added, modified, and kept renaming stages (to make it their own and introduce uniqueness, I guess). But let’s keep it simple and stick with the fundamentals. The funnel typically has three main stages:

1. Awareness: Top of the Funnel (TOFU): Prospects first become aware of your business. The goal is to attract their attention through educational and informative content.

2. Consideration: Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): At this stage, prospects are evaluating their options. They know they have a need and are considering solutions, including your services.

3. Conversion: Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): Prospects are ready to purchase. They need content that reassures them that your solution is the best fit.

Core Elements of a Successful B2B Content Marketing Strategy

While digital marketing has evolved a lot over the years, the fundamentals (and we love fundamentals here at Prodigy) of how to market B2B services remain the same: creating value through content tailored to the needs and challenges of your target audience. Based on our years of experience, the following are the most impactful strategies you need to implement.

1. Blogging and SEO

Lumping these two together because, within the context of content marketing, they’re like fish and chips. Integrated with a strong SEO strategy, blogs are still THE cornerstone of B2B marketing. Blogging boosts organic traffic, improves brand authority, and provides a platform for addressing industry challenges. High-value content, such as how-tos, case studies, and industry insights, positions your firm as an expert, capturing the attention of decision-makers.

Key Practices for Blogging and SEO in 2024:

1. Focus on long-tail keywords that reflect specific client pain points.

Conduct thorough keyword research using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google's Keyword Planner to identify long-tail keywords with lower competition but high relevance to your target audience.

• Create a content calendar around these keywords, ensuring each piece addresses a specific pain point or question your B2B clients are likely to have.

• Implement keyword clustering to group related long-tail keywords and create comprehensive content that covers multiple related queries in a single, authoritative piece.

2. Write comprehensive, data-backed articles to earn high-quality backlinks.

• Aim for in-depth, "skyscraper" content that surpasses existing articles on the topic in depth, accuracy, and usefulness.

• Include original research, surveys, or data analysis in your content. This not only adds value but also increases the likelihood of earning backlinks from other industry publications.

• Use data visualisation tools to create unique infographics or charts that summarise key findings, making your content more shareable and link-worthy.

• Implement a strategic outreach program to promote your best content to relevant industry influencers and publications, increasing the chances of earning high-quality backlinks.

3. Optimise for mobile and voice search, as these channels continue to rise.

• Ensure your website is fully responsive and loads quickly on mobile devices. Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool to identify and fix any issues.

• Structure your content with clear headings (H1, H2, H3) and use schema markup to help search engines understand your content better, which is particularly important for voice search optimisation.

• Focus on natural language and question-based queries in your content, as these are more common in voice searches. Include an FAQ section in your articles to address common questions directly.

• Optimise for featured snippets by providing clear, concise answers to common questions at the beginning of your articles. This can improve your chances of appearing in voice search results.

Impact on Funnel Stages:

• Top of the Funnel (TOFU): Blogging is perfect for building awareness by answering common questions and solving industry-specific problems. High-ranking, SEO-optimised blog posts introduce your business to potential clients searching for information.

• Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): Once you’ve established your authority, your audience will keep coming back to your blog for expert advice and new insights. Paired with case studies scattered throughout your website, blogs can help nurture and warm up leads.

• Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): Once these leads are warm enough, well-crafted blog posts can push decision-makers closer to conversion by offering detailed solutions to their challenges.

2. Email Newsletters

81% of B2B marketers use email newsletters as their primary form of content distribution. This widespread adoption is no surprise, given that email marketing boasts an impressive ROI of 4,200%, generating approximately $40 for every dollar spent.

Newsletters are effective because 77% of B2B buyers prefer to be contacted via email over other channels, and 99% of email users check their inbox daily, providing a consistent touchpoint for your brand.

As you can see, email marketing continues to be a powerhouse for nurturing leads in the B2B space. A well-crafted newsletter strategy allows you to deliver personalised content directly to your prospects' inboxes, keeping your business top of mind and driving engagement.

Best Practices for Email Newsletters in 2024:

1. Implement authentication protocols. Adhere to authentication standards like DMARC to improve deliverability and maintain sender reputation.

• Google and Yahoo announced new email authentication requirements in October 2023, set to take effect in February 2024. These requirements primarily affect bulk senders—those who send more than 5,000 emails per day.

• The main components of these new requirements are: Implementing email authentication protocols: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC; keeping spam complaint rates below 0.3%; providing an easy one-click unsubscribe option; ensuring RFC 5322 compliance and proper PTR records.

• These changes aim to reduce spam, protect recipients from malicious messages, and improve email security.

2. Personalise emails based on the recipient’s position in the sales funnel. It's not just about using the recipient's name—it's about tailoring the entire email experience to their specific journey.

• Segment your audience: Create detailed segments based on multiple factors such as industry, job title, company size, and engagement level.

• Leverage behavioural data: Utilise data from website visits, previous email interactions, and purchase history to create highly targeted content.

• Implement AI-driven personalisation: Use AI tools to analyse vast amounts of data and predict which content will resonate best with each subscriber.

3. Include clear calls to action (CTAs) to drive engagement.

• Use action-oriented language: Incorporate strong verbs that clearly communicate the desired action, such as "Discover," "Explore," or "Secure your spot".

• Create a sense of urgency: Use phrases like "Limited time offer" or "Don't miss out" to encourage immediate action.

• Optimise for mobile: Ensure CTAs are easily clickable on mobile devices, with sufficient white space around them.

• Use contrasting colours: Make your CTA buttons stand out visually from the rest of the email content.

• Limit the number of CTAs: Stick to one primary CTA per email to avoid overwhelming subscribers and diluting your message.

4. Use A/B testing to optimise subject lines, content format, and timing.

• Test subject lines: Experiment with different lengths, personalisation techniques, and emotional appeals to improve open rates.

• Optimise send times: Use AI-powered tools to determine the best time to send emails for each subscriber.

• Test content formats: Compare the performance of different content types, such as long-form articles vs. short snippets with links.

• Experiment with interactive elements: Test the impact of including interactive features like polls, surveys, or animated GIFs on engagement rates.

• Analyse multiple metrics: Look beyond open rates and click-through rates to consider metrics like conversion rate and revenue generated.

Impact on Funnel Stages:

• Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): I believe newsletters are the most effective tool for nurturing B2B prospects. Once someone is aware of your business, newsletters provide regular updates, thought leadership articles, and insights that keep you top of mind.

• Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): For hot prospects, newsletters can provide the final push with offers, exclusive insights, or testimonials that build trust and urgency. According to Josh Nelson, author of The Seven Figure Agency Roadmap: How to Build a Million Dollar Digital Marketing Agency:

‘As you're giving this information and as you're positioning yourself as the expert, you need to tell them, "Look, if you need some help with this, if you want our team to implement these strategies for you, we'd love to jump on a one-on-one." If all you do is put out value-added content and expect them to connect the dots, sometimes they will, but most of the time they won't.’

3. Webinars and Events

Webinars and in-person events give you a platform to engage your ICPs in discussions, deep dives into complex topics, and real-time Q&A. This helps you build authority and foster trust with prospects.

Why Webinars Work:

1. They offer real-time interaction and personalised engagement.

2. They help showcase your firm’s expertise and unique solutions.

3. They help you grow and nurture your mailing list.

• Growing your list: You can repurpose the content across multiple channels. For example, a webinar on change management or website design can be shared on YouTube and LinkedIn. Post the recordings on your site, extract the audio for a podcast, and transcribe it for a blog. By syndicating your content, you’re ensuring that it reaches potential leads through different touchpoints, pulling them into your funnel consistently every month.

• Nurturing your list: You have multiple reasons to email your audience without overwhelming them. You can send: the initial invite to the event; a reminder right before it starts; a follow-up with the replay: “In case you missed it…” This keeps your database engaged with valuable content. If you’re consistently offering something of worth, you can email regularly without annoying your audience. The key is ensuring every touchpoint adds value, keeping your contacts warm and active.

Impact on Funnel Stages:

• Top of the Funnel (TOFU): You can attract an audience that’s looking to learn and engage with industry experts, making them an excellent awareness-building tool.

• Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): You deliver deeper value and knowledge to prospects, helping them consider your offerings more seriously. The interactive nature also builds a direct relationship with potential buyers.

• Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): You can seal the deal by addressing final concerns and showcasing case studies, real-time demos, and Q&As that clear up any doubts. You can even encourage them to book a discovery call at the end of your presentation.

4. Podcasting

Podcasts are a rapidly growing medium in the B2B sector. As busy executives look for digestible, on-the-go content, podcasts offer an opportunity to share insights, interviews with industry experts, and behind-the-scenes looks at successful case studies.

Tips for Successful Podcasting in 2024:

1. Keep your episodes concise, focusing on actionable insights.

• Optimal episode length: Aim for episodes between 20-40 minutes. This duration aligns well with average commute times and allows for depth without overwhelming listeners.

• Start strong: Capture attention in the first 60 seconds with a compelling hook or intriguing question.

• Use a clear structure: Implement a consistent format for each episode, such as a brief intro, main content, and actionable takeaways.

• Focus on 'snackable' content: Break down complex topics into digestible segments, making it easier for listeners to absorb and implement your insights.

• Incorporate timestamps: Add chapter markers or timestamps in your show notes, allowing listeners to jump to specific sections of interest.

2. Invite industry leaders or influential clients to participate in episodes.

• Strategic guest selection: Choose guests whose expertise aligns with your audience's interests and challenges.

• Prepare thoroughly: Research your guests extensively and craft questions that elicit unique insights.

• Promote collaboratively: Leverage your guest's network by creating shareable content for them to post on their platforms.

• Create evergreen content: Focus on timeless topics that will remain relevant long after the episode's release.

• Repurpose guest content: Turn key quotes or insights from guest episodes into social media posts, blog articles, or short video clips.

3. Leverage podcast episodes to drive engagement on other platforms, such as LinkedIn.

• Create multimedia content: Develop audiograms, short video clips, or infographics from each episode to share across platforms.

• Write LinkedIn articles: Expand on key points from your episodes in long-form LinkedIn posts, linking back to the full episode.

• Host live Q&A sessions: Use LinkedIn Live or Twitter Spaces to host follow-up discussions on popular episode topics.

• Engage in relevant LinkedIn groups: Share episode insights in industry-specific groups to spark discussions and attract new listeners.

Impact on Funnel Stages:

• Top of the Funnel (TOFU): Podcasts help raise awareness by offering industry insights, interviews, and discussions that prospects can consume on the go. It introduces your business and services in a non-intrusive way.

• Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): If your podcast is any good, listeners will keep coming back for insights, positioning your brand as an expert and trusted voice. With strategic CTAs, you can lead them to a landing page (see number 6) where you can capture their information and nurture them via newsletter (see number 2).

5. Video

The power of video in B2B marketing is undeniable, with 86% of businesses using video as a marketing tool in 2023, up from 61% in 2016. This trend shows no signs of slowing down.

Recent data underscores the effectiveness of video in B2B marketing:

• 95% of video marketers report that video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service.

• 87% of video marketers say video has increased traffic to their website.

• 80% of video marketers claim that video has directly helped increase sales.

Video Strategies for 2024:

1. Focus on explainer videos to demystify complex services.

• Keep them short, ideally between 60-90 seconds.

• Use animation to simplify complex concepts and maintain viewer engagement.

• Include a clear call-to-action (CTA) at the end of each explainer video.

• Optimise your explainer videos for search by including relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, and tags.

2. Use short-form video content on platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube for quick engagement. LinkedIn, in particular, has seen a 54% year-over-year increase in conversations around short-form video.

• Create 15- to 30-second video snippets highlighting key industry insights or product features.

• Use LinkedIn's native video feature for better organic reach.

• Experiment with different video formats like how-to's, thought leadership pieces, and behind-the-scenes content.

• Leverage LinkedIn Live for real-time engagement with your audience.

3. Embed videos in blogs and email newsletters (increases click-through rates by 65%) to drive traffic.

• Use video thumbnails in emails to entice clicks rather than embedding full videos, which may not be supported by all email clients.

• Place videos strategically in blog posts, ideally near the top, to capture immediate attention.

• Optimise video titles and descriptions for SEO when embedding in blogs.

Impact on Funnel Stages:

• Top of the Funnel (TOFU): Videos, especially short-form content like explainer videos, are great for catching attention and increasing visibility.

• Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): Longer-form video content, such as tutorials or case studies, helps educate prospects and showcase your business’s expertise.

• Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): Customer testimonials and product demos in video format help reassure prospects that your solution works, helping them finalise their decision.

6. Lead Magnets

Lead magnets—valuable pieces of content such as whitepapers, templates, and eBooks offered in exchange for contact information—are crucial for generating leads. They’re a win-win: valuable insights for the prospect and contact details for your business, allowing you to nurture these leads further.

Effective Lead Magnet Ideas for B2B Professional Services Firms:

1. Industry-specific eBooks that solve niche problems: Provide solutions to complex industry challenges and give actionable insights. Example: "The Ultimate Guide to Navigating GDPR Compliance for SaaS Companies"

2. Customisable templates or tools relevant to your services: Offer practical resources that prospects can immediately use in their work. Example: A project management template tailored for IT consultancy projects

3. Gated case studies highlighting successful client outcomes: Showcase your expertise through detailed, data-driven success stories. Example: "How We Increased Client X's ROI by 300% in 6 Months: A Detailed Analysis"

4. Exclusive webinars or video series: As mentioned above, you can host expert-led sessions on trending industry topics or advanced strategies to grow your database. Example: "5-Part Webinar Series: Mastering Digital Transformation in Financial Services"

5. Comprehensive industry reports or whitepapers: Provide in-depth analysis of industry trends, backed by original research. Example: "The State of Cybersecurity in Healthcare: 2024 Trends and Predictions"

6. Interactive assessment tools or calculators: Create tools that help prospects evaluate their current situation or potential ROI. Example: A "Digital Maturity Assessment" for companies considering digital transformation services

7. Exclusive access to a professional community or forum: Offer entry to a curated network of industry peers and experts. Example: "Join Our Exclusive Network of 500+ CFOs in Tech"

8. Free consultation or strategy session: Provide a no-obligation opportunity for prospects to experience your expertise firsthand. Example: "Book Your Free 30-Minute Marketing Audit"

9. Checklists or playbooks for complex processes: Simplify intricate procedures into step-by-step guides. Example: "The Ultimate M&A Due Diligence Checklist for Tech Companies"

10. Curated content collections or resource libraries: Compile your best content or industry resources into a comprehensive package. Example: "The Complete Risk Management Resource Library: 50+ Guides, Templates, and Tools"

11. Exclusive podcast episodes or interview series: Offer insider access to conversations with industry leaders or deep dives into niche topics. Example: "The Future of FinTech: Exclusive Interviews with 10 Industry Pioneers"

12. Predictive models or scenario planning tools: Provide tools that help prospects forecast outcomes or plan for various scenarios. Example: A "Market Entry Strategy Simulator" for management consultancy clients

13. Virtual workshops or bootcamps: Offer intensive, hands-on learning experiences on specific skills or strategies. Example: "3-Day Virtual Bootcamp: Mastering Agile Project Management for Consultants"

14. Benchmarking reports: Allow prospects to compare their performance against industry standards or competitors. Example: "2024 Professional Services Pricing Benchmark Report"

15. Early access to new research or beta features: Provide a sneak peek into upcoming innovations or findings. Example: "Get Exclusive Early Access to Our AI-Powered Risk Assessment Tool"

Impact on Funnel Stages:

• Top of the Funnel (TOFU): Lead magnets help capture email addresses and convert website visitors into leads.

• Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): These assets provide in-depth information that positions your business as a thought leader, guiding leads further through the funnel by offering valuable, actionable insights.

• Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU): Case studies, pricing guides, and solution-based whitepapers help prospects compare options and move closer to making a final purchase decision. Strategically place CTAs throughout your lead magnet to encourage booking meetings.

7. Social Media

With reach and engagement dropping every year, social media is no longer a reliable channel to generate leads. It is, however, a reliable channel to distribute all the content discussed above. LinkedIn, in particular, is invaluable for reaching decision-makers in professional services. Repurposing the content mentioned above and regularly sharing it on social media can build your brand’s credibility.

Best Practices for Social Media in 2024:

1. Post consistently, repurposing from other high-impact content activities.

2. Use LinkedIn to engage directly with prospects and influencers.

Impact on Funnel Stages:

• Top of the Funnel (TOFU): Social media still has its place in creating brand awareness. Posts that highlight educational content, industry trends, and company culture introduce your business to a wider audience.

• Middle of the Funnel (MOFU): Through regular updates, engagement, and thought leadership content, social media can help nurture relationships with potential clients.

If all of this sounds like a lot to juggle, that’s because it is. Creating and executing a robust content marketing strategy can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re managing a business.

Whether you need help building a plan from the ground up or simply executing strategies like webinars, podcasts, and SEO, our B2B content marketing services are available. Reach out today, and let’s build a plan that works for you.

Marketing ROI = (Sales Growth - Organic Sales Growth - Marketing Cost) / Marketing Cost

For B2B professional services firms, this is the most straightforward and practical marketing ROI formula I’ve found. It can account for long sales cycles, consider organic sales growth, and be applied to various marketing campaigns. Best of all, it’s easy to calculate and understand, which increases the likelihood of it being used consistently year after year.

Seasoned marketers understand the value of being fluent with marketing metrics—while amateurs tiptoe around or even get offended by questions of proving the return of marketing investment.

But it’s also easy to overdo it. The book Marketing Metrics: The Definitive Guide to Measuring Marketing Performance lists 110 major marketing metrics. That’s a data hoarder’s dream. And impractical.

I'd rather stick with the simple formula above.

How to use the formula

1. Establish a baseline. This, in my opinion, is the most important step in measuring marketing ROI. Without a proper baseline, managers (and clients) are free to make any conclusion that suits their mood. Experienced marketers know what I mean. To establish a baseline, gather historical monthly sales data from the past five years (if available—to identify and account for outliers) and calculate the average sales over a specific period, depending on your purpose. Take note and adjust for seasonal variations.

2. Compute for organic sales growth. Now that you have a baseline, you can easily calculate the average organic growth for any given period. Be sure to exclude sales attributed to specific marketing campaigns.

3. Calculate incremental revenue attributable to marketing. Now that you have your organic sales growth, deduct that number from the total sales growth, and you get the revenue generated by your marketing campaign.

4. Subtract marketing costs from the revenue generated by marketing.

5. Divide the result by the marketing cost. Voila! You have your marketing ROI ratio. To express that in percentage, simply multiply by 100.

For example, if a campaign resulted in $100,000 sales growth, with $20,000 estimated organic growth, and a cost of $30,000:

Marketing ROI = ($100,000 - $20,000 - $30,000) / $30,000 = 1.67 or 167%

This means your firm generated $1.67 in net profit for every dollar spent on marketing after accounting for both organic growth and marketing costs.

Things (and other metrics) to consider

I hate gathering data for data’s sake, but the tips below I've found incredibly useful.

1. Set clear objectives. Before launching any campaign, define what success looks like. Are you aiming for lead generation, brand awareness, or client retention? Each objective may require different metrics.

2. Other useful metrics. To get a fuller picture of your marketing health, the following KPIs are worth tracking for B2B professional services firms:

3. Use tracking tools. Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, Google Ads, Semrush, a robust CRM system, an email marketing platform, and a marketing automation tool. Those are all you need for most campaigns.

4. Pick an attribution model. And be consistent. You cannot change your mind on a whim. Otherwise, you won’t get apples-to-apples comparisons for multi-year periods. Common models include:

5. Sales cycle length. If your average sales cycle is twelve months and your campaign launched just three months ago, it's too soon to calculate the ROI. Instead, monitor other indicators like lead status or top-of-the-funnel conversion rates, but wait for the entire sales cycle to complete for the final ROI calculation. The B2B professional services industry has notoriously long sales cycles, which can impact short-term ROI measurements.

Some useful benchmarks

Here are some key marketing ROI benchmarks for B2B professional services firms:

Overall ROI Benchmark

• The general rule of thumb for a good marketing ROI is a 5:1 ratio (500% ROI).

• A 10:1 ratio (1000% ROI) is considered exceptional.

• Anything less than a 2:1 ratio (200% ROI) is typically considered unprofitable.

Channel-Specific ROI Benchmarks

• PPC (Pay-Per-Click): Average ROI of 36%

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Average ROI of 748%

• LinkedIn Advertising: Average ROI of 192%

• Webinars: Average ROI of 430%

• Email Marketing: Can achieve very high ROI, often exceeding 3000% (my all-time favorite marketing medium)

Other Relevant Metrics

• Total Number of Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs): Aim for +40% year-over-year growth

• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Organic: $942 on average; Paid: $1,907 on average

• Cost Per Lead (CPL): Organic: $327 on average; Paid: $458 on average

• LTV to CAC Ratio: Aim for 4:1

• Lead to MQL Conversion Rate: 31% on average

• Website Visitors: Aim for +45% year-over-year growth

Budget Allocation

• B2B companies typically spend 2% to 5% of their revenue on marketing, which is about half of what B2C companies spend (5% to 10%).

• Some sources suggest B2B companies should allocate 6% to 12% of their revenue to marketing, depending on their growth stage and competitive landscape.

In my experience and research, no single metric is perfect. Marketing is not an exact science.

As I often say, marketing is half art, half science. While metrics like impressions, cost-per-result, and clickthrough rates are precise and easy enough to gather, other metrics, such as buying power, brand equity, and allocation of overhead costs among products, are more art than science.

But, having a dashboard of the practical metrics mentioned above can go a long way to triangulate strategies and solutions to most marketing problems. It should be a staple of responsible marketing.

“Blogging is dead.”

I’ve been hearing this sentiment for years.

It was dead back in 2013 when we started our digital agency, and it’s been dying every year since.

But here you are reading this article.

Yes, podcasting has been the go-to medium for many influencers to reach their audience these past few years. Even better is a video podcast. That way, you can distribute it on YouTube as well. Cut that video into bite-sized clips, slap some subs, and you can 10x your reach by posting them on Reels, TikTok, Shorts, and even LinkedIn.

We now have AI tools that give us instant answers. What used to take hours of research, such as going through Google search results and reading multiple blog articles, now takes seconds if you run your queries through Perplexity AI.

So, what’s blogging’s place in all this? With people’s attention span shrinking, do people even bother reading blogs? Is it still a viable option for businesses to reach their audience online and drive sales?

The short answer is a resounding ‘yes!’

Now I have to prove why.

The stats

Let’s get straight to the (data) points:

• Over 2.5 billion blog posts are published each year worldwide.

• 77% of Internet users read blogs.

• 80% of bloggers report that blogging drives strong marketing results.

• 71% of B2B buyers consume blog content during their buyer journey.

• Companies that prioritize blogging see 13x higher ROI than non-blogging companies.

• The most popular blog niches are food, lifestyle, and travel.

• The global content marketing industry is expected to reach a $2 trillion market size by 2032.

• Between 2024 and 2031, the SEO industry is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 25.54%.

Should we end it here?

Not quite.

Because now I’m curious why—despite the growing popularity of video, podcasting, social media, and generative AI—blogging still endures (and grows) as a major contributor to effective digital marketing for all kinds of businesses.

The staying power of a blog in digital marketing

You’ll often hear people say that nobody really reads these days. That people no longer have that kind of attention span. It’s all about quick hits—a 30-second video, a short audio clip, a snappy tweet (yes, I still call them tweets). Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for all that, and I like to consume some of that content.

But, as the stats above indicate, blogging is going strong. Growing, even.

Why?

It’s good for SEO

A blog is the most effective way to improve your website’s search rankings and drive organic traffic. Of course, you have to make sure that your content is keyword-optimized and really answers your target audience’s most pressing questions.

It’s suitable for establishing authority and subject-matter expertise

Do you want to prove to your target market that you know what you’re doing and are a reliable expert? There’s no better way to do that than putting your thinking and unique point of view into words. The most successful experts write. There’s just no way around it.

It’s best for educating your audience

Despite the popularity of other content types, there’s no better way to explore and communicate complex ideas than a well-written article. The written word is irreplaceable for that kind of communication. It’s skimmable, searchable, highlightable, and can quickly be reorganized and summarized in your own words (in your head or through rewriting).

It’s cost-effective

A decent computer, a good writer (most likely yourself), a simple website, and an internet connection. That’s it. No fancy equipment needed.

It can easily be repurposed

From a single blog post, it’s possible to produce numerous social media posts (text, image, or video), perhaps one or two newsletters, and maybe even a podcast episode. Long-form written content can live many lives outside the blog page. It should be at the core of your content marketing plan.

It’s evergreen

One thing that discourages me (this is personal; I don’t speak for my team) from being active on social media is the short shelf-life of posts. It doesn’t matter how viral one social media gets or how clever and creative the execution is—you have to keep doing the same thing every day. No wonder online creators are burning out right and left before they even earn a decent living. You have to "always be creating." It’s hard to sustain that kind of lifestyle. Well-written blog posts, on the other hand, provide long-term value, driving traffic and leads for years to come.

As you can tell, I’m a big fan of blogs (and text in general). I love to read, and based on the data above, it looks like many people do, too. Text will always be around. It’s been with us since the ancient Sumerians invented a writing system more than 5,000 years ago (perhaps even earlier) and will still be with us no matter what trendy app, medium, or technology comes along.

This old post by graydon2 sums it up perfectly for me. Here are some choice quotes:

“…text is the most powerful, useful, effective communication technology ever, period.”

Now, let’s talk about the latest technology disrupting the creation of written content.

How does AI affect blogging?

It’s no secret that AI has disrupted content creation and consumption for the past year. We’re still grappling with its implications and its role in our work, especially for knowledge workers. So far, here are the major effects of AI on the relevance of blogging and SEO that I’m seeing:

Keyword research has become more efficient

It used to take me an entire workday to conduct comprehensive keyword research using tools like Semrush, Google Search Console, and Google’s search engine results page. Now, AI tools can process and analyze large datasets to identify high-value keywords, search trends, and content gaps that my team can target for client blogs. We still use the tools above for cross-checking, but the entire keyword research process has been cut down to just an hour or so.

Research in no time

In the past, I had to read numerous articles and sift through pages of search results to find the right information and data on a specific topic. The reading alone could take an entire day, sometimes more. These days, with the right question or series of prompts, Perplexity Pro can find precisely what I’m looking for in just a few seconds. For me, research is the one area where AI is making a massive impact on how we produce content.

Faster content creation and optimization (with one caveat)

Yes, AI can help automate and streamline content creation, making producing high volumes of content optimized for target keywords and topics faster and more efficient. AI writing assistants can generate drafts, outlines, and even entire articles based on prompts. And yes, AI tools can analyze existing content and provide recommendations for improving SEO factors like keyword density, readability, and structure. But how does all this automation affect the quality and creativity of the written content? Quantity is only half the battle. Let’s talk about that next.

AI needs human intervention

If it takes only a few minutes to write an article using AI, that only means that, inevitably, businesses will crank out more and more content in the hopes of ranking higher in search results and driving more traffic to their sites. However, based on initial data, businesses relying solely on AI-generated content without human oversight and editing are struggling to rank well, as search engines emphasize expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) factors. Undoubtedly, AI cannot—and in my opinion, will not—replace human creativity, insight, and expertise. A recent study by Neil Patel came up with the same conclusion (see the chart below).

“Traffic for the AI-generated content fluctuated from month-to-month while the human content had steady increases over the 5-month period. In fact, by month 5, the human-generated content had 5.44X more traffic than the AI-generated content on a monthly basis.”

So, my answer to the primary question of this article is that small business owners (talking now to our target audience) relying heavily on online marketing should still maintain a well-written and optimized blog. You should use AI to accelerate research and create first drafts, but it doesn’t mean you should skimp on a good human writer. They are more valuable than ever. Why? Because AI made mediocre content accessible to all.

If you need help developing a content strategy, our team of expert writers and strategists are more than willing to assist.

Schedule a discovery call now.

If you own a small business, you may have some doubts or questions related to content marketing. You might be curious to know if content marketing is crucial for your business and how it can benefit you. You may also want to know about the most effective types of content marketing and whether you should outsource it or manage it in-house. Rest assured, we will provide you with answers to all these questions in this article.

Understanding the Power of Content Marketing

Why is content marketing so effective? It's largely because it aims to build trust and establish relationships. Today's digital world is full of distractions, and people have less patience for heavy sales tactics. Instead, they seek genuine, valuable content that speaks to their needs and interests.

Content marketing caters to these preferences. By regularly offering top-notch content that educates, entertains, and motivates, businesses can earn credibility and trust from their target audience. The charm of this strategy? It's subtle. Rather than aggressively promoting your goods or services, you're constructing a valuable platform that naturally draws consumers in. Over time, this approach could significantly boost your conversions and sales.

Content marketing opens up many avenues for communication with your audience, whether sharing sector insights in a blog, posting an educational infographic on social media, or demonstrating thought leadership through a whitepaper. The goal is beyond transactional—it's relational. Content marketing accompanies customers through every stage of their purchasing journey, positioning your brand not just as a provider but as a dependable partner.

So, what's the purpose of content marketing? It switches harsh sales tactics into pleasant conversations and disruptive promotions into useful discussions. In a fast-changing digital world, content marketing isn't just about making more sales; it's about being more meaningful to your customers. This is the true power and goal of content marketing.

But, with all the new technologies and platforms coming out, is content marketing still relevant in 2024? Absolutely, if not more so. Its function as a powerful engagement tool, a platform for brands to build trust and establish authority, and an avenue to subtly influence consumers’ decisions without the aggressive sales pitch solidifies its place in the marketing mix.

Popular Content Marketing Strategies You Should Know

Despite the vast array of options in content marketing, blogging, video content, and social media marketing are still the top three strategies that yield the most results, thanks to their ability to inform, engage, and captivate audiences.

Blogging remains a backbone for many successful content marketing strategies. Statistically, companies that blog receive 97% more links to their websites than those that do not, making it a critical tactic for increasing visibility and nurturing customer relationships. A regularly updated blog offers a fertile platform for SEO optimization and conversion tactics, neatly laced with your company's unique narrative. Moreover, they can serve as springboards for other forms of content, providing the spark for podcasts, social media posts, and newsletters.

Video is another powerful type of content. Reports show that video is the second most popular medium used by content marketers, with 84% of businesses using it as a key part of their strategy. With video, storytelling acquires a new dimension—an immersive visual experience that grips the audience in your narrative. From product demos to webinars, video content can fortify marketing efforts in a captivating way that nudges customers further along the sales funnel.

And then, there's social media—a behemoth of engagement where businesses and customers interact in real time. An astounding 90.4% of Millennials, 77.5% of Generation X, and 48.2% of Baby Boomers are active social media users. Leverage these platforms to construct a two-way conversation through engaging posts, insightful infographics, and personable stories. It's the modern-day word of mouth, where a thriving digital presence kicks open opportunities for businesses to boost brand awareness and customer loyalty.

By selecting the right mix of these strategies based on audience behavior, business owners and in-house marketing teams can create engrossing narratives that promote their brand and foster the critical bond between customer and company.

The Need for a Content Marketing Company for Small Businesses

Crafting an effective content marketing strategy can seem like a puzzle, particularly for small business owners who may be new to the game. The complexity of determining what type of content will engage your audience, identifying the platforms on which to share it, and ensuring a consistent message across all channels can be overwhelming. This is where a content marketing company can help.

Agency professionals live and breathe this industry and are versed in current trends, platform algorithms, and how to generate a compelling story that resonates with your audience. They understand how to craft content that captivates and leads to conversion—a crucial aspect for small businesses trying to carve their niche and increase their bottom line.

Furthermore, agencies possess a comprehensive understanding of what metrics to examine to gauge the effectiveness of their content marketing efforts. They usually bring writing, designing, video editing, and data analysis under one roof, which ensures coherence in your brand message and optimal efficacy in your strategy.

However, an argument can be made that the true value of a content marketing company for small businesses is the time it saves. Creating high-quality content and managing it across different channels can take a significant amount of time that you, as a small business owner, could put into growing your business in other ways. By entrusting the content marketing strategy to an agency, you free up countless hours that can be used to focus on what you do best: running the operations of your business.

While it is possible to manage content marketing internally, small businesses benefit immensely from partnering with a skilled content marketing company. But of course, not all agencies are created equally, which leads to a critical question: How do you choose the right content marketing company for your business?

Choosing the Right Content Marketing Company: What to Look For

Starting your search for a content marketing agency might seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Begin by identifying your business' needs and learning what questions to ask. Here are some tips to help you begin.

Understanding Your Business Needs

Before setting out in search of an agency, it's critical to precisely identify your content marketing needs. Are you looking for blog posts to increase organic reach? Perhaps you need persuasive product descriptions or well-researched white papers to establish your authority in your industry. The more precise your objectives, the easier it is to find an agency perfectly attuned to your requirements.

Reviewing Past Performance

An agency's past performance often shines a light on its potential to deliver. Investigate their previous work, consider their client testimonials, and ask if they could offer relevant case studies. A rock-solid agency can prove its mettle with concrete evidence.

Specialization Matters

Just as a heart surgeon wouldn't perform brain surgery, similarly, a content agency specializing in fashion shouldn't be handling your fintech portfolio. Choose an agency knowledgeable about your industry—one that can effortlessly speak your language and engage effectively with your audience.

Assessing the Price-Quality Ratio

Understand that high-quality service might require a more substantial investment. However, this does not imply that the most expensive agency is the best. The key here is to find a balance—quality content that aligns with your budget and goals. Additionally, consider a thorough examination of the contract before finalizing the relationship. Understanding what you'd be getting into is crucial—clarity regarding rights and duties is essential to avoid potential setbacks.

Establishing Clear Communication Channels

Communication is a vital thread that holds the content creation process together. By maintaining clear communication channels, agencies can effectively relay your brand message, align strategies to your business goals, and adapt to any changes that may arise. In this vein, it becomes crucial to evaluate communication. How quickly does the agency respond to your queries? Do they provide regular updates on your project? How flexible are they in adapting their working style to match yours?

Gauging Cultural Fit

Lastly, gauge the agency's cultural compatibility with your small business. It is not merely about creating excellent content but also about building a long-term relationship where each party feels validated, understood, and heard. Culturally compatible agencies can better cater to your target audience as they already echo your business's views, ethos, and principles.

Content marketing is more than an online activity—it's a significant part of your brand growth. Content marketing allows your business to create lasting impressions, generate leads, engage customers, increase brand awareness, and ultimately boost sales.

Expertise, strategy, creativity, and insight are needed to effectively use content marketing. This is where a content marketing agency comes in. They help you understand your target audience, create a strong content strategy to cater to their needs and ensure it is executed properly.

So, if you're a US small business in need of cost-effective yet high-quality content marketing services, we might be able to help. If you're ready to explore your options, schedule a call today, and let's determine if we're a good fit.

You've likely heard the phrase "Content is King" ad nauseam. But is content the only factor driving success in digital marketing? Not quite. It's the right type of content aimed at the right audience that works magic. In other words, it's about doing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) the right way, starting with the most fundamental aspect: SEO keyword research.

As a business owner or a small marketing team member, perhaps you wonder, "What's the big deal about this?" Isn't it just about stuffing your content with keywords, and voila, you rank higher? Well, this is a misconception, one that this article aims to rectify. We'll give you the fundamentals of SEO keyword research—explaining why it matters, how to do it, what tools to use, the necessary metrics to keep track of, and how to effectively write for the right keywords.

You'll walk away from this read with newfound knowledge and, perhaps, an abundance of high-ranking keywords for your business.

Understanding the Importance of SEO Keyword Research

The idea is simple. By understanding and utilizing the words and phrases that are highly relevant to your product or service and aligning them with what prospective customers are searching for, you're essentially facilitating a meeting point. This results in increased visibility, more footfall on your website, and, ultimately, leads to conversions. This conceptually straightforward yet technologically advanced process is the vital role that SEO keyword research plays in digital marketing.

Let's explore this in some depth. Imagine you own a small coffee shop in Brooklyn, and you want more customers walking through the door. Well, if your dream customers are out there, searching for "best coffee shop in Brooklyn" or "cozy coffee shop near me," wouldn't you want to make sure those exact phrases are populating your website? This is essentially what keyword research aims to achieve. It's the process of discovering and using the words and phrases your audience uses when they're seeking the exact goods or services that you provide. By using these insights to craft your site’s content, you make it easier for search engines to match your site with these potential customers.

This way, SEO keyword research is about more than just achieving higher rankings and getting more clicks. It's about understanding your audience and what they are looking for. It's about creating content that answers their questions, solves their problems, and ultimately positions your business as the logical choice.

Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting SEO Keyword Research

1. Think like your customer

Like any marketing strategy, this requires a deep understanding of your audience, a keen eye on your competitors, and a sharp focus on your business goals. This means identifying the exact search terms or phrases they're likely to use when seeking your products or services. So, what are they typing into the search engine bar? Sit for a moment and put yourself into your customer's shoes. Alternatively, you can use online surveys or customer interviews to gather this valuable information.

2. Use an SEO keyword research tool

Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, or Ahrefs can be handy here. Why guess when you can have data-driven insights, right? These tools will provide you with not only an array of suitable keyword suggestions but also, crucially, insights into the competition and search volume. Highly competitive keywords may be hard to rank for, so you might want to seek those with high search volume and low competition.

At this point, you may be wondering why these statistics matter. If you have piles of keywords, why should you worry about metrics? Well, it's because metrics provide you with a clearer understanding of what you're up against. They allow you to determine whether or not a keyword will genuinely benefit your website's SEO. For instance, keyword difficulty is an estimate of how challenging it will be for you to rank higher than current websites on the first page of search engine results.

Another important metric is volume. This reflects the average number of monthly searches for a keyword. It's crucial for keyword research as it helps you gauge potential traffic and competition.

Targeting keywords with the right balance of volume and difficulty leads to more relevant visitors and improves your overall SEO strategy.

3. Evaluate relevance and intent

Not every keyword related to your business will be relevant or bring in the right kind of traffic. You need to understand the user intent behind each keyword. Are users looking to purchase, seeking information, or making comparisons?

Simply put, search intent, or user intent, is the goal a user has in mind when typing a query into a search engine. Search intent includes 'informational' searches (where users seek answers or knowledge), 'navigational' searches (where users are looking for a specific website), 'transactional' searches (where users intend to make a purchase), and 'commercial' searches (where users are looking for a product but haven't decided where to buy it). Recognizing these different intent types can help you understand where your user is in their buying journey, and this understanding can be utilized to inform your overall SEO strategy.

Keywords are invaluable in bringing the right kind of audience to your website. This is where a comprehensive SEO keyword research service can bring value to your business. They do the heavy lifting when it comes to understanding user intent and ensuring keyword relevance.

4. Assess and adjust

SEO keyword research is not a one-off task. It's an ongoing process, as keywords can change over time based on trends and market changes. So, ensure you perform regular keyword audits, evaluate your performance, and adjust your strategy as necessary.

Fine-Tuning Your SEO: The Role of Long-Tail Keywords

Seems unusual, doesn't it? The notion of extending your focus beyond those few, high-competition keywords that seem so enticingly lucrative. Yet, in the grand scheme of SEO optimization, the immense value of long-tail keywords simply cannot be overlooked. But what exactly are these, and why are they so essential in the execution of a successful SEO strategy?

Long-tail keywords are those search phrases that are highly specific and often longer than regular search phrases. They may not have high search volume, but they possess significant potential to drive highly-targeted traffic to your site. They are called 'long-tail' as they reside in the 'long-tail' section of the search demand graph, which represents less competitive—yet highly valuable—search terms.

Here's an example to lay the idea out more clearly. A regular keyword might be something direct like 'SEO services', whereas a long-tail keyword might be more detailed, such as 'best SEO keyword research service for small businesses'.

But, why venture into long-tail keyword research? Besides them being less competitive, long-tail keywords are typically easier to rank for, they can potentially boost conversion rates, and they provide valuable insights into the specifics of what your target audience is searching for.

Selecting engaging long-tail keywords is all about understanding your audience's intent and aligning your content with your customer’s needs. So, don't ignore them. Instead, make these specific, less competitive keywords a focal point of your keyword research strategy.

Remember, the goal isn't simply about amassing site traffic. It's to attract the right kind of traffic—and long-tail keyword research can help you do exactly that. It’s time to peep into the long tail, and you may just find a treasure trove waiting for you. But how do you identify the right long-tail keywords?

You can tap into the power of various SEO research tools to help you find the right long-tail keywords. Some worthy mentions include Google’s ‘Searches related to’ feature at the bottom of search results, SEMRush, Ahrefs, and the 'People also ask' box. Besides these, you can also check competitors' sites for any long-tail keywords they might be targeting and seek inspiration from the same.

I hope this guide gave you the confidence to do your own SEO keyword research. But should you need a helping hand, our expert SEO strategists would be delighted to assist. At Prodigy, we understand the nuances and complexities involved in SEO keyword research and offer a tailored SEO Keyword Research Service that will optimally position your brand online.

If this critical part of digital marketing becomes too daunting for you and your team, drop us a line.

12th of July, 2013. My co-founder, Ramsel Lupera, and I registered our digital marketing agency. We had no idea what we were getting into since neither of us had prior experience in the agency business. We just thought it was a fun idea to try. We did, and I took on the Creative Director role.

Looking back, I clearly remember my dread—and growing excitement—when I realized that I had to learn everything from scratch. As David C. Baker often says, "It's like diving into an empty pool and inventing water on the way down." Fortunately, we invented enough water to avoid splattering our brains all over the floor.

This post is about the ten most important lessons I've learned in the past ten years. Here goes:

1. Fulfillment comes from client impact.

Yes, marketing work is fun. It's why I got into this business in the first place. I love how it blends art with science and creativity with strategy. It's a fairyland for the curious.

But, despite all of that interestingness, the only time I get a jolt of unadulterated satisfaction is when we produce results for clients. For me, it’s the only sustainable source of fulfillment in this business.

2. Culture is simple: find the right people and let the wrong people go.

I used to overcomplicate workplace culture. I subscribed to trendy tactics peddled by so-called “leadership” gurus. I focused on the wrong things, such as creating an aura of “fun” around our brand. An experienced leader will instantly recognize the futility of that method.

It took me years of trial and error to realize how simple it was. Free pizza and beer, weekly parlor games, out-of-the-country trips, and hundreds of hours of one-on-one "therapy" sessions will not create a strong culture. Those are just window-dressing.

A healthy work culture is based on values.

So first, I had to become a better leader and establish my core values. Then, hire people aligned with those values and let misaligned people go. It was as simple as that.

Of course, it took a couple of years to complete the process and have the right mix of people, but, for the most part, our culture now runs itself on a straightforward principle: shared values.

3. Trust your team leaders.

Growth means learning the art of delegation, which was a long and challenging process for someone who started as a micromanager. Eventually, as mentioned above, enlisting competent and trustworthy people helped me to hand off critical hats to key team members. This allowed me to focus on the things I love to do and roles only I can fulfill: vision-setting, selling, creative direction, and thought leadership.

4. Say yes to everything, then learn to say no.

When we were starting, we had to say yes to every opportunity that came our way. And yes, sometimes even free work. We just had to learn how to use them strategically and get something in exchange: experience, portfolio-worthy work, goodwill, leads, or straight referrals.

As we gained more experience and expertise, we had to start qualifying prospects. Otherwise, we’ll be forever stuck in mediocrity-land, doing everything for everyone, constantly disrespected and low-balled.

So, we had to learn which types of clients fit our values, working style, and positioning well.

5. Positioning is crucial to success.

Speaking of positioning, I've found that it is one of the most fundamental business strategies for a firm like ours. Having a specialization, a niche—in our case, brand strategy and creative execution for online coaches and course creators—allows us to go deep into our ideal clients' problems, create repeatable solutions, and make a more significant impact, which qualifies us to charge a premium for our hard-earned expertise.

6. Once a narrow positioning has been established, be picky.

To save time and avoid unnecessary stress, I learned to watch out for major red flags during the selling process. To help me spot them early on, I've compiled this list of questions:

• Are they asking for a quote at first contact without allowing me to do a discovery call?

• Are they imposing their own buying process?

• Are they respectful and professional at the inquiry stage?

• Do they show up on time?

• Do they turn on their video during Zoom calls?

• Are they asking me to "audition" for the role?

• Have they proven product-market fit?

• Have they done this before? If so, what were the results? How was their relationship with their former agency?

• Are they in this for the long haul? Or are they looking for quick results?

• Am I talking to the decision-maker?

• Do they have realistic expectations?

• Are they asking for free work—to pitch ideas and strategies to solve their problems?

• Are they asking for discounts upfront?

• Are they asking for detailed case studies?

If enough red flags come up, I decline an opportunity or refer them to another agency.

7. Be careful of survivor bias.

All advice is good advice when you’re a rookie, and I inevitably fell for the same trap. I took every post, video, podcast, or book from “experts” I consumed as gospel. I didn’t have a filter, and I kept changing directions, to the dismay of my team.

I was new to the game and hadn’t developed the critical thinking skills to differentiate fluff from substance, woo-woo from the sensible, irrelevant from relevant, and survivor bias from verifiable business insight.

But I kept at it. Eventually, through non-stop learning, my B.S. radar got good enough that I was able to recognize which advice was worth listening to.

8. Don’t borrow money to fund growth.

This advice from Baker hit me hard: “Live in the present and don't borrow from the future.” He was talking about money. Taking out a loan only defers the tough decisions we need to make today and extends the recovery period. Essentially, when we borrow money, we’re digging a bigger hole that’s harder to get out of.

Because of this, I was forced to learn the basics of business finance, which was challenging for me. I got into this business because I love creative work, not to pore over spreadsheets.

But, to stay in business, I had no choice but to learn my way around financial statements—a basic requirement for running a successful business. I didn't have to be an accounting whiz. I only needed to learn enough to make sure that we became profitable. Baker’s book, Financial Management of a Marketing Firm, was extremely helpful.

9. Do not hire for potential growth. Hire when it becomes painful.

It took me most of my ten years to finally learn this lesson. Now, I understand why a service business needs to prevent payroll from getting out of control. It's about 80% of our overhead cost.

Another downside of having too many team members is that they don't get many opportunities to be resourceful—to be inventive and effective with their time and energy. They’re not forced to learn how to do things fast to get the same, or better, results. They never get stretched, exercise their ability to handle pressure, and develop strong character.

This doesn’t mean that we allow sustained overworking. It means we're better at finding the right balance between adversity and mollycoddling.

10. Never neglect marketing.

Sales is the lifeblood of a business. It doesn’t matter how well we serve our existing clients; if we don’t have a reliable sales pipeline, we'll never thrive. We'll be stuck in survival mode.

And we cannot rely solely on referrals. So, regularly publishing valuable content to establish our expertise, nurturing leads through our newsletter, and being intentional with our offers are activities we can never neglect.

The old saying that the cobbler’s son has no shoes stops being funny when multiple clients cancel their contracts at the same time.

"Who's our target customer?" asks our Account Manager.

"Everyone, of course!" says the client.

"We need to talk."

No one likes to be told that their baby is ugly.

And no entrepreneur likes to hear that their creation is flawed. So, we try to create something that everybody will love.

It kills us to say no to opportunity—to disappoint most people to create the most value for one group of people. It's so hard for us to focus all our resources on one thing: one target market, one unique (is it unique if there's more than one?) selling proposition, one strategy.

As Steve Jobs puts it:

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.

But why, despite all the motivational quotes from big-name people, do most business owners still fall into the trap of trying to target everyone?

Why entrepreneurs try to please everyone

Human nature

Entrepreneurs are human (who knew) and humans tend to try to please everyone. It's in our nature to crave approval and validation—to fit in. Some even say it's a survival mechanism. Well, maybe in high school. Most adults know that when you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.

Passion for our offering

Back to our ugly baby metaphor.

We assume that everyone in the world cares about our offering the same way we do. We are so passionate about our product or service that we spend countless hours trying to perfect it. Surely everyone will love it, right? Here's the harsh reality: they don't. People have different needs, wants, and tastes. Part of what makes the world exciting.

Yet, we bristle whenever a prospect (who's not a part of our target market) criticizes our brand, tells us how to run our business, or, my favorite, gets offended by our pricing.

It's good practice to listen to feedback, yes, but if we don't have a well-defined target market, we're bound to take every comment seriously and get pulled into hundreds of different directions.

Thinking it's the path to success

By targeting everyone, we expect to open the floodgates of opportunity. We picture lines forming outside our store and our phones ringing non-stop.

If we narrow our audience, foot traffic will dwindle, and we'll lose the chance to talk people into buying from us. Customers are hard enough to come by as it is. Right?

In truth, being vague about our target market will lose us the opportunity to attract the right kind of people. Those who will love us for who we are.

Reluctance to put on the work

Sometimes, it's plain laziness. It's work not done.

To properly define a target audience, we need to spend hundreds of hours on research, interviews with customers, strategy sessions, trial and error, and constant refinement. Yes, it's a lot of work.

Not only that, the marketplace never stagnates. The moment we think we know who our target market is, something shifts. Our customers' wants, needs, and demands change, a new technology comes out, the economy turns, a global pandemic hits, and so on. It's a never-ending process of trying to hit a moving target.

That's why a business owner who gets complacent and stops learning and innovating will not stay in business for long.

We let trends do the work

Too often, we start businesses only because it's the hot thing at the moment. How many milk tea stores, bike shops, and beauty brands opened in the past couple of years? We assume that if we just catch the wave, we'll be able to scoop up so much profit that it's impossible to lose. Everyone will buy from us.

Well, guess what? Thousands of other competitors are thinking the same thing. The problem with a gold rush is most people lose money.

In their book Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works, A.G. Lafley (former CEO of Procter & Gamble) and Roger Martin (dean of the Rotman School of Management) talk about one of the six strategy traps:

The something-for-everyone strategy: attempting to capture all consumer or channel or geographic or category segments at once. Remember, to create real value, you have to choose to serve some constituents really well and not worry about the others.

Yet, most of us fail to realize that even trending businesses need to define which part of that current hot market it serves best. Otherwise, what we have is a me-too business.

Why targeting 'everyone' is bad for business

Now that we know some of the reasons why we gravitate towards people-pleasing activities, let's talk about why it's a bad idea:

It dilutes our brand

Our offering becomes undifferentiated and thus substitutable with many of our competitors'. When that happens, our brand starts to dissolve (at its core, having a brand means having a unique identity). Customers will view us as a commodity and force us to compete on price. It's a race to the bottom. The problem with a race to the bottom is you might win, or worse, come in second.

It's wasteful

When we spray and pray, we waste money trying to convince people to buy something not designed for them. If we want to be wise with our marketing budget, we must spend it on a narrow audience with the highest returns, despite having a higher cost per result.

It makes our message vanilla

If we try to please everyone, we don't stand for anything. Our advertising falls on deaf ears. To get attention, our messaging needs to be relatable. To be relatable, we need to know who we're talking to—their needs and desires, their fears and frustrations, their hopes and dreams. When they see our ads, we want their ears to prick up, their hearts to beat faster, and say, "Wow! I've been thinking that for years. I feel like they know me."

It fails to take advantage of online targeting tools

Love them or hate them, targeted digital ads are here to stay. There was a time when all we had looked something like this: "Women with disposable income aged 18 to 34." That's the key demographic for reality television. It's about as narrow as we can get for that medium.

These days, we can choose our target audience based on location, age, interests, job title, hobbies, search history, and many more. We can create individual ad creatives for multiple narrow targets, launch AB-tests, study the data, and keep tweaking the messaging and targeting to find the most effective combinations. These tools are available to business owners willing to put in the work or invest in a team of marketing experts.

Courage and confidence

In his podcast, Akimbo, Seth Godin riffs about choosing the smallest viable market:

Begin by picking an industry where you are welcome. The second half of this is getting out of the mindset that you need to please the maximum number of people, that you need the biggest possible market. The goal is to choose the smallest viable market, not the biggest one.

According to Shane Parish of Farnam Street,

The most powerful skill you’ve never been taught is focus. We all have the same number of hours in a week. The difference is how we use them. Saying no to mediocre opportunities is easy. Saying no to good opportunities is hard. The difference between average results and exceptional ones is what you avoid. You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

Choosing and sticking to one target market takes courage and confidence. It takes a lot of guts to create and embrace a positioning statement, make a stand, and announce it to the world. To say, "This is who we are, this is how we do things, and these are the people we create value for. If you're not one of them, it's okay."

You're in a room with your marketing team.

You're trying to brainstorm ideas on how to reverse your company's consistently declining revenue for the past three quarters.

"Let's create another promo! This time a 50% off with a free coaster thrown in. Boost it for 1K per day for the next thirty days.", says the ads expert.

The video guy comes back with, "Another discount? We're just recycling old ideas. How about an ASMR video? Give me a week to shoot and edit and I'll give you five 15-second clips. We'll get a lot of views!"

"Are those still trendy? What we need is a witty one-liner. A really good slogan that encapsulates everything we stand for. Something that inspires trust but with a touch of humor.", retorts your wide-eyed copywriter.

Does this scene look familiar? Multiple disparate and directionless tactics coming from different disciplines that lead nowhere?

It’s more common than you think.

The importance of fundamentals

Many marketing professionals to start their careers by first dabbling in a narrow, technical discipline—copywriting, design, photography, 'brand activism'—before broadening and learning the fundamentals.

There's nothing wrong with that. It's normal to start with the subject we enjoy the most. It's a familiar path taken by many self-taught practitioners—learning to play "Leaving on a Jet Plane" on guitar before studying music theory or doing the cross-over move before mastering proper jump-shot technique.

Eventually, though, the best of the bests—the John Mayers and the Kobe Bryants—had to master the 'boring' aspects of their chosen profession to reach their level of success.

As marketers, we often get too close to the problem and too enamored with the craft that we fail to see the big picture. We ask the wrong questions. We forget—or haven't learned—the real purpose of marketing.

Yet, that is the key to generating tangible results in our work: go back to first principles and learn what marketing truly is.

That's what I plan to do and attempt to write about in this series of articles.

I will try to understand the theories, principles, and fundamentals of marketing, break them down into digestible pieces and reassemble them from the ground up.

Through this whole process, my hope is to learn with you and gain a deeper appreciation of marketing.

What is the simplest way to define Marketing?

Let's start with this most obvious question. Most people confuse marketing with advertising or selling—commercials, jingles, billboards, annoying ads, the barrage of salespeople shouting "Tempered glass, sir!" the moment you set foot in the shopping mall's tech area.

Most sources I've read on this topic go too narrow, too early. Which frustrates me. They talk about video marketing, chatbots, and influencers in their effort to define marketing. I want to see the forest, not more trees. And the best way to understand a complicated topic is to start with first principles.

In my opinion, the best source material on this topic is still Principles of Marketing, by Dr. Philip Kotler, regarded by many as the 'Father of Modern Marketing.' Here's how he defined marketing:

Marketing is engaging customers and managing profitable customer relationships. The two-fold goal of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow current customers by delivering value and satisfaction.

Now, that's more like it. No mention of search engines, AI, or influencer marketing.

But, still too academic for my taste, so let's try to simplify it. Here's my take on it:

Marketing is the act of creating value for customers in order to "capture value from customers in return."

With this definition, it's clear that marketing is so much more than just the "arts and crafts" department. It's a core business function. Marketing is present in all stages of business, beginning to end. Without marketing, a business cannot create and communicate value to its customers, which means it cannot capture value in the form of sales, which means there is no business.

As Seth Godin puts it:

The entire organization works for and with the marketer, because marketing is all of it. What we make, how we make it, who we make it for. It is the effects and side effects, the pricing and the profit, all at once.

When asked about the difference between consumers buying a car from General Motors and an All-Day Breakfast from McDonald's, Deborah Wahl, Global CMO of General Motors, explained:

The whole constant is creating value and understanding what your consumers really need and how the heck you get it to them faster and in a different way than everyone else. Marketing is exciting because we're innovating all the time. We got to think about how to do it in a different way from everyone else and where to go. I find enormous flexibility. That's why I love this industry, this career, it never stops being challenging and exciting.

Creating a product or service that delivers superior value to customers is a part of marketing. Pricing those products and services appropriately for the target market is also a part of marketing. Taking those well-priced products and services to the marketplace for distribution is a function of marketing. Effectively communicating superior value to customers through promotion, which then compels them to purchase, completes the whole process.

And just like that, we've covered the 4 Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion.

Sadly, most people relate marketing solely with the last P: promotion. But as we’ve learned, marketing is more than selling or advertising. It's ultimately about satisfying customer needs.

Further to this point, The Principles of Marketing continues:

If the marketer engages consumers effectively, understands their needs, develops products that provide superior customer value, and prices, distributes, and promotes them well, these products will sell easily.

The acclaimed management guru Peter Drucker even goes as far as saying:

The aim of marketing is to make selling unnecessary.

And lastly, Seth Godin gives us a much nobler definition in his book This Is Marketing:

Marketing is the generous act of helping someone solve a problem. Their problem. It's a chance to change the culture for the better. Marketing involves very little in the way of shouting, hustling, or coercion. It's a chance to serve, instead.

Having learned all this gave me a north star in my own profession. Sometimes we tend to spend too much time coming up with gimmicks, overhyped campaigns, or ridiculous ads for short-term gains. We fail to stop and ask these long-view questions:

• Are we creating enough value for customers?

• Are we improving their experience?

• Do we even know who they are and what they want?

With a clearer understanding of marketing, we can now ask better questions. When everyone in the team is on the same page and knows what marketing truly is, we can collaborate more effectively, exchange ideas and valuable input from different disciplines, and finally come up with cohesive marketing plans.

But where do we start?

Before diving into another brainstorming session, it might be best to go back a few steps and re-evaluate the target market. Do we know our customers enough to understand what they truly need?

We'll talk about that in the next article.