Marketing Is Everywhere—Yes, Even Your Deodorant

Posted on by Reece Smith

Let me just start by saying this: marketing is everywhere. Like everywhere. From the clothes you’re wearing right now to the shampoo in your shower to the overpriced snack you impulse-bought at the checkout line. It’s all marketing.

And once you start noticing it, you can’t unsee it.

I was thinking about this the other day while getting dressed. I threw on a hoodie I’ve had for years. Comfy, reliable, kind of my go-to. And without thinking about it, I caught myself admiring the logo on the sleeve. It’s not even a brand I care about that much—but it’s there. In my face. Reminding me it exists. That’s marketing. That hoodie? It didn’t just randomly show up in my drawer. I chose it. And I chose it because, at some point, I was influenced. Maybe by an ad. Maybe by a friend wearing it. Maybe because I saw it on TikTok and didn’t even realize it.

That’s the wild part. So much of what we buy, believe, or even think about—it’s been marketed to us. On purpose. And it works.

We Don’t “Find” Products Anymore—They Find Us

Think about the last thing you bought. Maybe it was a supplement. A candle. A pair of sneakers. You probably didn’t just randomly walk into a store and grab it. Nah.

  • Maybe you saw someone post about it.
  • Maybe your friend swore by it.
  • Maybe it was in a cute little section of Target that somehow always knows your vibe.

We don’t just shop anymore. We experience brands. Constantly. From every direction.

But here’s the thing I really want to talk about…

Even When It Starts Offline, It Ends Online

Let’s say you’re walking around and you see someone wearing shoes you love. You’re not gonna chase them down the street (I mean, maybe, but let’s be real). You’re gonna do what all of us do: pull out your phone and Google that brand.

Boom. Offline experience → online curiosity.

Or maybe you hear about a new coffee shop. You want to check it out. But first, you’re gonna see if they have:

  • A website
  • A menu online
  • Reviews
  • An Instagram page to see if it’s cute enough to bother going

If they’re not online? You lose interest. You forget. You move on. That’s the reality.

So even when something feels super organic—like “I just stumbled on this brand!”—digital is still the glue holding it all together. Without it, that connection doesn’t stick.

This Is Where Digital Marketing Comes In (aka the Behind-the-Scenes Magic)

Every brand you interact with online or offline? If they’re smart, they’ve got a whole digital strategy running in the background.

  • A website that doesn’t make you want to throw your phone
  • A Google listing that actually shows up when you search
  • Ads that magically pop up after you think about something one time (creepy but effective)
  • Emails that somehow know when you’re most likely to click “add to cart”
  • Social content that makes you feel like the brand gets you

That’s not by accident. That’s digital marketing.

And the truth is: without it, most brands would be invisible. I don’t care how good your product is—if no one can find you, it doesn’t matter.

You Can Have the Coolest Brand Ever, But If I Google You and Nothing Shows Up… Bye.

Let’s be blunt for a second.

I don’t care if your product changes lives. If I can’t find you online in two seconds flat, I’m over it. And most people are the same.

We don’t have time. We don’t want to dig. We don’t want to work for it.

We want:

  • Instant answers
  • Clean design
  • Easy checkout
  • Validation that you’re legit

So yeah. The shirt you wear might be marketing. The water bottle you bring to the gym? Also marketing. But the real power move is what happens when someone sees that and goes, “Ooh I like that—let me look it up.” Because that’s where the sale happens. That’s where trust is built. That’s where your brand either shows up or disappears.

Bottom Line? Everything Is Marketing. But Digital Is the Backbone.

You can do all the things—sponsor events, get into retail stores, get featured by influencers, whatever.
But if you don’t have your digital sh*t together? You’re missing the point.

You need:

  • A website that looks and works good (yes, both)
  • SEO so people can actually find you
  • Ads that reach the right people
  • Social content that doesn’t make people cringe
  • Reviews that tell the story when you’re not there to tell it

Because no matter where someone sees you—real life or online—they’re gonna look you up. And when they do, you better be there, loud and proud.

Marketing Is Everywhere. Might As Well Make It Work for You.

The next time you see someone rocking a brand and think, “That’s cute,” just remember: that didn’t happen by accident. Someone, somewhere, spent time, energy, and money to make sure that brand was in your line of sight.

And behind the scenes? There’s a digital strategy doing the heavy lifting.

So if you’re building a business, launching a brand, or trying to grow—don’t sleep on digital. It’s not just one piece of the puzzle. It’s the whole damn frame holding it together.

The Evolution of SEO: Beyond Keywords to Authority Content

Posted on by Chris Jenkin

A person can claim to have been in their career for a long time. When I hear this, I think in terms of 20-25 years. But in digital marketing, though the industry technically spans that long, it has undergone seismic technological shifts, forcing practitioners to continuously retrain and adapt their strategies.

To deliver unmatched expertise in any field, especially digital marketing, one must understand its evolution. Looking back, I see the 1990 desktop publishing revolution, which transformed anyone with a computer into a graphic designer and reshaped the printing industry. At that time, I was a print broker, and I witnessed an explosion of new businesses, from Kinko’s and AlphaGraphics to independent designers and firms providing full-service print solutions.

By 1997, there were barely over a million websites. Then, the 2000s arrived, bringing an explosion of technological advancements that redefined how we communicate, market, and consume information. Consider these statistics:

  • 2000: Only 6.3% of U.S. households had broadband; by 2008, 63% did (10x increase).
  • 2000: 12 billion emails were sent daily; by 2009, that number reached 247 billion (20x increase).
  • 2000: Mobile data service revenues were $105 million; by 2009, they had soared to $19.5 billion (185x increase).
  • 2000: 400,000 text messages were sent per day in the U.S.; by 2009, 4.5 billion were sent daily (11,250x increase).
  • 2000: Google indexed 1 billion pages; by 2008, it indexed 1 trillion (1,000x increase).
  • 2001: Google processed 10 million searches per day; by 2009, it handled an estimated 300 million (30x increase).
  • 2000: Fewer than 100,000 blogs existed; by 2008, there were 133 million (1,330x increase).

(Source: Forrester Research, CTIA, Radicati Group, Technorati, Wikipedia, Google, and Microsoft)

The world changed drastically in the first decade of the 2000s. By 2010, with smartphones placing all of this technology into our hands, digital marketing truly took root. I launched gotcha! in 2011, eager to carve out my role in this digital revolution.

SEO’s Evolution: From Keywords to Authority Content

Fast forward to 2025. Over the last 15 years, digital marketing has matured, but no single dominant force has emerged. Agencies know their job: driving traffic and conversions. gotcha! has spent the last decade and a half refining what works, innovating, and adapting to technological shifts.
Early on, we learned the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In 2011, when we built websites, we quickly realized that visually stunning designs often performed poorly online. This led us down the SEO rabbit hole, where we immersed ourselves in research, analytics, and testing. We tried every tool available, seeking to understand not just the data but the logic behind it.

In today’s landscape, SEO is often misunderstood. Everyone—designers, developers, marketers, even my 82-year-old father—claims to know SEO. But in a sea of self-proclaimed experts, how do we separate effective strategies from outdated tactics?

At gotcha!, we rely on data. Over the years, we’ve expanded beyond web development into hosting, change management, content marketing, and an advanced platform with powerful SEO tools. Through this, we’ve discovered a fundamental truth: keywords are dead.

The Death of Keyword-Driven SEO

Before you panic, let me clarify. Keywords still play a role in ad targeting, search insights, and content structuring. However, optimizing websites solely around keywords is outdated, small-minded thinking. The digital world has expanded beyond this simplistic approach. At gotcha!, our philosophy is “Expand Your World.”

Consider this analogy: If you were starting a business in an unfamiliar industry, how would you learn? Imagine a world where only one library exists. You visit and search for books on your industry. Among a sea of pamphlets and brochures, you find one comprehensive book covering everything—the industry’s history, key players, trends, and business strategies. Which book would you check out? The most authoritative one.

Your website is your book. Google is the library. Among millions of websites in your industry, how does your site measure up?

Success in SEO today isn’t about targeting the “right” keywords; it’s about structuring content comprehensively and authoritatively. Google prioritizes relevance and expertise, rewarding sites that answer questions and provide deep, valuable content. This is how giants like WebMD and Wikipedia dominate search results.

The Three Pillars of Modern SEO

  1. Authority Content & Topical Depth
    • Your website must comprehensively cover its subject matter.
    • Content should go beyond keywords to establish authority on topics.
    • Publishing relevant, high-quality articles positions you as an industry leader.
  2. Trust & Business Authenticity
    • Google must trust your business’s online presence.
    • Key factors: consistent Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP); schema markup; and contextual content.
    • Ensure a real-world connection between your business and its digital representation.
  3. Geo-Relevance & Market Positioning
    • Beyond local SEO, Google needs to understand where you provide services/products.
    • This requires well-structured on-page content, clear geographic signals, and contextual relevance.

The Future of SEO: A Comprehensive Strategy

If you take a step back and analyze your industry, market knowledge, competitors, company history, leadership, and offerings, you’ll likely find many more pages your website should have. Map it all out in a structured site plan. The more comprehensive and authoritative your site, the stronger its SEO foundation.

But it doesn’t end with launching a well-structured website. A robust content strategy must follow—publishing articles, updates, new developments, and continuously adding value to your audience.

This, my friends, is business in 2025.

Why g!LocalSEO™ Matters for Your Website, Traffic, and SEO

Posted on by Michael Jenkin

If you have a website, you’ve probably heard of tools that enhance its capabilities. That’s where g!LocalSEO™ comes in—our powerful tool that takes your site from just existing to actually performing. Whether you want to improve functionality, boost traffic, or rank higher on search engines, we make all the difference:

Supercharge Your Website’s Abilities

A website without g!LocalSEO™ is like a smartphone with no apps—functional but pretty limited. We expand your site’s capabilities by improving contact forms, optimizing pages for search engines, improving speed, and collecting data on visitors.

For example, if you’re running an online store, we ensure your product pages are structured for maximum visibility. If you need a way for visitors to contact you, we offer seamless integration with lead-generation tools. Whatever you need your site to do, we have you covered.

SEO Optimization Without the Headaches

Let’s be real—if your site isn’t showing up on Google, you’re missing out on visitors. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps your site rank in search results, and g!LocalSEO™ makes it easy.

With g!LocalSEO™, we provide reporting with keyword insights, we provide content optimization suggestions, and we improve metadata structuring. We also handle technical SEO tasks like generating sitemaps and adding schema markup so search engines fully understand your content. Without us, you’d have to manage all of this manually—not ideal.

Speed Matters—g!LocalSEO™ Keeps Your Site Fast

Nobody likes a slow website. If your pages take forever to load, visitors will leave before they even see what you have to offer. Speed also impacts SEO—Google favors fast sites, so if yours is sluggish, you’re losing rankings.

That’s why our SEO and Hosting combo includes caching, script optimization, and image compression features to ensure your pages load quickly. The result? A smoother, faster experience for visitors and better rankings on Google.

Keeping Your Site Safe with gotcha!

Hackers and bots are always looking for vulnerabilities. If your site gets hacked, it could mean lost data, downtime, or even getting blacklisted by search engines.

With gotcha!, we offer built-in security features that scan for threats, block malicious traffic, and add firewalls to keep your site safe. With g!Hosting™, we further monitor and manage these features so that you can have peace of midn. Think of us as your website’s personal security team, working 24/7 to protect your data and credibility.

Enhancing User Engagement and Experience

A great website isn’t just about attracting visitors—it’s about keeping them engaged. g!LocalSEO™ enhances user experience by integrating interactive features like live chat, social media sharing buttons, and we even provide personalized recommendations.

For example, we allow visitors to share your content easily across platforms, increasing exposure and bringing in more traffic. We also support AI-driven chatbots that improve customer support, ensuring users get answers quickly.

Simplified Website Management by integrating g!Hosting™

Running a website isn’t just about posting content and hoping for the best. Regular updates, backups, and optimizations are necessary to keep everything running smoothly.

With g!Hosting™, we take care of these processes, erasing the time and effort you need to invest for maintenance. From automated backups to workflow management, we ensure your site stays optimized with minimal manual intervention.

Driving More Traffic and Conversions

At the core of any website’s purpose is traffic generation and conversion optimization. g!LocalSEO™ helps attract and retain visitors in several ways.

For instance, we offer A/B testing features, where we fine-tune pages and maximize conversions.

The Future of g!LocalSEO™ and Website Optimization

As technology evolves, so do we. g!LocalSEO™ is constantly improving, integrating AI-driven analytics, smarter SEO recommendations, and automated marketing solutions. With the rise of voice search and mobile-first indexing, we ensure that your website remains competitive in an ever-changing digital landscape.

g!LocalSEO™ isn’t just a product—we’re an essential tool for running a successful website. We help with search rankings, improve site speed, enhance security, and optimize the user experience—all while saving you time.

If you’re serious about growing your online presence, don’t settle for a website that just sits there. We give you the competitive edge to drive more traffic, engage visitors, and turn clicks into conversions. So why wait? Elevate your site with g!LocalSEO™ today and watch your success take off!

gotcha! – A Story of Innovation

Posted on by Chris Jenkin

I’ve been in sales and marketing for as long as I can remember. In a way, we all have. But some of us—me in particular—just developed naturally into it. As soon as I could talk, I was selling. And as soon as I was selling, I had to innovate.
My first real lesson in innovation wasn’t in some boardroom or business book—it was on the street, shoveling snow in my hometown of Buffalo, New York. At first, I was just like every other kid:
“Hey mister, I’ll shovel your driveway for $5.”
But that pitch had problems. It was a one-time deal, and if someone else got to a house before me, I lost the sale. So I changed my approach:
“Looks like we’re in for a lot of snow this month. If you pay me $20 upfront, I’ll keep your driveway clear all month long.”
Now I had stickiness. I had recurring revenue. And I didn’t even know what those terms meant yet.
I had no snow blower, no employees—just a shovel and a willingness to figure things out. That was my first real innovation.

The Evolution of Innovation

As I got older, my exposure to innovation expanded, but the principle never changed: see a problem, solve it with whatever you have, and do it in a way nobody else is thinking about.
In my early adult years, I made money by saying yes to just about anything. I sold printing, but if a client asked if I could add grid lines to a whiteboard, I said yes, ran down to Office Depot, and made it happen. If someone needed flyers stuffed into envelopes, I said yes and either did it myself or found a better way—like working with the Lighthouse of the Blind to handle small-volume envelope stuffing.
Then there was the time I partnered with an attorney and sued the city of Dallas to get access to the jail’s daily Book-In list—a thick, dot-matrix-printed stack of every person arrested the night before. Every morning, I had a courier pick it up and drop it off at a data entry company that keyed the names into a FileMaker system I built. From there, we sorted the list by crime, printed letters and envelopes, and mailed them out on behalf of attorneys who paid me $1,000 a month for the service—plus printing and postage. Within months, I had more than a dozen lawyers on board, and we had kickstarted a legal marketing trend that still exists today.
That’s what real innovation looks like: solving a problem that nobody else has figured out yet, using what’s available, and executing it better than anyone else.

The Rise of Fake Innovation

But here’s the thing—once a good idea proves successful, a flood of bad ones follow.
I’ve watched industries shift and evolve. I was there when cassettes and vinyl gave way to CDs, and when CDs disappeared in favor of streaming. I was part of the desktop revolution, the birth of the cell phone, the rise of the internet, and the explosion of social media. And then, in 2008, when smartphones changed everything, I witnessed firsthand how digital marketing quickly became a feeding frenzy of half-baked solutions.
The marketplace got crowded with people claiming they had the next great thing for businesses—most of it useless. Useless because these “innovators” weren’t problem-solvers; they were opportunists. They didn’t understand business, they didn’t understand technology, and they sure as hell weren’t interested in making something that actually worked. They just wanted a quick buck. I know—I’ve spent tens of thousands exploring these so-called solutions.
Take Hootsuite, for example. It was built as a do-it-yourself social media scheduling tool, which sounded great—until businesses realized they didn’t have the time (or strategy) to actually create content worth scheduling. So the tool ended up appealing more to third-party social media managers. But then they ran into scalability issues.
How do you create valuable, business-specific content for dozens or hundreds of clients without cutting corners?
You don’t.
Instead, they mass-produced low-value garbage—posts like a cat playing with a toy with the caption, “Happy Meow-Day!”
That’s not marketing. That’s pollution.
This happened across the board. SEO agencies popped up selling rankings but had never ranked anything themselves. Web agencies pushed templated sites that never actually fit the businesses they were selling to. AI tools promised automation, but no one had the time (or expertise) to actually manage them properly.
None of it was real innovation. It was just noise.

The Turning Point: gotcha!

When I launched gotcha! in 2011, digital marketing was all the craze. Every business was talking about it, and everyone wanted in on it.
At the time, we were pushing three products under the “digital marketing” umbrella:
• SMS messaging
• A mobile website builder
• A web app platform with gamified solutions linked via QR code
I didn’t own any of these platforms—I was reselling them through partnerships. Our sales channel was distributor-centric, meaning our distributors were marketers who already had relationships with businesses, and we wanted them to bring those businesses to us so we could pitch and sell the solutions.
The problem? I didn’t know anything about digital marketing.
I pitched it, trained it, and sold it, but I was truly missing key knowledge. Soon I began to learn firsthand what it was like to manage multi-tiered sales layers, struggle with scalability, manpower, and all the obstacles that come with running a business.
And then it happened.
One of my partners wanted more to keep my access to their product alive—more than I could give them. It was one of the most important lessons of my life about control and responsibility.
I realized I wasn’t just responsible for our distributors’ clients. I was also responsible for our distributors who brought us those clients. If I provided bad services, I wouldn’t just lose a single client—I could lose an entire network of distributors.
And I wasn’t willing to put that in the hands of a third-party vendor/partner who didn’t care.
I went into action. I had already made a connection with a web development team, and I immediately called their head engineer.
“Hey, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is we’re going to build a new platform. The bad news? I need it in two weeks.”
I worked day and night for the next three weeks, stalling my third-party vendor/partner until we launched our own platform and migrated all the users over.
From that moment on, gotcha! became its own developer.
I’ve never looked back.

gotcha! Innovation

Since 2011, I’ve made it a mission to create real solutions that drive real results. I’ve built gotcha! with a team of like-minded people—many of whom are now co-founders of this incredible company. Together, we’ve innovated across every aspect of our business, refining our products, processes, and execution to stay ahead of the curve.
We’ve taken website development (g!WebDev™) to another level, creating our own custom WordPress theme template. This allows our front-end developers to build sites faster, more securely, and with better structure—all while maintaining the flexibility needed for custom work.
In hosting (g!Hosting™), we realized early on that websites today aren’t just static pages—they’re software applications that require constant performance monitoring, updates, and security measures. We went beyond the typical “WordPress hosting” gimmick and built a fully managed hosting system that includes:

• Manual updates & fixes performed by developers—not some automated process.
• Curated plugin management—we license and maintain a suite of reliable plugins to protect our clients from security risks.
• Enterprise-level infrastructure with load balancing, caching, CDNs, redundancy, and more.
We’ve also revolutionized content creation. What started as manual efforts to boost our clients’ traffic evolved into a system that streamlines and enhances the process—splitting it into two distinct products designed to automate intelligently while keeping strategy and human oversight intact.
But the biggest innovation we’ve achieved? Our strategy and execution process.
Our team is always learning, always adapting. I personally read constantly—books on AI, history, psychology, social sciences, biographies, sales, marketing—you name it. I consume ideas from the sharpest minds I can find, then I test them, break them down, and figure out which ones are truly valuable.
And then? We apply those insights directly to our work—to help our clients win.

2025: gotcha! Reimagined – The Real Innovation Shift

Now, here we are, in 2025. AI is in its infancy, and once again, the world is being flooded with people claiming they have the next big thing.
New AI tools pop up every day, promising to replace human expertise, automate everything, and make businesses run themselves.
But I’ve seen this pattern before.
The people who are going to change the world with AI aren’t the ones chasing trends. They’re the ones creating them. They’re the ones listening to the market, solving real problems with real solutions, and understanding that AI alone isn’t enough.
You still need strategy. You still need execution. You still need the human intelligence layer that makes AI work.
That’s why gotcha! is being reimagined.
Once again, we’re in startup mode. Not to jump on the AI bandwagon, but to build a system that actually works—one that merges human intelligence with artificial intelligence to create something truly innovative.
Not another automated tool.
Not another gimmick.
But a real, functional system that moves the needle for businesses.
A HI/AI-tech platform we call gia™.
She’s powerful. She’s game-changing. And she’s built to make real impact.
If you haven’t seen our video yet, check it out here.
Fasten your seatbelt. Because this isn’t just another AI launch. This is gotcha! taking innovation to the next level.
And that’s what innovation has always been about.
And that’s what it will always be about.

Storytelling in Branding: Creating Emotional Connections

Posted on by Marija Vidanovic

I recently read Start With Why by Simon Sinek, and it completely shifted my perspective on branding. One of the key takeaways from the book is that people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The most successful brands in the world don’t just sell products—they inspire movements by starting with their why.

Sinek explains that the why is what connects on an emotional level. It explains the purpose, the belief behind a brand, and creates a sense of belonging. This is why storytelling is so powerful in branding—it taps into emotions, builds trust, and ultimately drives loyalty. With this insight, I began to see how storytelling is not just an addition to marketing but the foundation of it. In today’s digital marketing landscape, where competition is fierce and consumer attention is limited, using storytelling as part of a content strategy is essential for engagement and long-term brand success.

The Power of Storytelling in Branding: Creating Emotional Connections That Last

In a world flooded with marketing messages, facts and features alone don’t cut it. What truly captivates audiences and turns them into loyal customers? Storytelling. The best brands aren’t just selling products—they’re telling stories that resonate, inspire, and create deep emotional connections. Digital marketing channels, including social media, websites, and email marketing, provide an ideal platform to share these stories, allowing brands to reach and engage their audience more effectively.

Why Storytelling is Crucial in Marketing

Stories have been a core part of human communication for centuries. They evoke emotions, simplify complex ideas, and make brands relatable. When done right, storytelling in branding can:

✅ Differentiate Your Brand – Anyone can sell a product, but a compelling story sets you apart. Think Apple’s story of innovation or Nike’s triumph-over-adversity narrative.

✅ Create Emotional Bonds – People remember how you make them feel. A strong brand story builds trust and fosters loyalty.

✅ Drive Engagement – A well-crafted story keeps audiences invested in your brand, making them more likely to share and interact with your content.

✅ Turn Customers into Advocates – When people connect with your brand’s mission and values, they don’t just buy from you—they become part of your story.

How Brands Can Use Storytelling to Build Loyalty

So, how do you craft a brand story that sticks? Here are the key elements:

🔹 Know Your “Why” – Why does your brand exist beyond making money? Define your mission and purpose. (Example: Patagonia isn’t just about outdoor gear; it’s about environmental activism.)

🔹 Put the Customer at the Center – Make your audience the hero, not just your product. Show how your brand fits into their journey.

🔹 Be Authentic & Relatable – Consumers crave honesty. Real, unscripted stories resonate more than overly polished marketing copy.

🔹 Create a Narrative Arc – Great stories follow a structure: challenge → journey → resolution. How does your brand help customers overcome obstacles?

🔹 Leverage Different Formats – Blogs, videos, social media, and even packaging can tell a compelling brand story.

Examples of Great Brand Storytelling

Coca-Cola: Sells more than a drink—it sells moments of happiness and connection.

Airbnb: Highlights real travelers’ experiences, making it about community, not just lodging.

Dove: Uses powerful storytelling to redefine beauty and promote self-confidence.

Final Takeaway

At the heart of every strong brand is a compelling story. When you craft narratives that speak to your audience’s emotions, you don’t just gain customers—you build a tribe of loyal advocates.

The key lesson from Start With Why is that when brands lead with purpose, they don’t just sell products; they build movements. And storytelling is the vehicle that carries that purpose forward. In digital marketing, where engagement and visibility are everything, leveraging storytelling across platforms is not just an advantage—it’s a necessity for lasting brand impact.

Everyone Wants to Start a Marketing Business These Days—And What That Means for Real Marketing

Posted on by Reece Smith

The Digital Marketing Gold Rush

Lately, it feels like everyone is jumping into digital marketing. Whether it’s people looking for a side hustle, entrepreneurs, influencers, or business owners looking for an easy way to add another revenue stream, starting a marketing business is more popular than ever. And I get it—on the surface, it looks simple. Digital marketing seems like something you can easily learn, automate, scale, and turn into an easy money-maker. But in this rush to scale and make money quickly, something important is getting lost: creativity, strategy, and trust.

The problem? Digital marketing isn’t just a business model. It’s an art and a skill. It requires deep understanding, adaptability, and, most importantly, a human touch. But today, everyone is treating it like a formula they can apply to any business, slap on some ads, and call it a day. And that’s why so much of today’s marketing feels uninspired and ineffective.

The Rise of Cookie-Cutter Marketing

A lot of these so-called marketing businesses rely on the same pre-made templates and automated processes. Instead of taking the time to understand each client’s business, audience, and goals, they push out the same cookie-cutter strategies for every client. And here’s the issue: real marketing isn’t plug-and-play.

Think about it. If every business were truly the same, marketing wouldn’t even be necessary. Customers could just pick whatever shows up first. But that’s not how people make decisions. Marketing should be about helping brands stand out, not blend in. Instead, these mass-market approaches are stripping away uniqueness, reducing brands to nothing more than generic messages that lack authenticity.

Automation has its place, but when marketing is only about automation, the results are robotic and lifeless. Strategy takes a backseat. Brand identity disappears. And instead of making businesses more competitive, these templated solutions make them indistinguishable from their competitors.

The Trust Issue: Why Real Relationships Matter

One of the biggest casualties of this mass-produced marketing approach is that it kills trust. The best marketing comes from actually knowing your clients—their industry, their challenges, their goals. But when agencies don’t take the time to dig deep, their work feels generic and out of touch.

Businesses that invest in these automated solutions quickly realize something’s off. Their marketing doesn’t speak their language. It doesn’t reflect their values. And worst of all, it doesn’t resonate with their customers. Why? Because it was never truly made for them in the first place.

Clients notice when they’re just another name on a list. They don’t feel heard, they don’t feel understood, and they definitely don’t feel confident in the marketing strategy they’re paying for. And let’s be real—when trust is gone, so is the business relationship. That’s why so many clients bounce from agency to agency, constantly searching for someone who actually gets them.

The Impact: When ‘Marketing’ Becomes a Commodity

Because marketing businesses are popping up everywhere, marketing itself is starting to feel like just another commodity. It’s no longer about strategy or creative execution—it’s just another service people are selling. The result?

– More agencies offering cheap, ineffective marketing that doesn’t drive results.

– Businesses struggling to tell the difference between legit experts and people
just trying to cash in.

– A market flooded with cookie-cutter campaigns that all look and feel the same.

The worst part? Bad marketing makes people think marketing doesn’t work. When businesses don’t see results, they assume marketing itself is the problem—not the quality of the marketing they’re getting. And that’s dangerous. It makes business owners skeptical of investing in marketing at all, even when they actually need it to grow.

The Alternative: Quality Over Scalability

So, what’s the solution? It’s not about rejecting scalability altogether—I’m all for efficiency. But there’s a right way to do it. The best marketing businesses scale without sacrificing quality, creativity, and relationships.

That means:

– Taking the time to actually understand each client’s industry and goals.

– Customizing strategies instead of copy-pasting templates.

– Using automation wisely, but never at the expense of originality.

– Building real relationships with clients, so they know you’re invested in their success.

This is what separates real marketers from those just trying to make a quick buck. Marketing is about creativity, psychology, and communication—not just slapping together some ads and calling it a day.

The Future of Digital Marketing

AI and automation aren’t going anywhere, and I’m not saying they’re all bad. But businesses need to be smart about how they use them. The brands that win will be the ones that invest in creativity, authenticity, and trust.

If you’re looking for marketing support, here’s my advice: choose your marketing partners wisely. Don’t just go for the cheapest or most scalable option—go for the one that actually understands your business and will take the time to get things right. Because at the end of the day, scalability should never replace strategy, relationships, and creativity.

That’s the difference between just selling marketing—and actually making marketing work.