Brendan Hufford’s Post

I thought I had my marketing spend locked in and honed. But I realized I was actually taking a sledgehammer approach to my marketing budget. How? Through random acts of marketing. I was wasting too much cash on so many things: -> Google Ads --> Unnecessary PR ---> Social media boosts ----> Boosting the podcast This blunt-force marketing didn't yield the results I was looking for. Check out the video below to learn about how I stopped the cash drain and the new way I'm approaching my spending.

🚀 Exciting news! Episode 8 of "Funded, Now What?" podcast is out! 🎙️ I'm joined by Sam Obletz, founder of Claim, joins me to share how his social shopping app secured $4 million in funding. Here we discuss leveraging the Power of College Athletes for Influencer Marketing Success Tune in now for more invaluable insights! 🔊 Episode Link: https://lnkd.in/deVCRatK Enjoy. Share. DM me with feedback. #funding #seedstage #startupfounder #startupmarketing #podcast #business

Weekends are my time to reset and recharge. One of my favorite rituals is starting the day with an inspiring podcast, and Gary Vaynerchuk is one of my go-to’s. This episode stood out—it’s all about scaling small businesses with practical strategies like email marketing, Google Ads, and social media, plus tips on authenticity and tackling trolls. Whether you’re building a business or curious about marketing trends, it’s packed with insights. Give it a listen! #Marketing101 #BusinessGrowth #WeekendInspiration #SocialMediaMarketing #AlwaysLearning

Just finished listening to an amazing episode of Lenny Rachitsky ‘s podcast featuring Alistair Croll and I have to say, it was packed with insightful gems on subversive marketing strategies. Alistair shared some fascinating examples of how companies have used unconventional methods to make a real impact: - Netflix ingeniously repurposed the U.S. Postal Service by mailing DVDs, effectively turning snail mail into their own high-bandwidth delivery system before streaming was widespread. This clever use of existing infrastructure really highlights how thinking differently can disrupt an entire industry. - Bumble executed brilliant guerrilla marketing tactics on university campuses by putting up posters that playfully suggested the university disapproved of apps like Bumble. This not only grabbed attention but also sparked curiosity and engagement among students. - Salesforce turned a perceived weakness—limited features—into a strength by emphasizing simplicity. Their “No Software” slogan resonated with users overwhelmed by complex CRM systems, proving that sometimes less truly is more. These stories really got me thinking about the power of creativity in marketing. It’s not about being unethical; it’s about finding innovative ways to stand out and connect with your audience. Huge shoutout to Alistair Croll for sharing these invaluable insights and Lenny for hosting such an engaging conversation. If you’re looking to shake up your marketing approach, I highly recommend giving this episode a listen!

The world needs more marketing … said no one ever. (Well, no one except me.) To be clear, no one needs more terrible marketing. The world is not in search of more noise and inauthenticity. We’re not looking for yet another hard sell, trivial gimmick, or misleading message to clutter up our social feeds, our tv screens... or our brains, for that matter. But what we DO need is more skilled marketing professionals committed to mastering the art of persuasion. We need people who think about their craft ethically and who dedicate themselves to the promotion of positive products and ideas. We need the next generation of great storytellers... because it's in telling phenomenal stories that the impact of marketing really begins. Recently, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Bennie F. Johnson—President of the American Marketing Association, an organization which has been shaping and supporting the nation’s best and brightest marketers for nearly 87 years—on the “Marketing / And” podcast. Together, we discussed the future of the industry and how we all might benefit from just a little more non-obvious thinking as we learn to navigate that future. Check out the episode below (link in the comments) and then let me hear your thoughts… What's up next for marketers and the stories they aim to tell? 

CEO’s you maybe tracking or being reported the wrong metrics with your marketing campaigns. As a CEO there is only 1 metric that actually matters when it comes to marketing and it may not be the one you are spending your time focussed on. You should not be tracking clicks, impressions, open rates or any of that’s stuff in your marketing campaigns if you want to increase success. Why? Clicks, opens, impressions don’t mean anything to you as a CEO (important: they do have a role to play if played correctly)… as a service business the only metric that actually matters… CALLS or ENQUIRIES (if the enquiry is not a call) Track the wrong metric and you feel good but don’t get results, track the right metric and you scale. That’s just a tiny golden budget from the presentation I just completed this presentation at the Atlanta Chapter in The Connective Want me to present this to your audience? Speak on your podcast or produce marketing content for your audience of business owners? Message me if you do. 😊

🛑 STOP thinking that you have to do ALL THE THINGS. The best marketing strategy is the marketing you can do CONSISTENTLY. You don't have to be on every social media platform. You need to be on just the ones that your ideal client or customer is on. You don't need to have a super fancy, elaborate website. You just need one that represents your brand well and functions to support your sales funnel. You don't need to be sending out daily or even weekly marketing emails! You need to be keeping your audience aware of you without hitting them over the head with promos. You don't need to be doing videos and podcasting and ads IF YOU DON'T WANT TO! Pouring your time and money into marketing that doesn't feel good is an inauthentic representation of your brand and will only leave you with resentment towards marketing. Marketing CAN BE FUN! If you need help figuring out everything you NEED to be doing and everything you DON'T need to be doing, let me know. Comment below or DM me and we'll figure out what suits you best. #contentstrategist #marketingplan #marketingstrategies #marketingtools #marketingcoach #marketinglife #marketingadvice #contentmarketingstrategies #contentmarketingtrends #contentmarketingideas #contentmarketingtips

🚜Silos only have a place on Iowa farms and not so much in marketing projects. But yet, marketing today often looks disconnected like this: "Let's run these ads!" 🎯 "Maybe we should publish a blog post?" ✍️ "Did you hear so and so is doing a podcast now?" 🎙️ And don't forget the constant pressure: "We need more lead generation!" 📈 Here's the truth: These tactics CAN work. But there's a better way... The secret? A holistic marketing approach! 🌟 Instead of isolated campaigns, focus on a broader demand generation strategy. This approach: 🔗Integrates multiple channels 🎭Creates a cohesive brand experience 📊Drives sustainable growth Ready to elevate your marketing game? Let's discuss how to transform your tactics into a powerful, unified strategy! 💪 https://hubs.ly/Q02GDcXl0

“The single most important thing in all of marketing is first and foremost organic social media, then everything else.” I listened to Gary Vaynerchuk on the The Skinny Confidential podcast recently where he talked about the importance of marketing, and common mistakes companies make in building their customer base. This quote stood out to me because it touches on the fundamental shift in consumer behavior: the use of social media as a primary search engine. Yet, so many businesses aren’t treating it like that. We've moved FAR beyond the old-school Mad Men marketing strategies, and today, social media forces businesses to adopt methods that are, dare I say, more human?? All businesses can easily integrate this shift into their marketing. It's a new era.

Did you know most of my clients DON’T come from traditional marketing channels? You know, like social media posts, email campaigns, or even ads (shocker right?) 🙃 They actually come from the most underutilized marketing strategy. And, in the latest episode of Million Dollar Marketing, I share what it is and how you can duplicate it to grow your client base like I’ve been doing for years… Ready for the big reveal? Tune in now for all the deets!🎧 #Podcast #Marketing #BusinessGrowth