Most businesses don’t have a shortage of marketing. They use websites, social media, ads, CRM systems, agencies, content, email campaigns, and now a growing list of AI tools that claim to speed things up. But often, there’s nothing tying it all together. This is where a Fractional CMO can really help. A Fractional CMO doesn’t…
At some point in a business’s growth, marketing becomes too important to manage informally. The Managing Director is still making half the marketing decisions. A marketing manager needs more senior direction. Several agencies are doing different things. Marketing spend is increasing. Everyone is busy. What’s less obvious is whether all that activity is moving the…
Startups are very good at improvisation. In the early days, that’s often a strength. The founder handles sales. Someone builds the website. A freelancer runs social media. An agency looks after Google Ads. AI writes a few articles. And somebody who once used HubSpot becomes responsible for the CRM. For a while, it works. Then…
Growth is one of those words we’re supposed to like. More customers. More revenue. More employees. More markets. More leads. Business plans are built around it. Investors expect it. Marketing departments are measured against it. LinkedIn is positively awash with people announcing it. And generally, growth is a good thing. Until it isn’t. Because not…
Every established business has one. It’s a PDF packed with logos, colour palettes, typography, spacing rules, photography styles, do’s and don’ts, and even a page about how much space should go around the company logo. These documents are useful and sometimes even essential, but they aren’t your brand and they definitely aren’t your brand’s personality.…
Scotland has a long history of making things. Manufacturing is still a key part of Scotland’s economy, covering everything from precision engineering and advanced manufacturing to food and drink, electronics, energy technology, textiles, chemicals, and specialist products. Still, many great manufacturing companies face a common marketing challenge. They are much better at making their products…
Businesses have never created more content. Posts on LinkedIn, blog articles, videos, emails, podcasts, case studies, newsletters, webinars, and AI-generated articles. Now that artificial intelligence is able to generate another 1,000 words while you’re still making your cup of tea, the amount produced is very unlikely to decrease in the near future. But there’s a…
Most businesses begin with DIY marketing. In the early days, it makes perfect sense. The founder designs the logo, builds the website, creates social media posts, writes emails, updates LinkedIn, and still manages to run the business. It works because everyone wears multiple hats. But as the business grows, juggling all these roles becomes harder.…
To many owners of businesses in Scotland, marketing seems like a costly gamble. One month you’re told to invest in Google Ads; the next, it’s LinkedIn. Next there is video marketing, then there’s AI, influencer marketing, SEO, podcasts, email automation and the most recent social media platform. Soon your marketing budget is gone but the…
Every successful business eventually hits an exciting stage of growth. Sales are rising, new opportunities show up almost every week, the team is growing, and customers are coming in faster than ever. Everything might look good on the outside, but growth brings its own set of challenges behind the scenes. Marketing becomes fragmented. Sales processes…