Insights from Three Decades in Marketing: Embracing Evolution and Innovation

I remember walking into my mentor’s office, a man who is now in his 80’s with a spirit of someone half his age, with the stature of Travis Kelce, and feeling that my world was tumbling down. Without thought to who was in the surrounding areas able to hear my cries, I said “Everything is so heavy on my shoulders!”

I remember entering my mentor’s office, a man in his eighties with a spirit of someone half his age, with the stature of Travis Kelce. In that vulnerable moment, without thought of who might overhear, I exclaimed, “Everything is so heavy on my shoulders!”

Like any individual with profound wisdom, this man who have made over a billion dollars shared with me, “I feel that way sometimes.” That’s when I immediately felt a little better, and that lesson is something I carry with me whenever a friend or an employee comes to me with similar feeling.

Marketing can be tough, with its ever-evolving landscape and a lot of information to take in. No marketing professional can master over all its facets or keep pace with every shift. This enduring challenge persists, with the expectation that marketers should know all the latest trends in SEO, advertising, social media, and beyond. Unlike other industries, there isn’t enough time in the day.

That’s why the emerging technologies like AI that shoulder the burdensome tasks are important for marketing professionals and the learning on how to leverage the use of AI is essential from university throughout every phase of a career.

My journey is stereotypical, with one exception – I established my first agency at the age of 25, handling million-dollar accounts without prior experience or backup support.

I find myself continuously challenged by youth, as years of experience bring invaluable wisdom and foresight that can’t be priced. I’m also concerned about the shift in marketing dynamics. Merely being a social media micro influencer doesn’t make you become proficient in crafting marketing strategies or executing lead generation campaigns. Yet, many companies are being sold this story, and are left with wasted budget and a disillusionment towards the marketing profession.

Starting Out: Analog Beginnings

When I ventured into the world of advertising, the digital era hadn’t yet dawned. My initial steps were immersed in typewriters, crafting scripts and ad copy. It’s a hands-on process that required precision with little room for mistakes as my boss wanted zero error. Little did I know, this emphasis on detail would later define my career, setting me apart in my early days as a business owner. However, as my company expanded and my workload increased, maintaining the level of details became challenging as you have to rely on others who did not grow up with the same standards.

The Digital Resistance

Fast forward five years, the marketing landscape experienced a shift with the advent of email and the internet. Despite my role as a marketing manager in the tech sector, I found myself initially resistant to embrace these emerging tools which seems ironic to where I am now. This resistance reflected prevalent skepticism in the industry at that time. However, it didn’t take long for the undeniable potential of digital communication to reveal itself, prompting a profound shift in my marketing approach.

Entrepreneurial Leap: Writing My Own Rulebook

At the age of 25, armed solely with determination and a vision, I embarked my journey on founding my own marketing agency. With no guidebook or prior business experience, each day presented new lessons. Beyond creating marketing strategies, I also learned how to manage a team, balance books and navigate the myriad challenges of entrepreneurship – all while embracing my youth as a woman in her mid-twenties.

While the entrepreneurial path was exciting, I initially resisted being called an entrepreneur. I proudly identified as a marketer, dismissing an entrepreneur as a sales person. It took me another decade to come with the reality that we all engage in salesmanship in some form or another. Without sales, no business can thrive.

A Second Attempt: Navigating the Unknown

Starting my second business at the age of 30, I approached in with a slightly more refined strategy, yet I was far from having all the answers. This venture coincided with the rise of social media platforms like Facebook, initially dismissed by me as fleeting trends. This misjudgment was a harsh reminder of the imperative to stay ahead of the curve, as I witnessed my agency struggle to catch up.

It took quite some time for my second business, Marketing Eye, to take off with several reasons for that. Firstly, having reach a certain stage in my career, I got used to a level of comfort. Coming from Charters Towers, my upbringing served as my point of different, shielding me from being solely defined by schools I attended – how many people and businesses used to categorize others. I was thankful for this, as big cities can be tough and by this time in my career, I navigated the transition from starting a business on the Gold Coast, to expanding to Sydney and eventually Melbourne.

Embracing Social Media: Opportunities and Challenges

Overtime, I embraced Twitter as an early adopter, discovering firsthand that cultivating a successful online community demanded more than presence. It required engagement, consistent efforts, and a profound understanding of the platform’s nuances. However, this digital journey was not without its pitfalls. An oversight in security resulted in a former employee deleting my significant Instagram following – a blunt reminder of vulnerabilities inherent in digital platforms. Fortunately, at this point, my self-worth wasn’t tied to the size of my following and I just brushed it off. However, it did impact the influx of freebies I receive at the office each day as an influencer before the term became commonplace.

The Driver of Success: A Daily Commitment

My dedication to marketing has always been inseparable from a relentless pursuit of success. This determination drives me to meticulously monitor our social media engagement, website, and blog traffic daily to ensure that we not only participate in the digital realm but lead the charge. It’s a testament to the belief that in marketing, there’s no such thing as taking a day off.

My greatest successes were from sales and following as I checked all the data daily. It fuels my inherent competitiveness to beat competitors in every aspect, which I effortlessly achieved it at the time. In fact, there was a time where Google search for “marketing” showed Marketing Eye as the top result.

Understanding your daily marketing activities in essential to surpass competitors. I transformed these insights and turned it into technology.

Acknowledging Our Limits. Leveraging Our Strengths

One of the critical realizations in my career has been the recognition that marketers can’t excel in every aspect. This insight inspired the creation of Robotic Marketer, a tool that helps increase productivity and compensate individual weaknesses. Creating a comprehensive marketing strategy typically take weeks. Robotic Marketer emerged from the need to streamline this process, ensuring that strategies are not only comprehensive but also timely.

For example, I excel at writing when I’m ‘on’ yet, struggle with follow-through unless something is going wrong. I work harder and faster when I have ‘fear’ but when things are going well, I take my eye off the ball. As a perfectionist, I want flawless outcomes – but that is what holds me back from being more successful so 80% is ok.

Pioneering in AI: Overcoming Skepticism

Venturing into the AI area with Robotic Marketer is one of the most challenging tasks of my career. The skepticism of this innovating technology was palpable and persuading potential clients and investors of its capabilities demanded perseverance and patience. However, with the emergence of groundbreaking technologies like ChatGPT, the tide has shifted, leading to a widespread acceptance of AI in marketing.

Robotic Marketer stands as a game changing technology, bridging the gaps in both my skillset and those of my teams. I recognize its value in giving marketers back time and addressing challenges of marketing efforts with limited resources. For me, this technology offers greater efficiencies and effectiveness, and the advantage of predictive analysis.

Five Key Lessons

1. Ride the Wave: while skepticism towards new trends is common among marketers, disregarding them can be risky. Embrace innovation by investing in new platforms and trends, even if they seem fleeting.
2. Your Website is Fundamental: A dynamic website isn’t just static; it evolves along side your business and market.
3. Continuous SEO Efforts: SEO demands ongoing efforts and updates, not just a one-time setup to keep up with the evolving algorithms and stay competitive.
4. Internal Client Focus: It is important that the team understands their role in client satisfaction. Remind them, and yourself, that internal team members are everyone’s first client.
5. Strategy Drives Success: Success isn’t accidental. It’s the result of strategic planning which provides direction and a measurable path to achieve your goals.

Being a veteran is an advantage

Reflecting on my journey, I realize how each mistake, success, and seemingly small decision has shaped my path in unexpected ways. In the dynamic world of marketing, standing still is not an option. As I continue to navigate this constantly evolving landscape, the excitement of the challenge remains. Here’s to embrace three more decades of innovation, adaptation, and relentless commitment to marketing excellence – although I think I’ll pass on the baton long before then.