Marketing is difficult

Dear friends, I read this recently: Marketing is the only field I know where once a new strategy has been tried and is found to work, it completely stops working.  Absolutely nailed it. This is the single reason marketing is tough. Marketing is all about using channels, techniques and messaging in unique and creative ways that stand out from the crowd to get you mindshare for whatever it is you are promoting. As soon as you find the winning formula everyone knows about it and copy it, so so it's longer effective. That's what makes us marketers a little bit bonkers. We have to keep trying new things. Doing the same thing as you did before means you are effectively going backwards. Did you ever meet a successful marketer that wasn't trying new things, a bit of a risk taker? Pushing things forward to try brand new ideas can lead to challenging conversations in a business. How does a marketer build a business case that  demonstrates ROI for a brand new marketing strategy or programme? It's not easy and involves some guesswork and intuition. Two words that most CFOs seem to hate. Nothing in marketing is predictable. It sounds unbelievable, but I've been in a meeting where someone has suggested we "create a viral marketing campaign". Yeah, like that's something you can just roll-out. That said, the challenge of constantly trying to find a winning strategy is is what makes it a such an interesting career choice. Cheers and all the best - just another of my 100 days of writing challenge

The art of solitude

When was the last time you were alone? Truly alone?

I'm rarely alone. I'm always filling the void with other people's thoughts.

It all started with my first iPod. Music would fill any spare time I was alone. Other people's thoughts.

This is is even more the case today,

- Music
- Podcasts
- Email
- Books
- News
- Social media
- TV
- Gaming

I'm like most people. If I queue for a second I whip out my phone.

Solitude is becoming increasingly difficult in today's world. So what, who cares and why does that matter?

It matters because at what other time do you get reflect on things and think creatively without any outside influence? It matters because without it I'm forming the habit of relying on external things to provide me happiness. Solitude is not loneliness.

> “Being solitary is being alone well: being alone luxuriously immersed in doings of your own choice, aware of the fullness of your own presence rather than of the absence of others. Because solitude is an achievement.” Alice Koller

For most people, the only time they have solitude is in the shower. I bet some of your best ideas have been in the shower or whilst cleaning your teeth.

I'm lucky, I was born before the internet. I understand the benefits of solitude, I've just got to find the time and the place to practise it. It's tougher for young people. There's a lot of research that shows that the rising levels of anxiety amongst the iGeneration (born 1994+) can be partly attributed to the fact that these young minds never find solitude. Boredom is not a bad thing.

If that's the case, why not extend these periods of solitude? It doesn't need to be in a remote cabin in the woods, anywhere will do. I plan to re-learn the art of solitude again. It's not that scary to be alone with your thoughts. It's liberating. I'll keep you posted on how this goes.

So stop reading this, put down your phone and rediscover the art of solitude.

Cheers and all the best.

Time to reboot SMART goals

Dear friends,

I'm sure you all know about SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound).... Yawn, soooo BORING and so late 2000's management speak. Time for a reboot.

I gave myself 10 minutes to think of a better set of words for the acronym SMART goals:

* Simple
* Memorable
* Aspirational
* Rewarding
* True

Here's why this SMART acronym is bang on for goal setting:

Simple

A goal doesn't need to be complicated. The more simple the goal, the more powerful. Goals are the end result, not the tactics on the 'how' to do stuff. Here's some simple goal examples.  "Grow revenue by 5%", "Run 5k in less than 30 mins", "Generate more pipeline for sales", "Write every day for 100 days". Simple goals may be less specific, but I really believe goals have to be at a macro level. Not everyone will agree with me - but when simple goals are combined with the following four points, they become very powerful.

Memorable

Simple and memorable go together in perfect harmony. The point is this - why have a goal, if you can't remember it? A goal is usually a longer term commitment. Something you need to work at everyday. If you don't live the goal you will fail. You need it etched in your brain, not on a spreadsheet or HR system that you need to look-up. Forgotten goals are a complete waste of time. Make your goals memorable.

Aspirational

Generally we all have daily wins. We are all growing and achieving better things each day. That's capitalism and growth at work, things bubble along nicely and we if we ride the current on the whole we will succeed. But, that's not a goal, that's just the norm. A goal should be a disrupter, that's what I aspire to. I'm not settling for a goal that doesn't push me - no one should. Equally, we rarely, if ever acheive goals on our own. An aspirational goal is something that a team will get behind too.

Rewarding

What's the point in setting a goal if there is no reward. A reward doesn't need to me monetary by the way, it could be in the form of recognition, fitness, more time, love, gratitude,, winning awards. Money helps though, it can be a motivator for sure, but not always. The reward should be personal. So many times, I've seen SMART goals, that just don't reward success. "It's your job" is not exactly a reward for hitting goals, especially aspirational ones. A compelling reward is fundamental to success.

True

True goals, are things that we really honestly want in life or work, and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve them. It often takes a huge amount of self sacrifice and single mindedness, but if you truly want something in your life, then you have to do what it takes to get there. If you develop goals that aren't true, you are just setting yourself up to fail.

So there you have it a few more thoughts for my 100 days of writing.

Cheers and all the best.

Powerpointing should be a verb and require a license

Dear friends,

As a conservative estimate I am exposed to around 2 hours of Powerpoint a week. This varies from weeks where I see zero Powerpoint, to conferences or meetings with up to 8 hours of Powerpoint a day. So during my career I reckon I have watched around 1680 hours of powerpoint. That's a lot of slides. You need 10,000 hours of something before you become an expert. So I'm about 16% expert on watching Powerpoint. Oh the joy!

How has this not become a verb? A bit like *"Googling"* which is of course a term we all use for searching the web. *"Powerpointing"* should be the verb for presenting slides. *"Good luck with your Powerpointing today..."* or, *"Did you see Mark's Powerpointing today, it was awesome..."*.You get the idea. I might try using this and see if it catches on. You heard it here first.

Another thing, with probably billions of hours and dollars wasted in employees sitting through mind numbing Powerpoints. There should be a license to Powerpoint. All Powerpointers should obtain a Class B license to be able to present internally, say in groups of up to 10 people. Class A licenses are required for public Powerpointing or groups of 10+ people.

A final thought, Microsoft are missing a trick. With all this Powerpointing going on in pretty much every business on the planet, can you imagine how much a cheeky little banner ad would be worth?

Cheers and all the best,

More musings for day five of my writing challenge. Hopefully, this injected a bit of humour into your day. You can now proceed to your nearest Powerepointing room for your next meeting.

Muting Whatsapp tells me it's a social media platform not an IM app

Dear friends,

Most people think Whatsapp is a messaging app. It's not. It's a social media platform.

When I first used Whatsapp (I'm guessing around 2011) here's how I used it:

Whatsapp was a free replacement for texting with some cool multimedia options. I messaged a small network of friends and family when I needed to. A neat instant messenger. 

Now it's a fully embedded part of my social fabric. I use it every single day. I use it on my phone and on my laptop, it's always there. It's the first app I install on any new device. It's slowly creeped up to being one of those technologies I can't live without.

But what about it makes it a social media platform and not an instant message app? Ask your self this - if it's not a social media platform, why do I have to keep using the mute feature?

Here's Wikipedia's definition of a social media:

Social media are interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks.

Yep, I guess Whatsapp ticks those boxes. More so that I'm now in a few larger community groups. People share all sorts of content. Exactly the same type of content they'd share on facebook or instagram (and in some cases content they wouldn't!)

Not only had the the group aspect blown up. It's now also used as workplace messaging tool. I'm getting work files sent via Whatsapp and seeing people use it used as a substitute for email. Equally, its now a family hub to share holiday snaps and videos.

I'm starting to realise the power of Zucks grand plans and his huge focus on messenger(s). Whatsapp could turn out to be the most lucrative acquisition of the past decade. It's becoming so embedded into the way society communicates, it is the new telecommunications infrastructure of the digital age. Work life, Private Life, Public Life - all communicated through the little green app with the friendly name.

So what?

It's a good thing and it's free. It's encrypted (if you believe facebook) so your messages are private. All Zuck can harvest is the metadata - [which is actually a pretty bad deal for privacy](https://surfshark.com/blog/what-is-metadata-and-why-you-should-start-caring-about-it). It's not a problem now, but perhaps tying the way humanity communicates publicly and privately into a centralised, US based tech monopoly with a history of dodgy business practises may not be a great idea in the long run.

I'll keep on using Whatsapp, because it's a great app, and I can connect with 1.5billion users on it. It will be interesting to observe how this social media platform continues to evolve in the future.

Cheers and all the best,

Tempted to by a Kindle Paperwhite, so why so much internal debate?

I've been struggling on with my old Kindle for ages. It's a beaten up old Kindle wifi. It works a treat though so why upgrade? I must have spent hundreds of hours with this device. Good and fulfilling hours too, not like my phone.

I want to upgrade as I want a backlight so I can read a kindle in bed rather than using my phone (which I use now for either for the kindle app, or just pissing around on the web).

I've seen some Kindle Paperwhites on ebay for around £40. That's pretty reasonable when you think about it for something that can store as much reading material as anyone could read in a lifetime. Has inSaNe battery life and can fit (nearly) in your pocket. I've always ranked the kindle as my all time favourite device man created.

What's holding me back?

1. I'm a tight bugger and hate spending cash on anything
2. I've got a perfectly functional device and I hate wasting things
3. I procrastinate about all decisions
4. Where the hell did I put that Kindle attachable light thing I had - that would be a solution.

Why wait? I want to fill my life with meaningful information rather than the same old internet shit that I have binged on in the past (instagram was my biggest vice - creating not consuming I might add). A kindle Paperwhite can mean I will have meaningful information in bed. So why not treat myself to this device?

I should wait because I can't just give into every little whim that I have to buy a new gadget. Man, this is an internal termoil I often have going on for the stupidest purchases. Also the research piece. Is a Paperwhite 3 better than a Paperwhite 2 and worth the extra ten quid? Next ensures the review searching, youtube watching 2 hours of wasted time. Totally pointless.

But what about just buying the top of the range model? It's only £120. I earn a very decent wage so why not just get something that is clearly going to perform better than a Paperwhite 2 second hand at £40. Bloody choices. Bloody brain for adding yet another option. What is it about modern times and having so many options on what to buy.

This is why I need to unplug more. This exact scenario. How has the web got me spending a few hours deciding what bloody kindle to buy. I need to be more impulsive or just appreciate what I've got.

My attention span is awful, how's yours?

My attention span is awful and I think it's getting worse.

I'd say the technology is fuelling this and I'd cautiously say technology may have changed your attention span too. That said, technology isn't the cause it's just the enabler. Technology has enabled the "attention economy" to prosper.

The attention economy is the monetisation of my attention, your attention, our collective attention, converted to real world cash dollar. So it's hardly surprising that our attention is being diverted - everyone wants to monetise it. Every new hot silicon valley tech start-up wants a piece of your attention. When people pay attention, marketers calls it engagement, but the goal is behaviour modification that makes advertising more valuable.

Equally, there is the human condition of curiosity. Evolution developed this so we could discover new hunting grounds or pastures to graze, new medicines or drugs. That feeling of curiosity to find something new is now being satisfied (and monetised) by the mundane such as instagram stories.

What's new, what's interesting? That's what we strive for. Have you ever considered why the need to keep reinventing flight safety videos (comedy is this decade's theme) is it because we've all seen them so many times already, or is it because we are so easily distracted?

What's the ultimate distraction? Well, Ben Shneiderman invented the hyperlink which has to be the ultimate attention grabber. There would be no clickbait without Ben's invention, now there's a thought.

Here's a link: go on click on it, you know you want to

Did you read this far? Happy days! You have a pretty decent attention span,  you read (283 words) It's better than mine I was barely able to finish typing th