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Why Be A Thought Leader

Peter · June 21, 2023 · Leave a Comment

The marketing term thought leadership has become a bit overused. Well, what marketing term is not a bit overused? I mean, do I really want to hear the word disruption again and again?

However, if we step back a bit and ask ourselves if we’d like to be perceived as an insightful, strategic, and problem-solving creative thinker—um… a thought leader—well, I’ll take the words thought leader.

Thought leadership takes time and brain power. Why bother?

Thought leaders deliver actionable…

• Information

• Insights

• Strong opinions

• Solutions to big problems

• Inspiration

• Creativity

• Innovation

• Even piece of mind

Since I started my marketing agency consultancy, I have produced more than 850 blog posts; videos using impressionists to talk me up (think Trump and Gandhi); have been a host and a guest on dozens of podcasts; and have spoken at conferences and produced white papers. I’ve recently launched a LinkedIn newsletter. Oh, this is it.

I wrote my book on pitching, The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches. and my new book How To Build A Kick-Ass Advertising Agency to build my brand by offering business-building advice. These books generate interest and proof of expertise.

My thought leadership, which is 100% dedicated to advertising agency management and business development, works. Specialization works. People pay attention. My books drive leads.

The benefits of thought leadership are clear: It demonstrates expertise and authority.

It delivers compelling, relevant business-building information and insights. Value!
It excites
It generates peer-to-peer conversations and builds relationships over time
It generates marketing-qualified leads
It can be amplified and repurposed for efficiency. One thought can be modified and spread over a range of distribution platforms
Kick-ass problem-solving thought leadership is unignorable

I need to repeat this: Kick-ass thought leadership is unignorable.

The Unignorable Insight

Your expert positioning (yes, be an expert) will drive your thought leadership. The power word is authority. Market-building insights are created and delivered via your knowledge, experience, and creative approach to problem-solving. In this case, it is OK to be authoritarian.

Just to be clear, what is an insight? From the Planning Dirty Academy’s Julian Cole:

“Insight unlocks the way around a problem. It reveals a new path.”

Thought leaders reveal that new path. Just look at the people who are quickly building their own personal brands by becoming AI experts. Example: Sam Suzchan and his 122,000 LinkedIn followers.

I’m A Thought Leader Right Here.

In my brand new book… How To Build A Kick-Ass Advertising Agency

Add Humor to Your Advertising Agency Marketing

Peter · June 7, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Why Are Advertising Agencies So Boring? But, Not ADWEAK.

I wrote about the humorous ADWEAK in my book (yes, me promoting again, and why not?) My key point is that the #advertisingagency universe is so boring. Seldom do we see an agency use humor to grow awareness and get past sameness. My main point: Add Humor to Your Advertising Agency Marketing.

How Many Advertising Agencies Does It Take To Screw In A Lightbulb?

Once upon a time, I thought that it would be “different and unignorable” to have my agency’s website open with a video of a stand-up comedian riffing on the advertising industry and our wonderful agency.

Why would I consider using a comedian to introduce the agency? I am a believer in the power of humor to arrest attention and open up the mind. Plus, this angle gives the agency a personality in a generally personality-free zone. And I guarantee a comedian will keep a visitor on the home page for longer than 10 seconds.

Oh, to answer the question of how many “How many advertising agencies does it take to screw in a light bulb?” — “Oh well that all depends… what’s your budget?” OK, not a killer riff. But, you get the idea.

Yeah, I have an opinion. However, I’m not alone. From the Harvard Business Review:

The workplace needs laughter. According to research from institutions as serious as Wharton, MIT, and London Business School, every chuckle or guffaw brings with it a host of business benefits. Laughter relieves stress and boredom, boosts engagement and well-being, and spurs not only creativity and collaboration but also analytic precision and productivity.

Go ahead and take this humor-first idea… please.

A unique example of leading with humor is the creative / production studio ADWEAK. The agency drives interest—for example, it has 100,000 Twitter followers—via its unique look at agency and client life. They nail the idea of delivering truth via humor.

BREAKING: Agency Just Listing Anything They Can Think of on Capabilities Slide for New Business Pitch

BREAKING: Agency Staffers Still Have No Idea What Recently Hired “Thought Leader” Actually Does

BREAKING: VLMY&R Considers Adding Another Couple Letters to Name

The ADWEAKwebsite has few words but delivers this compelling key message:

We’re good, we’re smart, we’re fast and we’re not A-holes.

Now To PROVE That I Put My Money Where My Mouth Is. I Leverage ADWEAK’s Humor.

I am now “advertising / promoting” my book on ADWEAK’s LinkedIn and Twitter posts. Here is their reach… Twitter (99k followers) and LinkedIn (28K followers). See the image at the top to see how they are promoting me.

Does your agency use advertising for itself? Are you funny? If you have gotten this far, read and act on the next sentence. Thanks.

Here is a link to How To Build A Kick-Ass Advertising Agency. BUY it now – (lots of caps today).

WOW: A Chef Makes Big Bucks On TikTok

Peter · April 27, 2023 · Leave a Comment

The Show “Chef Reactions” Is A Mega Hit On TikTok

How does this shit happen? All of a sudden I’m watching the TikTok show “Chef Reactions” every day. Somehow it arrived in my feed and because it is so cool I subscribed. In the show, an unnamed very glib chef reviews the cooking videos of other cooks. Some are good recipes and some just suck. The show is funny and kinda instructive. All C/O of a cool unnamed dude.

I just listened to an interview with the chef on Peter Kafka’s Recode Media podcast. Listen to it.

This guy has gone from zero to 3 million Followers. Is now also on Instagram and Twitter.

BUT! BUT! $$$ $$$

Hyundai is now a sponsor. He sells merch. And, was just signed by Endeavor. #TikTok == Congress, do not kill this.

Marketing Solopreneur: #2 Ann Handley

Peter · March 8, 2023 · Leave a Comment

1) Insights from a serious thinker/doer = solopreneur that will help you grow your business.

2) An alternative career path roadmap. No mas working for the “man”. Even if that man/woman/person is you, as in someone that runs a marketing agency.

#1 guru was Dan Koe.

Today’s #2 solopreneur is @Ann Handley

I’ve been reading Ann’s work, books, blog posts, and newsletter for years. Her blog, in particular, is a great example of delivering high-value, actionable thinking and an example of how to write for the SEO universe. Look at her titles. Sign up for her newsletter.

Ann’s power followers: 459K on LinkedIn and 27K on Instagram. Way more than most socially active advertising agencies.

Her books, Everybody Writes (from Ann’s Amazon page – A hands-on field guide to consistently creating page-turning content that your audience loves. And that delivers real results.), and Content Rules nail their promise.

Need more? Her company, MarketinProfs, is a marketing training and education company with more than 600,000 subscribers.

From Ann’s solopreneur website:

“Ann Handley is a writer, digital marketing pioneer, and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who inspires and empowers you to create marketing that your customers will love, igniting real results for your business.

Ann Handley writes and speaks about how businesses can escape marketing mediocrity to achieve tangible results.

And she will inspire you to do work you’re proud of.”

Four Things For You To Do – Now

Watch for future newsletters to scope out even more inspiring solopreneurs.
Pass this blog and newsletter on to your friends. Especially marketing agency people looking for their next move.
Tell Ann that you dig her work – https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhandley
Go here to read my series of 850+ blog posts.

A Series On The Marketing Solopreneur: #1 Dan Koe

Peter · March 6, 2023 · 1 Comment

I am doing a series on the world of the solopreneur that offers two things.

1) Insights from a serious thinker/doer that will help you grow your business. I am talking solopreneur.

2) An alternative career path roadmap. No working for the “man”. Even if that man/woman/person is you, as in someone that runs a marketing agency.

Definition…According to Merriam-Webster, a solopreneur is “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise without the help of a partner.”

#1 solopreneur is the design guru Dan Koe. He delivers courses +

Dan offers courses on writing, productization, and a Modern Mastery system. These range from $150 to $999. He makes a lot of money. I am considering the book course even though I am now completing my fourth book and am outlining my fifth. Never too late to tap into someone else’s experience. Factoid… Dan has 75K followers on LinkedIn. 295K Twitter followers. 223K YouTube subs. 1.2 million Instagram peeps. Yikes!

From Dan’s website – a very cool website by the way:

Hey, I’m Dan.

I’m a brand advisor for 6-7 figure creators and influencers.

I’m the guy they come to when they want to go from starving artist to a highly-paid and authentic creator. No fancy sales funnels and pushy marketing in this household.

I help them systemize their workflow, marketing, and content so they can work for 2 hours a day, charge more, and sell their products & services without manual effort.

As a freelancer turned consultant turned creator, I’ve developed effective systems with time, skin in the game, and experience with 4000+ students and clients.

Four Things For You To Do

Sign up for future newsletters to scope out even more interesting and way active solopreneur thinker/doers.
Pass this newsletter on to your friends.
Tell Dan you love him. -> LinkedIn
Go here to read my series of 850+ blog posts.