The Analytive Blog
Marketing that's inputs and outcomes.
Practical, no-fluff thinking on SEO, paid ads, and building marketing that drives revenue.
What Happens When you don’t Start.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb I love this proverb. Because growing a business is a lot like planting a tree. You may hear about these businesses that start and instantly make the founder millions. Or the ad campaign that draws […]
You Don’t Trust Me.
As someone who works in advertising, one of the biggest challenges I face on the marketing side is trust. How do I get someone to trust me? But I understand this as a consumer as well. I consider myself a savvy consumer – and I need to trust someone before I’m willing to buy from […]
When to not use Social Media Marketing
“Social media is the most amazing thing ever!!!!!” – Every article on LinkedIn right now. But if you’re like me, you’ve likely been disenchanted with social. Perhaps you’ve invested a LOT of time and effort into social media and never achieved what you hoped. Perhaps you’ve been posting for years and have a few hundred […]
Killing it in Niche Industries
When we’re talking to businesses about marketing, I hear a common pushback. It sounds something like this: “Our industry is so niche, we already know all the customers.” Or similarly….. “Our industry is niche so marketing will never work.” Now don’t get me wrong, there are some very niche industries. But if your product solves […]
I Got A Phone Call From A Telemarketer….
Today I got a call from a salesman working for a marketing company. Now I run a marketing agency, but this gentleman claimed to be able to “help agencies grow”. I’m normally skeptical of cold calls, but I told him I’d give him 30 seconds to give the pitch. After all, I don’t try to […]
McDonald’s Treats Me Better Than You Do
McDonald’s treats me better than virtually any other restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. At least their marketing department does. If you’ve ever downloaded the McDonald’s app, you know that it’s quite good. They regularly offer specials – and not just discounts, but free things. They’ll give away free food regularly. And none of this “purchase […]
Marketing Investment Rant
If there’s one thing wrong with the way most business owners look at marketing, it’s this: ***Marketing is an investment, not an expense.*** Stop. Read that again. It’s important that we’re on the same page. Let me explain. Investments are things that pay you more money as you put more money into them. When you […]
Good Ad vs Bad Ad Examples
If you follow the newsletter, you know we spend a lot of time talking about ad copy. Specifically, how important it is to write good ads. But sometimes that’s an abstract concept. What’s a “good” ad and what’s a “bad” ad? Well, you’re in luck. Recently I was reading a great book on copy called The […]
Bad Pad Thai
I get asked a lot about setting prices. With virtually every client, this discussion surfaces. Here’s what you need to know about pricing your products and services. Bad Pad Thai: Friday night I was working late. As such, I ordered take out. Pad Thai is one of my favorite meals, and there’s a new place that […]
Road Construction
There’s a new hospital going up about two miles from my house. The problem is, over the past two months, they’re also rebuilding the road right in front of the hospital. Some days it’s closed completely. Other days it’s partially open. I don’t work in road construction, but they are taking a long time to get this […]
Your Ads Suck
Let’s be honest, almost all your ads suck. And many of the ads I write suck. It’s not because I want them to, but it’s because I’m still learning about people. This is a major problem in marketing. I spent 4 years in undergrad (and earned an MBA on top of that). I spent hundreds […]
The Word You Own
At Analytive, we are working with a client who is in an ultra-competitive niche. On top of that, their product is not differentiated. There are small differences, but overall the product is almost a commodity. As we’re developing a marketing and branding strategy for this client, we opened up discussions about words. In The 22 Immutable Laws […]
Interest > Demographics
In the old days of marketing, we used to sort people by demographics. “Our product is for 35-45 females who make between $40,000 and $60,000 a year” And sure, for many mega companies, this might make sense. It makes sense if you plan to sell over one million units. It also makes sense if you’re […]
Funnels Part 1
If you’ve spent any time using marketing software, you’ve likely heard the term “marketing automation”. But if you’re not familiar with it, it can sound crazy. What really is marketing automation and how can it help your business? Marketing automation allows you to offload the bulk of your work to software tools. Let me give […]
Snapchat Announcement
Snapchat just announced that they’re launching their ads platform to the public in June. Previously, you needed to be a major brand (like a Nike, Taco Bell, Gatorade) to be able to use the platform. But according to TechCrunch, that’s all changing in June. So what does that mean to you? Well, here’s how it may […]
Facebook and Tinder Grew the Same Way
If you’re involved in business, you know that growth is the golden ticket. Everyone is trying to grow their business, get new users, and attract marketing share. Growth = Success in business. But growth doesn’t always involve spending millions of dollars on ads or creating viral videos. Sometimes growth is just getting the product into […]
Google Analytics Talk
If you’ve followed Analytive for awhile, you know that measurement and analytics are built into our DNA. We’re obsessed with it. One of the main tools we use is Google Analytics. I used to do speaking and consulting on GA often. But as the business has grown, I have less time to speak on Google Analytics. And […]
Google Analytics Talk at the Fort Collins WordPress Meetup
Tyler was invited to the WordPress Meetup to speak on Google Analytics. Special thanks to the Fort Collins WordPress Meetup and the Digital Workshop Center for hosting.