Kris Clark Marketing Consultancy

Tag: #growthhacks

  • 🧄 Garlic Is the Ultimate ABM Strategy

    🧄 Garlic Is the Ultimate ABM Strategy

    Slow, deliberate, and wildly effective

    Most people think of garlic as an ingredient — a bit player. But gardeners know better. Garlic is strategic.

    You plant it in the cold. It grows invisibly for months. You tend to it, give it space, and trust the process.

    Come summer, you don’t just get a single clove. You get an entire head. More value than what you put in.

    This, my fellow marketers, is Account-Based Marketing.

    ABM isn’t about scale. It’s about precision.

    It starts with deliberate targeting — like choosing the right spot in the garden.

    Then comes months of nurture:

    • Personalisation
    • Warm-up content
    • One-to-few messaging
    • Stakeholder mapping
    • Patience

    No drama. No noise. Just carefully placed, high-potential growth.

    Garlic (and ABM) rewards the long game.

    You don’t plant garlic and expect a crop in four weeks.

    You commit. You invest. You wait for the right season to lift the whole thing out of the ground. And when you do?

    You’ve built something robust, healthy, and multipliable. One clove becomes ten! Just like one engaged account becomes a customer, a case study, an advocate, and a source of referrals.

    In a world of “spray and pray,”

    • ABM is garlic.
    • A little under the radar.
    • A little quiet.
    • But utterly effective.

    Next up in the series: What potatoes and hidden pipeline have in common.

    #LessonsFromTheAllotment #PipelineWisdom #ABM #B2BMarketing #LongGame #DemandGen #GrowthStrategy #GarlicLogic

  • Grow Where It Grows: Pipeline lessons from a stubborn patch of soil

    Grow Where It Grows: Pipeline lessons from a stubborn patch of soil

    Ever planted something just because you wanted it — not because the conditions were right?

    I have.
    And I’ve watched it wither, no matter how much care I gave it.

    It’s the same with pipeline.
    You can chase that “perfect” lead all you like — the logo you’re desperate to land — but if the ground isn’t right, it won’t grow.

    Great gardeners — and great marketers — learn to observe:
    🌱 Where things naturally thrive
    🌞 Where the light and timing are right
    🌾 Where there’s real potential, not just personal preference

    Lead generation isn’t about forcing growth.
    It’s about spotting the conditions where growth is already trying to happen — and nurturing that.

    You may love artichokes.
    But if courgettes are exploding across the garden, that’s your sign.

    Grow where it grows.

    #LessonsFromTheAllotment #PipelineWisdom #B2BMarketing #LeadGeneration #GrowthStrategy #MarketingMindset #LetItGrow

  • From Resolution to Reality: Why March Is the Perfect Time to Realign Your Marketing Goals

    From Resolution to Reality: Why March Is the Perfect Time to Realign Your Marketing Goals

    The confetti has settled, the champagne flutes are rinsed clean, and a new year stretches before us brimming with possibility. We’re energized by the idea of a fresh start, vowing to hit those KPIs and smash those marketing goals. But as February fades into March, a familiar feeling might start to creep in: déjà vu.

    Why is it that so many well-intentioned resolutions fall by the wayside by spring?

    Here’s a thought: maybe the problem isn’t with you, but with your approach.

    The Illusory Ease of Automation

    In the age of marketing automation tools, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that technology is a shortcut to success. Reservation modules, payment gateways, and website chatbots promise a frictionless experience for your customers, but they often overlook a crucial truth:

    These tools are designed to streamline the customer journey, not the business owner’s journey.

    While a seamless online experience is essential for conversions, the back-end requires constant vigilance.

    • Are your appointment times accurate across all platforms?
    • Are you confirming appointments promptly?
    • Is your shopping cart functioning flawlessly?

    The reality is, you don’t need ten different payment processors. In fact, offering too many choices can confuse customers and hinder conversions.

    The same goes for appointment scheduling and communication tools. If you prefer email bookings, there’s no point in offering a chat module that you’ll never monitor.

    Beyond the “Build It and They Will Come” Mentality

    The days of passive online success are long gone.

    In today’s competitive landscape, social proof, positive reviews, and strategic marketing are table stakes.

    Running an online business requires just as much dedication and hustle as a brick-and-mortar store. The ability to work remotely can sometimes blur the lines between work and personal life, leading to burnout.

    So, how do we break free from this cycle of unrealistic expectations and rekindle the optimism of the new year?

    The Power of Data-Driven Realignment

    Early March, with its quieter pace, presents the perfect opportunity to take a step back and reassess your goals.

    Here’s your roadmap to realignment:

    1. Break Down Your Business Plan:
      • What products or services do you offer?
      • What are your core competencies, and what can you realistically outsource?
    2. Identify Your Goals:
      • What do you want to achieve this year?
      • Be specific and measurable.
    3. Leverage Data:
      • Look at your website analytics, customer engagement metrics, and sales data.
      • What’s working? What’s not?
    4. Refine Your Approach:
      • Based on your data, refine your marketing strategy and optimize your marketing automation tools.
    5. Embrace Help:
      • You don’t have to be a jack-of-all-trades.
      • Delegate tasks to qualified professionals to free up your time and energy.

    Remember, it’s okay to course-correct!

    The new year is a time for fresh starts, but progress isn’t always linear.

    Embrace data during March for realignment. This approach ensures that your marketing efforts are targeted and efficient. It leads to long-term success.

  • Value proposition series: When Should You Develop Your Value Proposition?

    Value proposition series: When Should You Develop Your Value Proposition?

    A value proposition is a magical statement that can make or break your business’s success. You´ve heard how crucial they are, but: when exactly should you spend time and creative effort to create that perfect value proposition? 

    Spoiler alert: preferably at the start of your business. Just like business goals a value proposition should help align, well it´s in the names – the values of your business. 

    It´s tempting to rush into the business with the elevator pitch (especially when looking for funding) but take a few moments to write down what, when, how & why. 

    Your value proposition is a business blueprint – it lays the foundation for everything you do in your business – from marketing to sales and even customer support. By developing it early on, you’ll have a clear direction and a powerful message to convey to your target audience.

    But don´t shoot into the air with an ´aspirational´ guess – get to know your potential customers inside out – their pain points, their desires, and what makes them tick. Find the secret code that unlocks the door to their hearts.

    But wait you say – not aspirational? Correct. First things first. Lay the foundation. When you start growing then fine-tune, tweak. You can´t build the penthouse first even if you dream of it. Conversely, before embarking on new pastures – review and revise.  Different markets have different needs and preferences, so your proposition might need a bit of tweaking to charm your unique audience.

    Also when things are down – don´t abandon but review and revise. If sales stagnate or your once-enthusiastic customers seem to be losing interest, it doesn´t mean that you need to turn around and create something new – it could be a sign that it’s time to dust off your value proposition and give it a much-needed makeover.

    Remember, as time goes on, customer preferences change faster than you can say “innovation.” What worked like a charm yesterday might not cut it today. By revisiting your value proposition regularly, you’ll keep it relevant and captivating for your audience.

    Use your value proposition as the touchstone for marketing, sales, innovation, personnel (hires), and growth. 

  • Storytelling series: summing it all up

    Storytelling series: summing it all up

    In the world of marketing, competition is fierce, and brands are always looking for new and innovative ways to stand out from the crowd. However, simply promoting products and services is no longer enough to build a strong brand. In order to truly connect with their audience, brands need to tell a story that resonates with their customers on a deeper level.

    Authenticity, narrative, and voice are three crucial elements in creating a compelling story that motivates customers to take action. Authenticity is all about being true to the brand’s values and identity, and it requires transparency and honesty. A brand’s narrative should be consistent across all marketing channels and align with the brand’s goals, while its voice should be distinctive and recognizable.

    By mastering these elements, brands can create a powerful story that not only engages their audience but also inspires them to take action. For example, a brand might use its narrative to tell a story of its journey to success, highlighting challenges overcome and lessons learned along the way. By using authentic language and a distinctive voice, the brand can create an emotional connection with its audience and motivate them to take action, such as making a purchase or sharing the brand’s message with others.

    Another example, for a gallery or artist, might be using the narrative to showcase the work by the journey of the individual artists. Using real stories and a genuine voice, you can build trust with your audience and inspire them to act, such as signing up for a subscription or leaving a positive review.

    With customers increasingly discerning and skeptical, storytelling is a powerful tool for brands to build meaningful connections with their audience. By mastering authenticity, narrative, and voice, brands can create compelling stories that resonate with their customers.

  • Tips: why SEO is not a simple solution

    Tips: why SEO is not a simple solution

    Full disclosure – it is always tempting to take something you do well, make it look even easier and then sell that as a service. That is the backbone of consulting.

    And many solopreneurs get boggled by all the terms we throw at them. SEO, SEA, SEM, CTR, CPC, ROI. As a business person, you know that SEO is important – you need to be found ! But what is it? And how do you do it?

    SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is not a simple solution because it involves a complex set of strategies and techniques that are constantly evolving. While there are some basic principles that remain constant, search engines like Google are constantly updating their algorithms to provide better search results to users. This means that SEO strategies that worked well in the past may no longer be effective, and new techniques need to be developed and implemented.

    Moreover, SEO is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Every website and business is different, and the SEO strategy that works best for one may not work as well for another. It requires a thorough understanding of the target audience, the competition, the industry, and the technical aspects of website optimization.

    In addition, SEO is not a quick fix. It takes time, patience, and consistent effort to see results. It involves creating high-quality, relevant content, building backlinks, optimizing website structure and content, and continuously monitoring and analyzing performance to make data-driven decisions.

    Lastly, SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. As mentioned earlier, search engine algorithms are constantly changing, and businesses need to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices to maintain their search visibility and rankings. This requires ongoing research, testing, and optimization, making SEO a long-term and continuous effort.

    Everything in business and life if worth doing well but also requires thinking, rethinking and ongoing work—no simple fixes.

  • What are vanity metrics?

    What are vanity metrics?

    A part of the semi-regular marketing tips series:

    Metrics, KPIs, business intelligence, and data – are all very important terms and I personally love to analyze and measure things. However, often entrepreneurs and marketers fall into the trap of vanity metrics.

    Vanity metrics are performance indicators that are often used to measure the success of a business, but do not necessarily reflect the true value of the business or its ability to generate revenue. They are often used to make a business or product look good on paper, but do not provide any meaningful insight into the customer experience or the effectiveness of the business’s strategies.

    Examples of vanity metrics include website traffic, social media followers, or the number of downloads of an app.

    These metrics can be easily manipulated and do not necessarily indicate whether a business is profitable or sustainable. It’s important to distinguish between vanity metrics and actionable metrics that can help to improve the business’s performance.

    But you say, those figures are straight from a dashboard! True, however, for example, website analytics, and organic followers come to the landing page and then jump off after 20 seconds. They don´t continue the journey. So even if your traffic is increasing your revenue isn´t and you need to do something about that.

    It isn´t easy but try to avoid the vanity metrics trap of just more likes, unengaged followers, and empty website traffic.

  • Do Hashtags Matter?

    Do Hashtags Matter?

    The simple answer is yes. However, it is critical to understand what a hashtag does.

    A hashtag—written with a # symbol—is used to index keywords or topics. They were first developed for Twitter but are now a broader indexing tool. It allows people to follow topics they are interested in quickly. That topic (hashtag) is the most searched when something is trending. In other words, it helps you navigate an ocean of content and is a quick tool for people to find you.

    Don´t abuse them, though old-school trending hacks were to jump on popular hashtags even if they had nothing to do with your content or message. This doesn´t work as people will ignore you and, even more detrimentally, not trust you.

    But smart use of hashtags helps people find you. So don´t just ignore them.

    Number 1 in my series of ´tips & tricks´ in the world of online marketing.