Someone called me (I know, nobody ever uses the phone anymore) looking for some email newsletter help.

At one point, as I always do, I asked: Why do you have a newsletter?

Long silence….

That’s a problem. And not just for newsletters.

Before spending time, money, and effort on marketing tactics, you should at least have a semi-coherent theory and expectation of why you are doing it. (Note: This is also true of invading foreign countries, but I digress.)

Every business has limited resources – solo professionals in particular. So you need a better reason for doing things than, “Because everyone else is on Instagram, using video, integrating AI, blah, blah, blah.”

“Doing marketing” isn’t the point. Doing marketing that works is.