{"id":182180,"date":"2024-11-11T11:40:15","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T16:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=182180"},"modified":"2024-11-11T11:50:09","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T16:50:09","slug":"why-great-marketing-is-risky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/why-great-marketing-is-risky\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Great Marketing is Risky as&nbsp;Hell"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\">Last year, we published a children\u2019s book about&nbsp;SEO.<\/div>\n<p><!-- notionvc: fb395a5b-f7c7-40f6-a84e-ef814f35b548 --><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1069\" class=\"wp-image-182182\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-1.jpg\" alt=\"Our white-haired SEO book\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-1.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-1-636x425.jpg 636w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-1-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-1-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>We didn\u2019t hire any consultants for this project. We didn\u2019t create fancy presentations to justify the book to stakeholders. And we didn\u2019t crunch any numbers to verify the potential impact on our brand awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, no one in SaaS, let alone our competitors, had done it before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We just had a simple thesis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Parents travel to conferences<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parents want to bring home something for their&nbsp;kids<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parents get some kudos from their&nbsp;kids<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parents remember that they got the kudos thanks to Ahrefs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>???<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Profit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though we had no prior data, we trusted our gut. And our intuition was right. The book was a big hit. People couldn\u2019t get enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-182183\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-2.png\" alt=\"Internal Slack message about how much our customers liked our children's book\" width=\"856\" height=\"344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-2.png 856w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-2-680x273.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-2-768x309.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Look at the social media shoutouts we\u2019ve gotten:<\/p>\n<p><\/p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Starting the SEO education young with my son. Thank you to .<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ahrefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ahrefs<\/a> .<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@timsoulo<\/a> for the lovely SEO themed children\u2019s book. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WLj6lqDSrv\">pic.twitter.com\/WLj6lqDSrv<\/a><\/p>\u2014 James Norquay (@connections8) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/connections8\/status\/1820649198741762438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 6,&nbsp;2024<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClaraSoteras\/status\/1757009118592671902<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the realm of marketing, no data models will <em>ever <\/em>tell you to make a children\u2019s book. But we took a leap of faith anyway, believing that standing out required something bolder than the numbers could justify.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div><!-- notionvc: 29e32e17-6dd5-44dc-8c4c-f6aed83fdeda -->\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"The problem with playing it too safe in marketing\" data-section=\"problem-with-playing-it-too-safe\"><!-- notionvc: 6f37390f-9b75-461f-a096-e4c90282cd96 -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182180-_s4bxdggf0qts\"><\/a>The problem with playing it too safe in marketing<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><!-- notionvc: c977deea-2c7e-4622-a0d4-2afb0cc02835 -->\n\n\n\n<p>The fundamental goal of marketing is to stand out and differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Yet, if you look at the world of marketing right now, you\u2019ll think that our job is to replicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Logos look the&nbsp;same:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<div id=\"attachment_182184\" style=\"width: 2058px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-182184\" class=\"wp-image-182184\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-3.jpeg\" alt=\"Logos all look the same\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-3.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-3-680x382.jpeg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-3-768x431.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-3-1536x863.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-182184\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexmurrell.co.uk\/articles\/the-age-of-average\">Alex Murrell<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>So do brand websites:<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1149600136932184064<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wendy\u2019s was the first trash-talking brand on social media, but today, every brand is fighting to be the most&nbsp;edgy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-182185\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-4.jpg\" alt=\"Every brand is fighting to be edgy on social media\" width=\"720\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-4.jpg 720w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-4-149x425.jpg 149w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-4-540x1536.jpg 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Once something works, every brand rushes to copy it. But in doing so, they become indistinguishable from one another, losing the unique qualities that could set them&nbsp;apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They become one with the clutter of the marketplace.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Algorithms suffocate marketing\" data-section=\"algorithms-suffocate-marketing\"><!-- notionvc: a5061176-9554-464f-bba2-4f868bb7bada -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182180-_hasij5okubbc\"><\/a>Algorithms suffocate marketing<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><!-- notionvc: db150b4c-3333-45e2-a074-ad9b966eacb1 -->\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps it\u2019s not our fault. After all, most of the marketing channels we rely on today\u2014TikTok, Instagram, Google, YouTube, X\u2014they\u2019re all algorithmic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While we love the data these platforms give us, we have to admit they encourage us to produce content that\u2019s safe, replicable, and primed for clicks, likes, and shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since we\u2019re all trying to win the same algorithms, we end up making the same things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Every K-pop release follows the same promotional strategy:<\/strong> Design a choreography to fit the vertical video format, make it a dance challenge, and hope it goes viral on TikTok.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>How did recipes online become the length of Tolstoy novels?<\/strong> Because when something ranks #1 on Google, everyone copies it. Same titles, same subheadings, same content\u2014now everyone has to suffer through the history of pasta to cook a 10-minute aglio&nbsp;olio.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>On YouTube, clickbait titles, MrBeast thumbnail styles, and quick cuts reign supreme,<\/strong> with every creator mimicking the formula for fear of falling behind.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the algorithm\u2019s stranglehold on marketing\u2014the force that flattens creativity and turns everyone conformist.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Optimization ensures we climb the same boring hill\" data-section=\"optimization\"><!-- notionvc: a2cc6a2e-21f7-41f1-9349-c48627d4f0a0 -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182180-_vgolwnrlwudp\"><\/a>Optimization ensures we climb the same boring hill<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><!-- notionvc: db150b4c-3333-45e2-a074-ad9b966eacb1 -->\n\n\n\n<p>Ad executive John Wanamaker once said, \u201cHalf the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don\u2019t know which half.\u201d He would have been delighted by the data revolution, because it completely transformed marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first time, marketers could stop guessing and start knowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We could see exactly how many times a keyword was searched for, how many people clicked on each Facebook ad, and how many people opened our emails. Finally, marketing wasn\u2019t about throwing darts in the&nbsp;dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every campaign could be fine-tuned to perfection, saving money and maximizing returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But optimization has its downsides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Optimization encourages focusing on what is proven to work, rather than what\u2019s novel. It favors safe, incremental adjustments, rather than bold, creative, potentially risky choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It moves marketers towards a local maxima. It ensures that we climb higher on the same boring hill, even though the answer lies in making something completely new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s worse is that the data we rely on might not be as solid as we&nbsp;think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Email open rates? They\u2019re often inaccurate due to blocked tracking pixels. Performance marketing? <a href=\"https:\/\/sparktoro.com\/blog\/what-if-performance-advertising-is-just-an-analytics-scam\/\">AirBnb famously cut $542 million in ad spend<\/a> and saw no impact on sales. And then there\u2019s the fact that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thalesgroup.com\/en\/worldwide\/security\/press_release\/bots-now-make-nearly-half-all-internet-traffic-globally\">up to 50% of Internet traffic<\/a> could just be&nbsp;bots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same data revolution that we\u2019re obsessed with could be just a <em>boondoggle<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is that what we were sacrificing our creativity for?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Bold marketing can pay off\" data-section=\"bold-marketing\"><!-- notionvc: 132294d0-6b55-45e1-96c3-46d782224aba -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182180-_eb1n72w6wqy\"><\/a>Bold marketing can pay&nbsp;off<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><!-- notionvc: 2171c1ff-7671-4d6b-8ded-fd8afaf30f04 -->\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, we sold links. Even though buying links is against Google\u2019s Terms of Service and therefore frowned upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-182186\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-5.png\" alt=\"Our tweet announcing we were selling links\" width=\"858\" height=\"1038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-5.png 858w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-5-351x425.png 351w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-5-768x929.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m kidding\u2014we didn\u2019t. It was an April\u2019s Fool prank. We simply made cute images of links and sold them as&nbsp;NFTs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-182187\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-6.jpg\" alt=\"Our NFTs\" width=\"1478\" height=\"1842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-6.jpg 1478w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-6-341x425.jpg 341w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-6-768x957.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-6-1232x1536.jpg 1232w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1478px) 100vw, 1478px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Ha, jokes on you \u2014we didn\u2019t even mint them. You can right-click and save all you want. Most importantly, the community enjoyed our little prank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few years ago, when we sponsored BrightonSEO, we made coffee cups with keyword metrics for participants:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-182188\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-7.jpg\" alt=\"Tweet showing off our coffee cups\" width=\"846\" height=\"1472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-7.jpg 846w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-7-244x425.jpg 244w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-7-768x1336.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/\">homepage design<\/a> is drastically different from others in the same industry. We even made our own typography.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1222792171352252417<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t want to say we knew these ideas would work. They\u2019re \u201cbets\u201d for a reason. We could have lost money and wasted our efforts. Or worst\u2014become a laughing stock in the industry and accidentally generate bad PR for ourselves. But we had an intuition, we experimented, and then we accepted the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think that\u2019s what made them great. By choosing to take risks, we were able to make an impact on an industry that\u2019s typically known to outsiders as \u201cboring\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marketing wasn\u2019t meant to be a race to the bottom, where every brand copies the same formula, optimizes for the same algorithms, and makes little tweaks endlessly. There are only so many types of blue you can change your CTA button colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When everyone zigs, you&nbsp;zag.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to build a culture of risk-taking in marketing\" data-section=\"how-to-build-culture-of-risk-taking\"><!-- notionvc: e23c0fa6-bf48-4c57-937a-2442a947fb49 -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182180-_4v0nnjvydw01\"><\/a>How to build a culture of risk-taking in marketing<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><!-- notionvc: 811a1984-c2d1-4c62-b246-b7ef26b11141 -->\n\n\n\n<p>Recently, we had a marketing offsite where our Chief Marketing Officer, <a href=\"https:\/\/sg.linkedin.com\/in\/timsoulo\">Tim Soulo<\/a> reiterated that he doesn\u2019t mind the marketing team \u2018failing\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, embracing failure is one of the reasons why we\u2019re willing to make these bets in the first place. Our company\u2019s entire philosophy revolves around doing it first, then only doing it right, and later on better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-182189\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-9.png\" alt=\"Our team slogan\" width=\"958\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-9.png 958w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-9-680x261.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-9-768x295.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 958px) 100vw, 958px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>So, how do you build a culture that encourages being bold and taking risks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are my suggestions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Prioritize long-term branding over short-term metrics<\/strong> \u2014 I once <a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@siquanong\/post\/C-XppcptZh_\">went viral on Threads<\/a>. I earned a total of 0 followers. You may fool the algorithm a few times into rewarding you with millions of impressions, but that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve built a successful brand that people trust and buy from. A strong brand is built over time, with bold messaging that stands out and differentiates from competitors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use data as a guide, not a dictator<\/strong> \u2014 Data should back you up, not govern every step of your marketing strategy. Combine what the numbers tell you with your own creative instincts. Sometimes, the <a href=\"https:\/\/sparktoro.com\/blog\/provable-marketing-attribution-is-a-boondoggle-trust-your-gut-instead\/\">best marketing comes from the gut<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Invest in experimentation<\/strong> \u2014 Set aside a portion of your marketing budget for experiments that have no immediate ROI expectations. Use the 80\/20 rule: 80% of your marketing can be safe, proven methods, while 20% goes to a \u201crisky\u201d initiative.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Look beyond your competitors for inspiration<\/strong> \u2014 Copying your competitors can only lead to a singularity where every product feature and campaign look the same. Don\u2019t respond to clutter with more clutter. Seek inspiration from industries outside your own. For example, Amazon famously created Amazon Prime by modeling after airline loyalty programs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, you have to <strong>embrace failure as part of the process<\/strong>. Risk may be a dirty word for many marketing departments, but you have to acknowledge that not every idea will succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<div id=\"attachment_182190\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-182190\" class=\"wp-image-182190\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-10.jpg\" alt=\"Cartoon showing why companies are afraid of risk\" width=\"1200\" height=\"857\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-10.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-10-595x425.jpg 595w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/word-image-182180-10-768x548.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-182190\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/marketoonist.com\/2019\/10\/innovation-and-risk.html\">Marketoonist<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Because even if you \u2018fail\u2019, learning from those mistakes can lead to better ideas in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, stop over-optimizing and take risks. Make things that are unforgettable for your target customers. The best marketing isn\u2019t safe\u2014it\u2019s bold.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We didn\u2019t hire any consultants for this project. We didn\u2019t create fancy presentations to justify the book to stakeholders. And we didn\u2019t crunch any numbers to verify the potential impact on our brand awareness. In fact, no one in SaaS,<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[339],"class_list":["post-182180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Great Marketing is Risky as Hell<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You can&#039;t stand out without being bold and taking risks with your marketing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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