Communications Archives - Mad Men Marketing https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/category/communications/ Interact, don't interrupt Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:13:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-cropped-cropped-MMM_Logo_FullColor_Stacked-32x32.png Communications Archives - Mad Men Marketing https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/category/communications/ 32 32 5 Ways To Unfuck Your Marketing https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/5-ways-to-unfuck-your-marketing/ Wed, 23 Apr 2025 07:05:08 +0000 https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/?p=6719 5 Ways to Unfuck Your Marketing & Advertising Marketing and advertising can make or break a business. Yet, so many companies continue to sabotage their own success by making avoidable mistakes—whether it’s chasing shiny new trends, skimping on their budget, or refusing to trust experts who actually know what they’re doing. If you’re serious about […]

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5 Ways to Unfuck Your Marketing & Advertising

Marketing and advertising can make or break a business. Yet, so many companies continue to sabotage their own success by making avoidable mistakes—whether it’s chasing shiny new trends, skimping on their budget, or refusing to trust experts who actually know what they’re doing.

If you’re serious about fixing your marketing and advertising, here are five brutally honest ways to unfuck it.

1. Know What You Know—And More Importantly, Know What You DON’T Know

Look, just because you watched a YouTube video on marketing doesn’t mean you’re a marketing expert. You wouldn’t build a house because you saw a tutorial on home construction, so why would you try to DIY your marketing and advertising?

There’s a reason successful businesses hire professionals. Strategic media placement, ad targeting, creative development, and branding all require expertise, experience, and data-driven decision-making.

If you don’t understand how to craft an effective marketing campaign, when and where to advertise, or how to build brand recognition—then defer to the experts. Winging it is not a strategy.

2. Stop Chasing Shiny New Trends Without a Strategy

Every year, some new marketing trend emerges that businesses feel obligated to jump on. Sometimes it’s TikTok. Sometimes it’s AI-generated content. Sometimes it’s influencer marketing.

Here’s the reality: Not every trend is right for your business.

Just because it’s possible to market your business on a new platform doesn’t mean it’s profitable or even relevant to your audience. Before you start throwing money at the next big thing, ask a professional if it makes sense for your business.

3. Stop Trying to Do Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

This might be tough to hear, but if you’re not budgeting properly for marketing and advertising, your business is already screwed.

Marketing is not an optional expense—it’s the engine that drives customer acquisition, brand awareness, and sales. If you only invest in marketing when sales are slow, you’re already too late.

Businesses fail not just because they lack sales, but because they are underfunded and unable to sustain growth. If you’re cutting corners in marketing, you’re crippling your business before it even has a chance to thrive.

Make marketing a priority. Budget for it. Plan for it. Invest in it. Every single month.

4. Build a Brand That Doesn’t Look Like a Cheap Afterthought

Branding is more than just a logo—it’s the identity of your business. And yet, so many companies treat it like an afterthought:

  • Using random fonts and colors with no consistency
  • Slapping together a logo from Fiverr that looks like it was made in 30 seconds
  • Using stock photos that don’t reflect your brand personality

Your brand should be intentional, cohesive, and professional. Every piece of your marketing—from your website to your business cards to your social media presence—should reflect the same high-quality, well-thought-out identity.

If your branding looks cheap, inconsistent, or amateurish, that’s exactly what your audience will assume about your business.

5. Stay in Your Lane (And Leave Your Ego at the Door)

Not everyone is cut out to be the face of their brand—and that’s okay.

Some business owners insist on starring in their own commercials, video ads, or social media content, even when they have zero charisma, terrible camera presence, and no ability to communicate their message effectively.

If you aren’t good on camera, don’t force it.

There are better ways to showcase your brand without making yourself the centerpiece. Let professionals handle the visuals, voiceovers, and ad creatives. Focus on running your business, not feeding your vanity.

Conclusion: Fix It Before It Fails

If your marketing isn’t working, it’s probably because you’re doing it wrong.

The good news? Mad Men Marketing is here to help. We cut through the bullshit, build real strategies that actually drive results, and help businesses stop wasting time and money on ineffective marketing.

Ready to unfuck your advertising? Contact Mad Men Marketing today and let’s do this the right way.

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A Blog About Blogging https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/a-blog-about-blogging/ Tue, 16 Feb 2021 23:08:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=391 So you’ve got a blog for your business. But do you have a plan for search engine optimization (SEO)?

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How Can A Blog Impact My SEO?

 

Simply put, maintaining an up-to-date blog allows you to boost your search engine optimization in that, when you offer relevant information and answers, search engines will be more likely to position you higher up on their results pages.

 

In other words, when a customer searches a specific question on Google, the businesses that offer the most “optimized” blogs with regard to the answer will be the first to appear — and thus the most likely to be clicked on first.

 

In fact, research conducted by Demand Metric found that businesses who regularly blog produced, on average, 67% more leads per month.

 

So not only will a proper blogging strategy enhance your overall credibility from the viewpoint of the customer, but by effectively placing inbound hyperlinks and writing a persuasive call to action, you can also keep them in your sales funnel and guide them down the path to full conversion.

 

How Do I Optimize A Blog For SEO?

 

When considering Google’s ever-changing algorithms and the mountain of information available with regard to SEO, we understand that parsing through it all and finding the blog-specific bits can be challenging.

 

That’s why we’re here to help you with three quick tips to get you started:

The Key Is In The Word

Begin by picking one or two words, terms, or phrases that you would like associated with your business or blog. If you want to be a result when someone types in “air quality,” for example, that term should be one of your keywords.

 

Be sure to use your chosen keywords in your blog title, meta description, and in the body paragraphs. That being said, also be sure not to use “keyword stuffing” — basically, don’t choose more than two or three keywords and barrage your readers with them — and also make sure to use your chosen words in a coherent sentence.

 

How Much You Should Talk, Talk, Talk

WordPress reports that, “as a rule of thumb, blog posts should be at least 300 words to appear high in search engine results.” Meanwhile, the average length of a blog post has grown in recent years. A study conducted by SEMRush found that articles less than 3,000 words were not only three times more likely to get high traffic volumes, but they were also four times more likely to get shared.

 

Of course, that’s a pretty big gap from 300 words to 3,000 words. On average, we recommend keeping your long-form blog posts somewhere around 500 to 1,000 words maximum, with shorter blogs ranging from 300 to 500 words. Plus, remember that with the modern takeover of social media, audiences tend to have shorter attention spans.

 

Why Stop With Words?

Did you know research indicates that the majority of the human brain is dedicated to processing visual information, both directly and indirectly? Thus, by embedding visual content — be it videos, images, graphs, or something else — your audience will not only be more likely to become interested in the information, but search engines will also rank you higher. With alt text included, that is.

 

Think of it this way: the visual content itself is for your audience. Search engines, however, can’t see pictures. That’s why alt text is important — because it’s what tells those engines that there’s content embedded there. Oh, and don’t forget to use your keyword(s) in your alt text, too.

 

How Do I Know If My Blog Is Being Utilized Effectively?

 

If you’re already using Google Analytics as a part of your online marketing strategy, you’ll not only be able to automatically see how many people are on the different pages of your blog, but you can also dive into your “Audience Overview” and “Acquisition Overview” reports to get a better idea of how traffic to your pages has changed over time.

 

Otherwise, you might refer to several different markers of activity, such as…

Total page visits

Impressions and reach

The average length of a reader’s stay

And more

 

But, if you do not know how to find this information — or worse, you have no idea how to utilize it — you may find it difficult to adjust course and optimize your blog efficiently.

 

That’s why, here at Mad Men Marketing, we don’t just offer creative copywriters who will craft a cohesive blog for your business — we also offer research specialists who can curate your website’s analytics, thereby helping you to create the most successful and functional blogging strategy for your business.

 

You don’t have to embark on the journey of blogging and search engine optimization alone. If you’re ready to interact with your customers, contact Mad Men Marketing today by calling 904-355-1766!

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The Epic Battle for Net Neutrality https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/the-epic-battle-for-net-neutrality/ Wed, 04 Jun 2014 12:06:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=287 Net neutrality has been a heated topic across the internet over the last several months. Several bills have been proposed that would preserve net neutrality, but none have been passed.

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What is net neutrality? Well, net neutrality is the “principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.” Basically, one website can’t be favored over another in terms of speed or accessibility just because they paid for it.

Typically, when this topic is discussed, proponents of net neutrality mention how consumers will not be given equal access to internet content such as streaming services unless the website or the consumer pays for it. They argue that smaller websites who cannot pay outrageous fees to keep their content accessible will fail. Freedom of internet speech will be given only to large corporations with enough money to pay for it. This is true, but not the only problem. All small businesses, not only those in entertainment, will be hurt if the internet is not kept open and accessible.

Smaller marketing firms, and by extension other small businesses, will be hurt tremendously if net neutrality ceases to exist. Small businesses often rely on the internet as a cost-effective form of advertising. The internet allows small businesses to reach people around the world at a much cheaper rate than traditional media. If net neutrality is abolished, small businesses will no longer be able to compete against large corporations for cheap ad-space on the internet. Large corporations will have the money to advertise on sites that are more accessible to consumers. 

 

In short, this is a very big deal.  Just ask Netflix…who had a brief fallout with Comcast…their streaming content was streaming noticeably slower until they reached a compromise with the internet service provider.  Lo and behold, in February, they began to see an immediate improvement (or perhaps just restoration of where it once was) in streaming speed.  Netflix was literally held hostage by Comcast until its demands were met.  It's naive to think they playing field will ever be completely level, but steps should definitely be taken to ensure that we're doing all we can.

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Marketing to Millennials:  Are you sure you want to? https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/marketing-to-millennials-are-you-sure-you-want-to/ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 13:22:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=277 A lot of companies in recent months have emphasized a push in gaining the support of Millennials.

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Is this push short-sighted?  There's not a doubt in my mind that what is perceived as trendy, fashionable, or “in” is influenced largely upon the opinions of the younger generation.  That being said, Millennials are one of the smaller demo. groups.  Not only that, but they also have much less buying power than young professionals and established businessmen and women.  Jean Twenge, author of the book Generation Me, credits Millennials with possessing the traits of confidence and tolerance, however, they also exude a certain narcissism and self-entitlement.

 

Should you market to Millennials?  Yes…but as a part of a broader, more holistic approach…perhaps to paint a picture of a product as being trendy that will ultimately have a trickle-down effect on older, more affluent demos.

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The Highly Controversial Blog That Mentions Syria https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/the-highly-controversial-blog-that-mentions-syria/ Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:48:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=264 Now that we're on the verge of extending American presence in the Middle East, I'd like to bring to light that EVERYTHING affects the volatility of the market.

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Investors are very cautious, more accurately put, they're probably straddling the line between prudent caution and paranoia.  The growing concerns about a multi-national force becoming entangled in a region that has demonstrated continued and unrelenting civil turmoil only serves to further perpetuate the financial instability as it pertains to the S&P 500, and the DOW.  Moreover, as one country goes, so does the rest of the world.

 

In the recent past, Greece was in financial jeopardy and although a relatively insignificant player in the global economy when you consider heavy hitters like the U.S., France, India, Brazil, China, etc…, it had immediate ramifications that resounded across the world due to the interconnectivity of economic interests and Greece's proclivity toward nationalistic pride and threats to break with the Euro.  

 

I would expect AT LEAST that kind of impact on the world market as resources are re-allocated to quell the disturbance in Syria.  These are uncertain times and uncertainty can lead to panic, especially by those who are expected to lead us economically because they tend to protect their own interests first.  So in the best interest of fear-mongering, strap on your kevlar vest, continue to go to work, and just act like nothing is happening because chances are your day-to-day will not change.  

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New Grad’s Guide on How to Transition to the Real World https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/new-grads-guide-on-how-to-transition-to-the-real-world/ Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:33:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=100 So you got a degree. Congratulations! Now what the heck do you do with it?

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Everyone is going to give you “advice” and “tips” on how to get the perfect job out of college. I’m not going to do that. I’m going to tell you my story about how I had absolutely no plan after college and eventually ended up finding my passion and working in a job I love. No advice, just experience.

Graduation
The day I graduated was an exciting day! It was also a scary one. With peers getting jobs from their internships, I’d be lying to you if I didn't tell you I felt a little behind the curve. I spent 4 years with professors giving me “advice” that the competition is high today, and you need to be the best of the best in order to stand a chance in the real world.  There was a lot of pressure to be employed quickly.

After Graduation
My story doesn’t start out with countless interviews and finding the perfect navy blue suit, (because statistically, you have a higher chance to be hired in a navy blue suit.) The truth is, I was at a party.  I was talking with my fellow new grads about their new internships and jobs, which I mainly just listened to due to the fact that I hated the question “Hey PJ what are you doing now?” I met one of my friend’s older brother, who by chance was looking for a copywriter for his web development company. I said “I can do that!” By Monday, I had a job!! Part-time, but hey, I had an answer to the dreaded question.

The Copywriting Days
I worked on writing blogs, social media content, copy, and SEO meta descriptions for a small web development company. It was a team of four of us and I worked about 15 hours per week. The best part about it was the creative freedom I could apply to the work.

Eventually though, I found that I really needed something more full-time. I applied for a copywriter position at a big corporate web development company, and got it after the 2nd interview. This had me excited at first, my first “big boy” job was a huge national company. I saw myself climbing the ladder to CEO status, hopefully by the time I was 30. A long shot? Yes, but hey you got to dream big, right? Well that dream slowly diminished as I learned the difference between a small company and corporate. Simply put, I found my skills to be a lot more valuable outside of the corporate world. 

I quit. Everyone told me I was being foolish to quit a steady job without another job lined up. I didn’t care. People also told me “your twenties are a time to screw up and bounce back”. So that’s exactly what I did. It felt like the right thing to do, so I took some time and re-evaluated what I really wanted out of a career. The bills never stopped however, and I was eating Easy Mac and ramen for a while.

Discovering Accounts
Sometime later, I got a call from the first small web company about W2 information. It ended with, “Oh, so we were picked up by an ad agency, there’s a sales position open if you’re interested”. It just so happens that I just finished watching the movie “Yes Man” and I was all about opening myself up to new possibilities. I got the interview, made it past the second interview, and got hired.

My first day, I felt completely overwhelmed, but I surprisingly picked up the pace pretty quickly. This experience was different. I didn’t feel like I was doing meaningless tasks that no one else wanted to do. I was thrown into important meetings, large deals, and big clients all at once. After a while, you become comfortable in this realm. Before I knew it, I was the one hosting the important meetings.

I learned how to speak to potential clients, how to negotiate a quote, how to close deals, how to manage projects, how to work with a budget, how to produce results, and most importantly how to love what you do for a living. Working in accounts has been challenging and exciting all at the same time, and I feel like I have something that a lot of people don’t find in life, career passion.

So I didn’t get a prestigious internship that led to the perfect job. I made mistakes, opened the wrong doors, and fell into the right place. My only advice to someone stressed about graduation is to never be afraid to fail, because you will. You ARE going to make mistakes, so it’s better to learn to roll with the punches than to avoid the inevitable. Life throws curveballs and you can only plan so far, so make sure to never lose the courage to change, it could be the best change you ever made.

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Crossing the Finish Line https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/crossing-the-finish-line/ Fri, 23 Aug 2013 13:28:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=197 I am competitive. I get in and out of the grocery store- first. A basket takes far less time than a cart. I get ready much faster than anyone else that lives in my house. I race when we ride relaxing beach cruisers to the beach. I want to win and I will do anything I can, usually, to achieve this, no matter how small the victory.

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Being competitive isn't the same as being spiteful or jealous, I encourage the people around me.  A competitive nature simply means that something is driving us to perform and out-perform our previous accomplishments.  There are many studies done on different learning styles and different way of being motivated.  Well, a competitive spirit is definitely a motivator! So if you have one, and you know that you do, how can you implement this talent to better serve your business? 

Competitive spirit is not something you can change or fix.  It is drive, drive to do more research, drive to reach more people, drive to learn new platforms and obtain new business.  Be goal-oriented, not people-oriented.  Despite the stigma attached to competitiveness (especially for women), there is nothing wrong with wanting to be the very best at what you are doing.  Besides, working against your nature just wastes time and energy, and both are very valuable. 

Sometimes a competitive attitude comes with a “win at all costs” mentality, and that is the downside.  An honest game is the only way to play, otherwise you will not ever be satisfied and your “win” will be of no importance to you.  Sometimes a collaborative “team” effort will help you get ahead! 

Remember to relax!  Internal pressure that we put on ourselves can be greater than others put on us.  Don't let your competitive nature turn into insecurity or inability to find happiness in what you have already achieved because you want more.  Take the time to be proud of what you do accomplish!

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Why I Worship At The Altar Of Google And You Should Too https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/why-i-worship-at-the-altar-of-google-and-you-should-too/ Tue, 20 Aug 2013 18:17:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=262 Are you prepared to learn a new word? The new word is "zaibatsu". This is a Japanese term that defines a business entity that has a presence in several markets.

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Google is the leading mobile operating system with Android OS, which is used by Samsung, (which by itself has a 30%+ smartphone market share) HTC, and many other smartphones.  If that didn't impress you, maybe this will.  Google is obviously the world's largest search engine, but did you know that YouTube is the 2nd largest and is owned by Google?  Still not impressed?  Google is aiming to become a leader in digital television and even becoming a high end internet service provider with speeds that reach 1 gigabit/second or faster.  The internet is so fast, your TV is able to stream live television just as if you were connected to Comcast.  If you're still on the fence on whether or not you will pledge your fealty to Google, they are producing Google Glass.  These are glasses that provide the wearer with a heads up display of web content and other user selected apps.  Should you find yourself wanting to distance yourself from Google just to spite them, you're out of luck.  For those of you avoiding Google Plus, you may see a dip in your SEO because Google has incorporated social circles and interactions on Google Plus into their search algorithm.  Swear your unwavering allegiance to this zaibatsu juggernaut or perish in the undertow that is the Google tsunami.  

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The Curse of Steve Jobs’ Ghost https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/the-curse-of-steve-jobs-ghost/ Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:55:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=261 Apple used to be a company on the cutting edge. This was the company that brought us the Apple IIE, the iPod, the iPhone, the revolutionary tablet market and much more.

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All that being said, the company has failed time and again to innovate in recent years.  QUICK…name your favorite Apple innovation in the last two years (don't worry, I'll wait).  Do you hear the sound of that void of nothingness?  The great innovative company may have lost its panache when Steve Jobs left this mortal plane.  Year after year and quarter after quarter, they rehash the same devices with upgraded hardware to stay competitive in markets that THEY CREATED.  Not only are they not leading innovation anymore, but the price point on their merchandise is far too high and their software is incompatible with everything on the market.  This means that Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and all the other heavy hitters can crank out the latest and greatest smartphones and/or tablets while implementing Google's Android OS.  The only telecommunications device that uses Apple's operating system is Apple and that's why everyone waits 2 years for a new phone that isn't even competitive with what's out there right now.  I miss you Apple, so this is my plea for your return to normalcy, to innovation, and to listening to what customers want and being ahead of the curve.

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Real Mad Men, 1960 vs 2013 https://www.madmenmarketinginc.com/real-mad-men-1960-vs-2013/ Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:55:00 +0000 https://madmenmarketinginc.com/blog/?p=111 With season six airing of the show Mad Men, it sparked my curiosity of how an agency like Sterling Cooper would manage in today’s world. Is there a difference between 1960s agencies compared to an agency such as Mad Men Marketing?

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Creative
One of my favorite aspects of the television show, is how they nail the creative process. The research, development, execution, and pitch. Sometimes no matter how hard you want to magically have a great idea, it just won’t come to mind. Other times you can think your idea is ground-breaking, but the client isn’t onboard with your direction. As far as the business world of a career in the creative industry, Mad Men is spot on.

Office Culture
Always watching their back from their coworkers, the cast of Mad Men are consistently out for themselves. Everyone is trying to get ahead, and willing to go to extreme lengths to be at the top. Today, this would be the perfect set up for a failing business. Burning bridges won’t get you far as an agency, as well as taking the time to lend a hand. A successful agency is sustained by good relationships, not only with clients but also with the entire team. Going the extra mile rather than cutting corners is what makes a great agency stand out from a good agency.

The Power of Advertising
In my opinion, this is the biggest change to advertising due to technology. In the 50s and 60s, the media had a certain control that it no longer has. With so many product options, advertising clutter and noise, ways to order, and convenience of the internet consumers’ brand loyalty is nowhere near where it was in the past. Being able to search for the best prices around allows consumers to be fickle with their purchasing decisions.
The power today is in the hands of the consumer. Rather than creating a marketing plan that you think is effective, it is important to put yourself in the shoes of the consumer. Would I benefit from paying attention from this ad, or is it just feature dumping like the other 3,000 advertisements that I see on a daily basis?

Conclusion
So, would an agency like Sterling Cooper be a top agency on Madison Ave. in 2013? No, just as the world evolves over time, so must agencies. Technology has pushed agencies to become more consumer-driven in their strategies. While Sterling Cooper would wine-and-dine their clients into their ideas, it was mainly their way or the highway. Today a lot more listening needs to be done rather than talking.

As Don would say “If you don’t like what people are saying, change the conversation.” However Don never had to deal with Yelp reviews. Sorry Don, your persuasive words might not make the cut in modern advertising. Time to work on your people skills!

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