Hey there, Quick question: What do you think marketing is? If you said "ads," "social media posts," or "cold outreach" — you're not alone. Most people confuse marketing with the tactics that marketing uses. But here's the thing: Marketing isn't any of those things. Marketing is the reason any of those things work in the first place.
The Circus Analogy That Changed Everything I came across a breakdown from Tom Pestridge that completely reframed how I think about this.
Here's how he explains it:
🎪 Advertising = "Circus coming Saturday" signs
🐘 Promotion = Putting the sign on an elephant
💐 Publicity = Elephant walks through the mayor's garden
😂 PR = Mayor laughs about it on the news
💸 Sales = Selling tickets at the booth Marketing?
🙌 It's the person who planned the whole damn circus. Once you get that — everything else clicks into place.
Here's How Great Marketing Actually Works Marketing isn't about throwing tactics at the wall. It's a full system that orchestrates everything. Here's the framework:
1️⃣ Clear Goals
Know exactly why you're doing it. → Are you building brand awareness? Generating leads? Closing deals? → Without this, you're just making noise.
2️⃣ Defined Audience Speak directly to the right people.
→ Not "everyone." Not "businesses." Not "entrepreneurs." → The more specific, the more effective.
3️⃣ Killer Offer Give them a reason to choose you.
→ What's in it for them? Why now? Why you? → If your offer doesn't make them lean in, nothing else matters.
4️⃣ Multi-Channel Strategy Stack visibility across platforms.
→ LinkedIn + email + content + partnerships + paid = compounding reach. → One channel is a gamble. Multiple channels is a system.
5️⃣ Conversion Path Make it easy for them to act.
→ What's the next step? Is it obvious? Is it frictionless? → If they have to think too hard, they won't do it.
6️⃣ Data-Driven Tweaks Track, learn, and adjust.
→ What's working? What's not? Where are people dropping off? → Marketing without data is guessing.
7️⃣ Consistent Execution Show up. Improve. Repeat.
→ One viral post won't save you. One campaign won't scale you. → Consistency beats intensity every time.
Marketing Isn't Random Tactics It's the full system behind everything. Otherwise, you've just got an elephant wandering the streets. Most people focus on tactics:
"Should I run ads?" "Should I post more on LinkedIn?" "Should I send cold emails?"
But those are execution questions. They don't matter if you don't have the strategy behind them. The real questions are:
Who are you trying to reach? What problem are you solving for them? Why should they care right now? What's the easiest path for them to say yes?
Get those right, and the tactics become obvious.
So Here's My Question for You: What part of your marketing are you focused on right now? Are you:
✅ Dialing in your audience?
✅ Sharpening your offer?
✅ Building out your multi-channel strategy?
✅ Optimizing your conversion path?
✅ Tracking data and making adjustments?
Or are you just throwing tactics at the wall and hoping something sticks? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response.
To your success, Kalei
Founder, Scalematic
P.S. If you're running outbound right now and feeling like you're just "wandering the streets" — let's talk. I've helped dozens of B2B businesses build marketing systems that actually convert. Book a 15-minute call here.
P.P.S. Seriously though — what's your biggest marketing challenge right now? Reply and tell me. I might just build next week's newsletter around it. 👀