Open Intro

Where do i start?

I'm lazy and didn't really want to write a book.

Casual Marketing Thoughts started as a fun Friday project where I wrote down all the things I think with regards to marketing on a frequent basis.

I came up with about 40 of those things.

Those things then needed to be designed. Then, I needed to buy a domain, spin up a site...yada, yada, yada...

So here we are, me, writing a book about things that were supposed to be in one column on a spreadsheet. Oh, and those things have been pared down to ~30.

These are things that I find myself thinking about or telling people when they ask my advice. Some you'll find relevant and some you won't.

Each topic is color coded (yes, I did all the tints for each color in Illustrator) and has a page that follows it.

With the intro and the outro there are 40 pages and I made a point to keep the words on the page succinct and relevant. It's very scannable and digestible.

Anyhow, thanks for t

Open Keep It Simple

Keep it simple

Marketing doesn't need to be complex.

As humans, we tend to complicate things where and when they do not need to be complicated.

This happens on both sides of the marketing coin too.

Internally, complicated processes lead to slower execution, more stress, difficulty training new teammates and more.

Externally, this looks like an alphabet soup of features, overuse of jargon and bullshit, cluttered visuals and unclear steps for customers.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Leonardo da Vinci

Like Leo said, doing something that is perceived as 'simple' is actually quite hard.

If your internal content approval process takes 5 people and months of planning, it's too complicated. If you have 20 tools to send an email, ask yourself 'why?'.

I read a copywriting book once that said something like 'write down your copy, then cut it in half; then cut it in half again and then

Open Use Shorter Words & Sentences

Use Shorter Words & Sentences

Using big words doesn't make you sound smart. They make you harder to understand for your customers and prospects.

Short works because:

• it's easy to read
• quick to grasp
• less time thinking
• sounds more human
• sticks in the back of your mind (does 'just do it' ring a bell?)

Think of the differences in these two sentences:

1. "We're implementing a new customer acquisition strategy."

2. "We're finding new ways to get customers."

The first one requires me to think too much about what's really being said and the second? The second example is clear and snappy and gets the point across my bow much faster.

I'm a fan of using clear, everyday words in marketing copy and try to avoid jargon whenever possible.

A fun trick is to say what you just wrote out loud - that helps you not sound like a corporate asshole.

When you're writing sentences, try to stick to one idea at

Open Write More

Write more

Writing well takes practice. The more you write, the better you get. It's that simple.

Good writers write every day (or close to it). They sit down, write something and over time, it gets easier.

Writing helps you find your voice and you’ll learn what works and what doesn't. You start to spot weak words and phrases and your sentences get tighter and more clear.

Practice writing in different styles. Try short posts and long articles. Write emails and ad copy. Each type of writing teaches you something new.

Set a daily word count goal. Start small; maybe 100 words a day. The habit matters more than the number and a journal is an easy way to get started.

Don't worry about perfection. First drafts are meant to be rough. You can always edit later. The important thing is to keep writing.

Read a lot too; good readers make good writers. Pay attention to how others write. What grabs you? What puts you off?

Open Tell a Good Story

Tell a good story

Stories work magic in marketing. They turn dry facts and the mundane into something people care about.

A good story paints a picture in the customer's mind. It shows how your product solves real problems they face. Instead of just listing features, you're showing those features in action.

Stories make abstract ideas concrete. Let's say you're selling cloud storage solutions. Don't just talk about gigabytes. Tell a story about a person who lost all their photos in a crash. Then show how your product could have saved the day. The story makes a '1 terrabyte of storage' message more like 'never lose all your wedding photos'.

People remember a relevant story better than a marketing fact sheet. The right audience will connect emotionally. A story about a small business owner saving 10 hours per week with your software hits harder than a bullet list of features.

Stories slice through marketing jarg

Open One Idea Per Slide

One Idea Per Slide

Cluttered slides littered with bullet points confuse people. Plus, they look like shit.

Think of each slide as a billboard. You're driving by fast. What's the one thing you should see?

Too much info on a slide overwhelms your audience. They stop listening to you; instead they're busy trying to read everything that smooshed into a 16:9 slide.

One idea per slide forces you to be clear. What's the main point? Put that front and center; everything else can wait.

This approach makes your message stick. People remember one clear idea better than a jumble of points.

Better to have 20 clear slides than 10 confusing ones. Your audience will thank you.

Simple slides look better too. Less clutter means more impact. Use big fonts and strong visuals.

This method helps you stay on track when presenting. Each slide is a clear talking point.

Don't worry about white space either. It gives the eye a r