Poetry In Marketing
by Erik Wolf
Marketing coach Erik Wolf reads you one of his original marketing poems every episode and teaching common sense marketing strategy and management techniques along the way. Poetry topics include branding, budgeting, planning, dealing with agencies, SEO, poor performance, and more.
Episodes
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Marketing choices / Need to include this question: / What’s the f$&@ing point?
In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, I’m out walking the dogs and asking what might be the single most important question in all of marketing: Marketing choices Need to include this question: What’s the f$&@ing point? Too many businesses spend money on websites, SEO, branding projects, Google...
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No silver bullet / Can fix a bad strategy; / Even with good intents.
Today on Poetry in Marketing, we’re outside with coffee, clouds, and some straight talk about marketing strategy: No silver bullet Can fix a bad strategy; Even with good intents. In this episode, I talk about one of the biggest traps in marketing: believing that one new tool, platform, campaign…
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Marketing is how / Companies say ,“I love you” / To their customers.
Today on Poetry in Marketing, we’re talking about love. Not the Hallmark-card kind. The real kind. Marketing is how Companies say ,“I love you” To their customers. In this episode, I explore the deeper connection between great marketing and human empathy. At its best, marketing isn’t...
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All CEOs learn / They do not define their brand... / Eventually.
In this, the 40th episode of Poetry in Marketing, I'm tackling a hard truth for business owners: All CEOs learn They do not define their brand... Eventually. If you’ve built a business around something you love, something you’re great at, something that feels deeply personal, this might be hard…
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Your first job is / To fall in love with the problems / Your customers have.
This week on Poetry in Marketing, I’m coming to you inspired by a conversation I had with a tattoo artist… in Scotland. Your first job is To fall in love with the problems Your customers have. In this episode, I share a simple but powerful truth: great marketing doesn’t start with talking about...
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Great copywriting / Provokes the strongest feelings / Not the deepest thoughts.
In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, I’m leaning into vacation mode... But more importantly, a fundamental truth that a lot of business leaders get wrong: Great copywriting Provokes the strongest feelings Not the deepest thoughts. We like to think that more information leads to better…
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Best marketers don’t / Shame what isn’t working: / They show you what is.
This week on Poetry in Marketing, I’m tackling something that hits a nerve for a lot of business owners: Best marketers don’t Shame what isn’t working: They show you what is. In this episode, I talk about a bad habit in the marketing world: walking into a business and pointing out everything…
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A good agency won’t / Make you a prisoner of / A bad contract.
It's time for Poetry in Marketing and fair warning: this topic gets me a little heated: A good agency won’t Make you a prisoner of A bad contract. In this episode, I discuss one of the biggest (and most frustrating) problems in the industry: predatory agency relationships. If you can’t leave your...
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There’s no good reason / Not to test your assumptions / With your marketplace.
Today’s episode of Poetry in Marketing is coming to you from the balcony, because… well, that’s kind of the point: There’s no good reason Not to test your assumptions With your marketplace. In this episode, I talk about one of the most overlooked truths in marketing: your answers aren’t inside…
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If your AI work / Doesn’t feel like doing work / You’re doing it wrong.
Today’s episode of Poetry in Marketing is coming to you from the glamorous Vistage speaker circuit… specifically the Hyatt Place by the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina. Today’s poem tackles one of the biggest misconceptions about artificial intelligence: If your AI work Doesn’t feel like doing...
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Who knew hamburgers / Were such powerful emblems / For integrity?
Today’s episode of Poetry in Marketing was inspired by a viral moment that had the internet talking… about a hamburger. Who knew hamburgers Were such powerful emblems For integrity? In this episode, I order a Snarfburger — the best burger in Denver for my money — and break down the marketing…
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Why pay for tactics / If you don’t understand why / You’re paying for them?
Today on Poetry in Marketing, I’ve got a windy, dramatic backdrop and a pointed little haiku: Why pay for tactics If you don’t understand why You’re paying for them? In this episode, I dig into a common (and costly) mistake: business owners signing off on a long list of marketing activities…
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AI can’t achieve / Beyond a user’s skill set— / Just like other tools.
In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, we dive into a hot topic with a fresh haiku: AI can’t achieve Beyond a user’s skill set— Just like other tools. There’s a lot of noise about artificial intelligence replacing marketers, but here’s the truth: AI isn’t a solution. It isn’t an employee. It’s...
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Marketing’s bigger / Than what most CEOs think / That marketing is.
Hey, it’s Erik Wolf, and in this episode of Poetry in Marketing, I reflect on a conversation that happened during a Vistage talk in Philadelphia which inspired this week’s poem: Marketing’s bigger Than what most CEOs think That marketing is. Spoiler alert: Most CEOs underestimate what marketing...
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Often, the conference / Outside the conference center / Is more valuable.
In this pre-workout episode of Poetry in Marketing, I’m dropping a haiku inspired by my time at a conference earlier this week: Often, the conference Outside the conference center Is more valuable. In this one, I dig into a truth every experienced marketer knows: the best conversations don’t…
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Your mindset matters: / Scarcity thinking confines / Where abundance shines.
In this week’s episode of Poetry in Marketing, I’m bringing you a rhyming haiku (yes, it rhymes!) and some hard-earned wisdom, all while fending off two affectionate dogs: Your mindset matters: Scarcity thinking confines Where abundance shines. In this episode, we talk about the mindset traps…
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Progress can be cruel: / Pain and stress constantly mount / Differently than growth.
I’m recording this episode from Mile High Stadium, just ahead of the AFC title game. The vibe? Electric. The poem? A little more serious: Progress can be cruel: Pain and stress constantly mount Differently than growth. In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, I reflect on the hard truth that...
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Any CEO / With marketing frustrations / Has a chance to change.
This week’s episode of Poetry in Marketing is a special one. I’m celebrating the release of my new book, Everyone Hates Marketing!, now officially available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle. To mark the occasion, we held a launch party in Denver and I closed out the night by doing…
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Trade shows only work / When goals and reality / Converge at your booth.
This week I’m coming to you live on video from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with a poem straight from the speaker lounge: Trade shows only work When goals and reality Converge at your booth. In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, I reflect on the disconnect that often happens...
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Building a great brand / Takes more than just designing / A cool new logo.
This week on Poetry in Marketing, I’m digging into one of the biggest misconceptions in branding, with a poem that gets right to the point: Building a great brand Takes more than just designing A cool new logo. Your brand isn’t your logo. It’s not your color palette or your new font. Your brand…
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Inertia works great / When you want to get things done / But comes at a cost.
In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, we’re talking about that sneaky force that helps you get things done… but might be holding you back: Inertia works great When you want to get things done But comes at a cost. Inertia can be a gift: it smooths out workflows, makes marketing predictable, and...
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Your firm’s marketing / Is supposed to make money / And not just spend it.
Today’s Poetry in Marketing episode might be stating the obvious, but too many companies still get this wrong: Your firm’s marketing Is supposed to make money And not just spend it. In this episode, I dig into one of the biggest mindset problems in marketing: treating it like a cost center…
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Say you want tactics, / And tactics are all you’ll get, / Not a strategy.
In today’s episode of Poetry In Marketing, we tackle a classic trap with this haiku: Say you want tactics, And tactics are all you’ll get, Not a strategy. In this episode, I unpack one of the most common mistakes I’ve seen in 25 years of marketing: asking for tactics when what you really want is...
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If marketing is / A haiku, then sales is a / Dirty limerick.
Today on Poetry In Marketing, I'm having a little fun: If marketing is A haiku, then sales is a Dirty limerick. Now before the salespeople come for me, no: I’m not taking a shot at the profession. What I am doing is challenging the outdated belief that sales has to feel slick, manipulative, or...
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Great service firms know / Strong customer retention / Runs on gratitude.
Hey, it’s Erik Wolf and I’m coming to you from vacation in Sedona, Arizona, with a Thanksgiving-themed haiku (while actively lost on a hiking trail looking for a vortex): Great service firms know Strong customer retention Runs on gratitude. In this episode of Poetry In Marketing, I reflect on why...
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Don’t undervalue / How qualitative data / Can help you succeed.
Today’s edition of Poetry In Marketing is a reminder that not all data comes with a neat little number: Don’t undervalue How qualitative data Can help you succeed. In this episode, I explore the difference between metrics that measure and insights that guide. Quantitative data is great for...
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I’m a nice guy, BUT… / If you want to trigger me / Mention sales funnels.
This week’s Poetry In Marketing haiku is both personal and a little cathartic, and yes, I'm complaining about sales funnels again: I’m a nice guy, BUT… If you want to trigger me Mention sales funnels. Yeah, I said it. In this episode, I revisit my beef with the sales funnel—why it’s an...
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When you aren’t sure / How you can grow your business, / Ask your customers.
Today’s poem tackles a simple truth that often goes ignored: When you aren’t sure How you can grow your business, Ask your customers. In this episode of Poetry In Marketing, I talk about the curse of knowledge—how knowing too much about our own business can actually blind us to what customers...
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“Give eight percent of / Revenue to marketing,” / Whispered the Devil.
In the spirit of Halloween, I brought my Big Lebowski sweater and a spooky poem: “Give eight percent of Revenue to marketing,” Whispered the devil. In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, I take aim at one of the most misleading (and haunting) ideas in business: budgeting for marketing as a fixed...
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A “prove it” moment / Is about fostering trust / To fight uncertainty
I recorded this one from the couch, dog on my lap, because some poems (and sales insights) are just too important to wait. Today’s verse: A “prove it” moment Is about fostering trust To fight uncertainty In this episode of Poetry In Marketing, I unpack what I call "the prove it moment": that...
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Why do my people / Keep giving me irrelevant / Stats that don’t matter?
In this episode of Poetry In Marketing, I’m taking on a modern plague: Why do my people Keep giving me irrelevant Stats that don’t matter? Marketing today is drowning in data: social metrics, website traffic, open rates, NPS scores, you name it. But more data doesn’t always mean better decisions....
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Marketing is / A discipline, and requires / Discipline in kind.
I’m a little under the weather in this episode, which actually makes today’s haiku hit even harder: Marketing is A discipline, and requires Discipline in kind. In this episode of Poetry In Marketing, I talk about the gritty, unglamorous truth of marketing: consistency matters more than…
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What’s the difference / Between sales and marketing? / Just perceived value.
This time on Poetry in Marketing, I talk about the divide between sales and marketing: What’s the difference Between sales and marketing? Just perceived value. Sales and marketing have the same mission: driving revenue. So what's the difference? Sales is one-to-one. Marketing is one-to-many. I…
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Funnels are stupid. / There isn’t any gravity / In a sales process.
In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, I take aim at one of the most overused (and misleading) metaphors in the business world: Funnels are stupid. There isn’t any gravity In a sales process. Yeah, I said it. Sales funnels look great in diagrams, but anyone who’s actually sold something knows…
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If marketing works, / Why do I spend so damn much / To be this pissed off?
I love this episode's poem: If marketing works, Why do I spend so damn much To be this pissed off? It’s a joke… but it’s also not. In this edition of Poetry In Marketing, I dig into the very real frustration so many CEOs and business owners feel when marketing doesn’t deliver, especially when...
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Our content is great… / At least that’s what I hear from / My ChatGPT.
In this episode of Poetry In Marketing, I get into one of the more controversial issues modern marketers are dealing with, in a poem that may hit a little too close to home: Our content is great… At least that’s what I hear from My ChatGPT. AI is powerful. It’s fast. It’s affordable. And if we’re...
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“Just quit your whining / And make the logo bigger; / Design’s subjective.”
In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, we dive into one of the great clichés of creative work, captured in a single poetic line: Just quit your whining And make the logo bigger. Design’s subjective. Except… it’s not. As someone who’s done a fair share of design over the years, I’m here to tell...
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The budget isn’t for / Buying marketing tactics: / It’s to fund success.
In this episode of Poetry In Marketing, I’m digging into something that might change how you think about your entire marketing plan: The budget isn’t For buying marketing tactics— It’s to fund success. This is one of the most common mistakes I see: businesses build a budget based on what they…
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O, lifetime value: / How I long to see you grow... / Our retention sucks.
Today’s poem is a love letter to one of the most overlooked metrics in business: Oh, lifetime value How I long to see you grow Our retention sucks. In this episode of Poetry In Marketing, I break down what Lifetime Value (LTV) actually is, how to calculate it in plain English, and why it’s one of...
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Marketing can be / Unintentional, but it’s / Never optional.
In this episode of Poetry in Marketing, I’m wearing a tie, so you know we’re getting classy. Today’s haiku goes like this: Marketing can be Unintentional, but it’s Never optional. Let’s talk about that. I run into folks all the time who say, “Oh, we don’t do marketing.” They think handing out...
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If my love for thee / Could be expressed as a brand, / Of course it's Apple.
In this episode of Poetry and Marketing, I read you a haiku about branding: If my love for thee Could be expressed as a brand, Of course it’s Apple. Apple is the brand business owners mention nine times out of ten when I ask, “What brand would you want to emulate?” But here’s the catch: Apple…
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Marketing planning / Needs more than authority; / It needs a leader.
In this episode of Poetry and Marketing, I’m sharing a haiku I wrote just this morning: Marketing planning Needs more than authority; It needs a leader. I use this poem as a jumping-off point to talk about something I see all the time in small and mid-sized businesses: a massive leadership gap in...
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What’s the cost per click? / I don’t know, but should I care / When no one converts?
In an age of advanced analytics it's surprisingly easy to lose the scent of what's really important: results that matter to the company's bottom line. If you want to be successful in pay per click, you need to focus on the needs of the customer before the cost of the campaign; otherwise you're…
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About this show
Marketing coach Erik Wolf reads you one of his original marketing poems every episode and teaching common sense marketing strategy and management techniques along the way. Poetry topics include branding, budgeting, planning, dealing with agencies, SEO, poor performance, and more.
Hosted by
Erik Wolf