Thoughts on Marketing

Don’t let your social posts weigh you down

[Originally published as The Marketing Mix newsletter on Substack]

Does a Founder or owner have to be active on social media? It might seem like a strange question when so many seem to be “building in public,” and documenting their founder journey on Linkedin or X.

But most CEOs of growth companies would rather be spending their time on other things. Minor details like building the product, creating a team, raising money…Doing, rather than talking about it.

So if you don’t enjoy crafting long-form Linkedin posts or posting videos – how do you keep relevant on social, without it becoming an albatross around their neck?

• Look within. Is anyone on your team already active on the target platform? Ask them if they’d be willing to take on the company role as well.
• Tap into the community. There’s a vibrant ecosystem of enthusiasts in every area of tech; one of them might be interested in a side-hustle to run your social media program. With the bonus that they’ll probably only take the gig if they’re already an advocate for what you do.
• Bring in an agency. The challenge here is finding one who knows your market and audience inside out, and can talk authentically about your company. Tough to do, but great if you can find them.
• Hire an intern. Just kidding! This is too important to hand off to someone junior.
• Grin and bear it. If you decide to keep at it yourself, then narrow your focus to a single platform. And focus on posting consistently about the industry in general, not just your product. You’ll find there’s always something to say.

I work with Founders and CEOs of small-but-mighty tech companies, both as a fractional Marketing leader, and delivering on specific implementation projects.

If you’re not sure which marketing tactics are right for you; or if your current programs aren’t moving the needle, we should talk. Book some time to chat.

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Keeping it Light

A friend of mine recently had to give up alcohol completely, and he told me he missed going out for ‘a cold malt beverage” as he put it. So to make life a little easier,  I turned up at his door with a 6-pack of Peroni 0.0% beer. 

As I wrote a few months ago, the range of alcohol-free beer has improved dramatically. So in the interest of research, I’ve tried a few more of them! The caveat is that they are much more prevalent in Europe than the US.

Here’s what I found. Lagers tend to be the most successful options. IPAs are also decent, although harder to find. And I had a rollercoaster ride with Guinness 0.0. It looked beautiful. Pours like the real thing! But the taste was relatively thin and watery.

From a marketing perspective? I’m sure the brands have agonized over the best way to pitch their low-alcohol offerings. Sadly, most of them have opted to keep the labelling almost identical, and add a ‘0.0%’ badge. Which seems like a lost opportunity.

Adnams Ghost Ship Pale Ale is a fine beer. and the alcohol free version is pretty good too. But I’ve always felt they should use a parallel brand to highlight its uniqueness (think of Pepsi Max vs Pepsi). Maybe introduce it as a “Phantom Fleet” bottling? Fortunately, they’ve come around to my way of thinking😏. They’ve recently changed the label design to show some differentiation.

My personal favorites so far: Free Damm Tostada – a dark Spanish lager that tastes great (The creative naming strategy doesn’t hurt either). And Lucky Saint a Germany/UK collaboration.

And my friend’s verdict on the Peroni Zero? “Tastes as good as the real thing.”

Cheers 🍻

Steve

P.S. A shout-out to the original Czech ‘Budvar’ for their latest ad campaign, as seen on the London Tube 😁

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