IN SUMMARY: They act like they are superstars because people believe every word that comes out of their mouth. They tell us “what we should do”but too often hide behind their personal brands that are enhanced as they speak at conferences that elevate their level of self-importance. These are the marketing frauds. People who have a great personal brand but have very little to show as an actual “accomplishment”.
When I pitch to new clients I don’t claim to be an expert at anything except listening. I have found that a lot of the clients I help have been led on the wrong information highway and believe the self-appointed marketing superstars.
If you go back to the glory days of social media you’ll find their names and self-promotional plugs everywhere. People like Peter, Jay, and others who just loved to speak at conferences and acted like superstars. Today they still have a lot of followers on Twitter but I am here to tell you that most are frauds.
I can’t tell you how many people have called me because they were duped by these people. They invested money in things like HubSpot and have very little to show for their investment.
I have worked in marketing for over 20 years and MY success are documented as actual accomplishments that helped my company/brand compete in the marketplace. I understand that I had to show, in real-world metrics, how the money I was spending actually drove brand KPI’s. Even with all this I also know that my past accomplishments don’t mean a damn thing if I don’t help my clients succeed.
A good marketer thinks about free research he/she sees online and questions how the data is relevant to their market and customers. A bad marketer loves to jump on the hype bandwagon with words like “blockchain” and “engagement”.
An exceptional good marketer understands that their customers are fickle and have a lot of choices so therefore we have to earn their business every day. They also know that the best way to understand consumers is to get out of the office and listen to and watch consumers and the people who sell their product.
Read what people say around the web when it comes to marketing and branding but NEVER let what they say be the last word. Question everything and always challenge the status quo. As a marketer it’s our job.
