Gratuitous sorcery and incantations from actual Wizards.

Alright, my small business friends, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and dive deep into the digital marketing jungle. Prepare your machete! The promised land of incoming leads may be on the other side.

I know your plate is full with running your business. And now you have a growing challenge, digital marketing. That is definitely NOT your specialty.

You’re out there trying to find your way through the digital bushland, and you might think you’ve found a trusty guide in your ‘digital marketing consultant.’ But beware! Not all guides are created equal, and some might be leading you around in big-ass circles .

HERE ARE 10 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU’RE BEING WEASELED BY YOUR DIGITAL MARKETERS:

1. They don’t let you access your Google Ads account

They have the treasure map but refuse to share it, which means they can hide poor performance or mismanagement of funds. If you can’t verify your investment, you can’t tell if they’re squandering it or using it wisely. Always demand full control of your Google Ads account. It’s your property.

2. They claim their top-secret technology is proprietary

This is a convenient way to dodge accountability. Without transparency into the tools they use, you can’t assess their effectiveness or determine if you’re getting value for your money.

3. They deny you website admin access

If they guard your website like the crown jewels and won’t grant you access, you depend entirely on them for updates and changes. This lack of control can cause delays, incur added costs, and make timely updates to your site challenging. You should be trusted with the keys to your own kingdom. And if you part ways, you need to be able to take your website with you.

4. They use a proprietary website platform

If they build your website in their secret lair instead of on a widely used platform like WordPress, it will be tough – if not impossible – to switch consultants without overhauling your entire site. This locks you into a long-term relationship, whether it benefits your business or not. If you are on an open-source platform (such as WordPress), you will have more flexibility if you decide to move to another vendor for your website.

5. They charge a percentage of your ad spend

This model incentivizes them to spend more of your money on ads, regardless of the ROI. The more you spend, the more they earn, which doesn’t lead to cost-effective strategies for your business.

6. They direct traffic away from your website

If they send your hard-won leads back into the wilderness instead of to your cozy inn, you lose potential sales. Directing traffic away from your site means that you don’t control that visitor, they do. This can lead to lower conversion rates and lost revenue. This includes using a third-party hosted funnel to capture leads, rather than building a funnel on your website.

7. They provide vague reports and communicate poorly

If they hand you a crayon-scribbled map instead of a detailed chart, you can’t accurately assess your campaigns’ performance. Poor communication leads to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and misalignment between your goals and their marketing actions.

8. They control your tracking phone numbers

This can be particularly perilous. I had a client whose spurned digital marketer took the tracking numbers that he controlled and forwarded them to one of her competitors. Controlling the tracking numbers means they control a crucial part of your customer interaction and data. If things go south, they can misuse it to your detriment.

9. Ignoring your business needs

If your digital marketer is marching to the beat of their own drum, your business goals and needs are not being considered. This misalignment leads to ineffective campaigns, wasted spend, and ultimately, failure to achieve your business objectives.

10. They have no strategic plan for making you money

Without a plan of attack for the journey ahead, your campaigns will lack direction and purpose. A lack of proactive recommendations for improvement shows a lack of investment in your success and can lead to stagnation and suboptimal performance.

AND A COUPLE OF BONUS RED FLAGS:

11. Ignoring Revenue Metrics

Focusing on vanity metrics that don’t directly impact your business objectives is a classic smoke and mirrors trick. Telling you about “Search Rankings” and “Cost Per Click”, while neglecting to mention “Sales” and “Return on Ad Spend” is a sure sign that you are getting fleeced. High rankings might make you feel good, but if they don’t translate into sales, they don’t matter.

12. They don’t let you control your Analytics

Google Analytics holds all of the key information that really matters to seeing what’s going on under the hood of your website. If your web people don’t give you direct access to your Google Analytics data, or they want to control it, there’s a good chance they have something to hide. You should control your Google Analytics account, and selectively share access to it with your digital marketing vendors. You should never let them kick you out of your own data. Your data should ALWAYS belong to you.

THERE YOU HAVE IT, INTREPID EXPLORERS.

If your ‘digital marketing consultant’ is waving any of these red flags, plot a new course and find yourself a guide who can actually lead you to the treasure. The digital jungle is fraught with danger, but with the right map and a trustworthy digital marketing guide, you can find your way to success.

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If you’re interested in learning more about the best means for marketing your specific business, you can book a discovery call here.

“Mo-ooom, Jimmy hit me!”

“He hit me first!”

“Well, he called me a poopy-head”

As a parent, you’ve experienced this magical bit of storytelling.

And I’m only partially sarcastic in calling it “magical.”

‘Cause the magic comes from the lesson on storytelling.

On the Nature of Stories

Aristotle says that a story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

But as comedian Larry Gelbart said, ‘So does a piece of shit!’

Without delving into what Aristotle meant, that description doesn’t do you much good.

So what Aristotle means is that a story isn’t a mere chronological retelling of events where this happens, then this happens, and then that happens, and so on in the manner of an itinerary.

No, no, no.

A proper story doesn’t have an arbitrary beginning. It has a determinative origin.

Nor does its middle just have a random series of events happening one after the other. It has a causally connected playing out of consequences and choices.

Finally, a story doesn’t have any old random endpoint. It has a meaningful conclusion.

And here’s the magic part: the meaning of the story is intimately connected to it’s beginning (and it’s end).

Your Kid’s Innate Storytelling Mastery

So when the first child cries out saying, “Mom, Jimmy hit me!” he’s telling a story.

A narrative wherein he’s the victim of unprovoked aggression by a predatory (and allegedly poopy-headed) Jimmy.

So what’s Jimmy to do in the face of that narrative?

He changes the beginning of the story.

And by changing the origin of the action, he changes the story’s meaning.

No longer a tale of unprovoked aggression, it becomes a saga of tit-for-tat justice.

Now Jimmy was the one subjected to an unprovoked strike, making him the victim, forced into deploying countervailing violence as self-defense.

So how does the first child respond?

He can’t let that counter-narrative stand, so he moves the beginning back even further.

By changing the origin to Jimmy’s provocation a la fighting words that challenged his sacred honor, thereby demanding an appropriate response, the narrative changes once more, back to his favor.

Look, there’s a REASON why for any and every conflict, we always want to know “who started it?”

Just as there’s a reason why the two parties involved will always argue over WHEN the conflict really began, trying to pin the blame of first offense on the other guy.

Because when and how the story begins determines the meaning of the tale.

Applying This to Your Ads

So what’s this gotta do with your ads?

If you don’t intentionally frame the beginning of the conversation with your audience, then the default origin becomes:

“Oh, great, here comes another loud-mouth jack-wad looking to sell me something.”

And that’s a poisonous narrative you just can’t let form in people’s heads.

So do what your kid would do!

Move the origin of your conversation backwards to where it’ll serve you rather than condemn you.

As in, “this whole story started LOOOONG before your ad hit the airwaves…”

It started when some defining life event sent you on a mission.

A mission that involved making the lives of customers better by _______

So you’re coming to the audience to share an experience, or perspective, or a funny and self-revealing story. Not to sell, but to bond.

For example, The Most Interesting Man (MIM) doesn’t start his story by pitching beer, for heaven’s sake!

It starts with legendary feats and mythical lore that has made him the most interesting man in the world. Some of which his ads tell you about.

It is only at the end that the MIM offers you his Wisdom to “prefer Dos Equis” as your beer of choice and “Stay Thirsty, my friends.”

Just imagine if he started with that advice instead of ending with it.

That makes for a much different — and far less persuasive — story.

It’s the same with you and your ads.

Don’t start your story with a pitch.

Start your story with an origin that’ll serve you and foster a narrative that’ll cause your competition to cry out to their mommies for relief.

If you aren’t a showman or a storyteller, you’re still in good company. Wizard of Ads® can help you create the brand or marketing story you need to drive your user experience. Book a call.

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The sun is bouncing off the windows of downtown buildings. Your company’s banners are snapping in a light breeze. A massive crowd is barricaded behind supersized hay bales, forming a prickly necklace down a wide sloping avenue. The fans erupt in cheers, propelling every derby car on its gravity passage to the finish line.

Everyone is having a grand time and you did it.

Your business won approval from the city, recruited volunteers, encouraged employees, enlisted additional sponsors, procured prizes, and purchased advertising. You found vendors and filled quiet streets with crowds. Wow! Call it a success? You want to. But this one guy dropped a screaming F-bomb and launched a bird from his fist E-V-E-R-Y T-I-M-E your company truck and trailer drove by to gather racers and return them uphill to the starting line. He’s a downer. Time to engage.

“What’s the problem? Do you have a complaint? Please don’t swear around all these kids.”

“Don’t mess with my first amendment rights.”

“Ah, that’s not the issue here.”

“Hey man, **** you.”

Huh. Did this guy work for you once? An unhappy customer? Does he loathe gravity propulsion? You’re not trained for PSYCHO-analysis. Your arm hairs are dancing.

During the post-awards cleanup, a customer taps you on the shoulder, “Hey, just wanted to let you know, I really loved the day. Great fun. It’s times like this… you know, the community gathering here… it’s why we buy your tires and bring our cars to you. You do stuff like this. Thanks.”

Wow! You don’t hear that all the time. Okay, is that why you do it? There are lots of reasons really. You like doing it. It’s who you are. You’re a car guy. You like seeing adults having fun like kids. Yes, it’s a lot of work. Is it worth it? Does it help the bottom line? Is that customer a unicorn? Well… A LOT of people seemed to have a lot of fun.

Highlighting the pros/cons of organizing or even sponsoring events isn’t the purpose of this story. This is a true-story-people-lesson.

Certain people are fools. Many more are gracious.

A few even give you face-to-face five-star reviews. When you’re doing the right thing, you probably know it in your heart, your gut, your mind, and in the little hairs dancing on the back of your neck.

Forget the fools. Keep reaching for the stars.

If you need new branding guidance, book a call with no other than Wizard of Ads®. We'll help you figure out what new perspective on branding can work for your business.

David Ogilvy, the legendary advertising guru, left behind a treasure trove of marketing wisdom that continues to resonate today. His insights into understanding audiences, crafting compelling messages, and leveraging data-driven strategies are valuable for advertising with Google Ads. In this article, we will explore ten essential lessons from Ogilvy and how they can maximize the effectiveness of your Google Ads campaigns.

1. Know your audience:

The first lesson from Ogilvy is to understand your target audience. With Google Ads, you have access to a wealth of data that can help you find your ideal customers, their interests, and their online behaviors. Leverage this information to create ads that resonate with their needs, desires, and aspirations.

Unless you have some reason to be solemn and pretentious, write your copy in the colloquial language which your customers use in everyday conversation. – David Ogilvy

2. Put the customer at the center:

Ogilvy believed in putting the customer first, and the same principle applies to Google Ads. Craft your ads with the customer in mind, focusing on the benefits and value you offer. Make sure your ad copy and messaging discuss their pain points and offer solutions.

What you show is more important than what you say. – David Ogilvy

3. Compelling headlines:

In a sea of online content, attention-grabbing headlines are crucial. Ogilvy understood this well, and it holds true for Google Ads too. Create captivating headlines that make users want to click on your ads. Experiment with different variations and test their performance to find the most effective ones.

On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. If you haven’t done some selling in your headline, you have wasted 80 percent of your client’s money. – David Ogilvy

4. Harness the power of storytelling:

Storytelling is a potent tool in advertising, and Ogilvy recognized its impact. Use Google Ads to tell compelling stories about your brand, products, or services. Capture the audience’s imagination, evoke emotions, and create a connection that goes beyond a simple ad.

Long copy sells, as long as it’s good copy and it’s tailored for the right prospect. – David Ogilvy

5. Base decisions on research:

Ogilvy was a staunch advocate for research-driven marketing decisions, and this principle aligns with Google Ads. Use the platform’s analytical tools to gather data and insights. Test different ad variations, keywords, and targeting strategies. Let data guide your decisions to optimize campaign performance.

Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals. – David Ogilvy

6. Develop a unique selling proposition (USP):

Standing out in a crowded digital landscape is essential, and Ogilvy emphasized the importance of a unique selling proposition (USP). Diagnose what sets your business apart and communicate it in your Google Ads. Highlight the benefits, features, or value that make you unique and compel users to choose your offering.

The most important decision is how to position your product. – David Ogilvy

7. Simplify your message:

Simplicity and clarity were central to Ogilvy’s philosophy. Apply this principle to your Google Ads. Craft concise, easy-to-understand messages that convey your value proposition. Avoid industry jargon or complex language that might confuse or alienate your audience.

It pays to boil down your strategy to one simple promise and go the whole hog in delivering that promise. – David Ogilvy

8. Embrace testing and experimentation:

Testing and experimentation are at the heart of Ogilvy’s approach, and Google Ads offers abundant opportunities for this. A/B test different ad elements, such as headlines, copy, images, and calls-to-action. Check and analyze the results to refine your campaigns and improve their effectiveness.

The most important word in the vocabulary of advertising is TEST. – David Ogilvy

9. Respect your audience’s intelligence:

Ogilvy believed in treating the audience with respect, and transparency and honesty were key. Apply the same principle to your Google Ads campaigns. Be truthful and avoid misleading or deceptive tactics. Build trust and credibility with your audience, fostering long-term relationships.

The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife. – David Ogilvy

10. Embrace continuous learning:

Ogilvy understood that learning and staying updated are vital for success in marketing. The same holds true for Google Ads. Stay abreast of the latest trends, features, and best practices. Attend webinars, read industry blogs, and engage in online communities to enhance your knowledge and optimize your campaigns.

The more our people learn, the more useful they can be to our clients. – David Ogilvy

Advertising with Google Ads provides an immense opportunity to reach and engage your target audience. By embracing the ten marketing lessons from David Ogilvy, you can create compelling ads, resonate with your audience, and achieve optimal results. Understanding your audience, putting the customer first, and employing data-driven strategies will help you stand out in the competitive digital landscape, building brand awareness, driving traffic, and generating conversions with Google Ads.

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If you need new branding guidance, book a call with no other than Wizard of Ads®. We'll help you figure out what new perspective on branding can work for your business.

If you are using faulty data, you’re making flawed decisions. Hopefully, we can agree on that.

We believe in never asking customers how they heard about us, like never and forever. Here are four reasons why you should never ask this question and use the data to decide how to spend your marketing dollars.

It’s a question about you, not them. Your marketing has worked if they’ve called, emailed, or shown up. They are communicating with your business. They’ve entered your sales process and want to know if you can help them, when you can help them, and how much it costs. How quickly are you answering these questions? Because this is what they care about at that moment. They do not care or have even given any thought to how they came in contact with your business and have a problem they want to solve. So don’t make the conversation about you or your marketing.

The second reason is that you put the customer on the spot with this question. The customer doesn’t want to look stupid and say, “I don’t know.” So they will give you an answer, because then maybe they can get their problem solved.

The third reason is that just by how you ask the question, you skew the results. Whether it’s online, on paper, or done verbally doesn’t matter. Just the way the options are presented skews the outcome. Because the quicker the customer can answer the question, the quicker they can solve their problem. For example, starting with the Internet will probably be your highest result because it’s a safe answer.

The fourth reason is something complicated called last-touch attribution, which is a fancy way of saying the last marketing contact before the customer engages with your business. If they heard a radio ad or saw a TV ad that directs them to your website, and you ask whether you heard about us on the Radio, TV, or Internet. What do you think the answer is going to be? Your offline advertising is doing its job of driving people to your website, but your survey data will never reflect that.

There’s an old computer database expression, “Garbage in, Garbage out.” Don’t get caught making decisions about what’s working based on Garbage data. You want to track direct and organic visits to your website. That is a leading indicator of whether your offline advertising is working. To trend this data, you need a Trailing 12 graph. See page 63 of Jim Canfield and Kraig Kramers book “CEO Tools 2.0” for more information on Trailing 12 charts. They remove seasonality and show you if you’re trending in the right direction.

The other leading indicators you should watch are raw inbound phone calls, chats, web forms, and visitors—all of your initial touch points. Trend the touch points at the beginning of the customer conversation. If those are trending up, your business will be growing. To learn more about how we can help you, book a call with Ryan Chute of Wizard of Ads® today.

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Why do business owners wait till winter? The freezing cold blasts from accounting, supply issues, and recruiting grief are piling up in drifts of hard icy snow. If it’s already winter, you should still call but it’s better to call in spring.

The trouble is, everything seems possible in spring so business owners don’t call. Summer is a solid time but businesses are distracted by perfect weather, steady growth, and icy adult beverages. Autumn is business busy with harvest and sometimes hunkering down for what comes next. Business owners should call then too.

Windchill is where the bragging rights come into play. -67F is how it feels, with windchill. That’s only -55C but it feels the same.

In fact -40F and -40C are exactly the same.
It’s a dry cold, which means you can dress for -40.

But the windchill is coming.

We all know the four seasons… And no I don’t mean the musical group…..

Spring summer winter and autumn. Not necessarily in that order, of course. I live four distinct seasons, which is not the year divided by four.

Winter is the longest.

November is my anniversary so that’s a fun month. And well, I love Christmas particularly because I have not always celebrated – so December gets a pass.

January is full of ideas and plans and packing decorations away so it’s not winter until about the second week.

And then winter settles in.

It’s dark. It’s cold. It’s icy. There are feet of snow to shovel. The wind blows it onto cars and sidewalks and into your eyes.

You just bundle up.

A remote start on your vehicle is ketchup on fries. Why wouldn’t you? An attached garage and underground parking are a dream. You question the sanity of your ancestors for settling anywhere close, and your own for staying….worse if you recently moved here.

You sit on your heat register or in front of a fireplace and wait.

March is a trickster, as is the first couple of weeks of April…you know it’s almost impossible, but wasn’t there a year spring came early?

Sure, snow in June is possible but mentioning it is tempting the gods. Spring finally waves but she doesn’t last long. Buds, pussy willows, and running water in the streets change to brilliant green lawns and urban forests. Clear skies and neighbors smiling. The school year bows her head towards summer and family road trips. Homeschoolers are done and public school families, complain about too many movies, field trips, and days being wasted.

Summer is a glorious queen with mosquito genocide on her mind and little ones upset about going to sleep when it is clearly still daytime.

Then, leaves change color, lakes are warm, the air has a minty coolness and most people head home to routine. It’s not even 7p but it feels like bedtime.

What season is your business in?

Marketing, advertising, and branding should be 52 weeks a year unless you are closed. True seasonal businesses are possible but rare. Not many actually shutter their doors. If you do, it’s hard to remind them you’ve been hibernating. Sleep is the great eraser…they forget who you are. We need to keep telling them.

Marketing is not Advertising. Branding is a bit of both. All three are the clothes you wear. And depending on the time of year, it might change. I promise you, I dress a lot differently for a January walk but I’m still wearing clothes in July.

When will your clients need you? How can your marketing – your 52-week marketing- ensure they think of you first when, finally, they need your product or service? There is no need to compete with the frantic Google gods who believe everyone waits until the Zero Moment of Truth to decide who to buy from, use, and support in your category.

This is the fun of marketing your business… not running a never-ending sale, not tricking someone into a must-be-now-now-now-now purchase – it’s letting them know that whenever they decide they need you, you will be there for them. Our customers have seasons too. Keep telling them they can trust you to be there no matter how cold their beautiful blue sky is.

So, let’s have fun. Fun growing your business. An uncovery and strategy meeting is the place to start.

That’s where we find your sword in the stone, what everyone needs to know. It only belongs to you. Not your industry. Your. Business. And only yours. Eliminate competition. We can worry about how to tell people After we know what to tell them.

A plan and a message to take windchill, hot sun, cooling nights, and budding possibilities and keep your business moving forward to embrace it all.

Your customers are waiting.

Let’s have some fun.

If you need new branding guidance, book a call with no other than Wizard of Ads®. We'll help you figure out what new perspective on branding can work for your business.

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