Poetry In Marketing

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 Ads, and social campaigns without ever stopping to ask why they’re doing it, or whether the tactic...

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, or tactic is finally going to solve everything. A new website. SEO. HubSpot. AI-generated content. Non...

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 manipulation... it’s understanding. It’s how businesses show customers that they’re seen, valued, supported, and u...

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 to hear. But here’s the reality: your brand isn’t for you. In this episode, I talk about the shift...

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 yourself... it starts with understanding your customer. What are they trying to accomplish? What’s frus...

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 decisions, but that’s not how people actually buy. In this episode, I break down why emotional connection beat...

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 that’s wrong. It's not often true and it's certainly not helpful. Great marketers don’t start by te...

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 marketing vendor without losing your website, your data, or your sanity, that’s not a partnership,...

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 your office, they’re out in the world. Too often, we build strategies based on assumptions instead of con...

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 work You’re doing it wrong. A lot of people see AI as a shortcut: type a sentence, get a finished prod...

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 lesson hidden inside the now-infamous video of the McDonald’s CEO trying (and failing) to convincingly enjo...

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 without truly understanding what those tactics are supposed to accomplish. Social posts on multiple platfor...

 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 just a tool... One that’s only as good as the person using it. This week’s episode explores the myth o...

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 really is. It’s not just websites, logos, emails, or trade shows. Marketing — real marketing — is a hol...

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 always happen on the trade show floor. The real gold often comes from hallway chats, dinner meetings, hote...

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 that sabotage sales and marketing efforts: specifically the desperation that comes from scarcity thinking...

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 progress—whether in football, business, or marketing—is rarely linear. You don’t win every time just becaus...

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 what I do best: reading a marketing haiku, live on stage (well… on a bench, technically). Any CEO With m...

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 at trade shows—where expectations for lead gen and sales don’t match the reality of what the event ac...

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 is your company’s skin : the interface between you and the outside world. It’s everything your customer...

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 keeps things moving. But it can also be a creativity killer. In this episode, I share how sticking to...

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 instead of an investment. Office supplies are expenses. Marketing is supposed to deliver a return. But that o...

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 results. You think you need SEO, a trade show booth, or a shiny new website... But what you actually n...

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 greasy to be effective. It doesn’t. Great sales, like great marketing, is about creating value for y...

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 every business — no matter what you do — is ultimately a service business. And the most successful on...