You asked, I answer. This will be the most transparent newsletter I've ever written. (Yes, we'll also get to the money talks.) Two weeks ago, I wrote about my life as a freelance marketer and part-time writer. Many of you, readers, got back to me to share your own freelancing stories and ask further questions: on pricing, getting started, and more. Thank you! (If you missed the previous newsletter on freelancing, you may want to check it out here before continuing with this one.) Before I get...
6 months ago • 12 min read
What is the perfect work-life balance? For most people, I think, it would be never working at all. For better or worse, most of us do have to work. For most people, this means a full-time job. So, in a way, freelancing on a flexible schedule is a huge privilege. Could it also be a curse? For the past 3 years, I've lived on a strange annual schedule. I work on freelance marketing projects from September to May. That's 7-8 months. And then I take ca 4 months off to rest, work on my literary...
6 months ago • 6 min read
"If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative," David Ogilvy said in the 60s. He also said: "The consumer isn't a moron. She is your wife." This might still ring true today but only with the inclusion of husbands, friends, and smartphone algos. Be it as it may, the golden days of Mad Men are long past. In 2024, a brand can't just cover the prime advertising spots across the city in large billboards and watch their sales curve skip skywards. Getting people's attention has become more difficult. (Yet...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Today, we're gonna talk about Meta ad creatives... But first, I'd like to say merci! to everyone who replied to the previous newsletter. It was encouraging to see how it resonated for so many. 💛 In case you missed it, read it here: Marketing Things #10 | Saying "no" in order to say "yes" And if you'd like to read more of my thoughts on life-related subjects, subscribe to my life-literature newsletter here. A new monthly dispatch is coming this week. 💌 Ok, on to this week's subject! Every...
7 months ago • 3 min read
This newsletter issue is going to be different. Because. Instead of marketing success, we'll be going to discuss failure. When visiting Paris in January, I found Sheila Heti's book Motherhood on my friend's bookshelf. The book isn't really about whether or not to become a mother. It is a book about meeting the expectations imposed on us by the society. One sentence stuck with me, and I've since read it many times over. "Only in our failures are we absolutely alone. Only in the pursuit of...
8 months ago • 4 min read
Imagine your marketing plan... ✅ Giving an overview of all the tasks & projects for the next 3-6 months. ✅ Including both large-scale projects and small daily tasks. ✅ Showing the ownership + progress for each task, and keeping the team accountable. ✅ Being so easy to use that you're really using it at your weekly and monthly marketing meetings. ✅ Giving an overview of unachieved deadlines, blockers, and people overwhelmed with too many tasks. This is exactly the 🔥 marketing timeline template...
8 months ago • 1 min read
What makes for a good newsletter? While I can't speak for anyone else, here's what works for me... Original content & suggestions Pro-level advice & actionable tips Beautiful aesthetics & design Learning something new every time Inspired feelings after reading The best marketing newsletters are written by practitioners and hands-on experts. Sometimes, the author's excitement can feel so contagious it pulls you into reading the previous issues, too. There's one more thing that I appreciate:...
8 months ago • 2 min read
We spent €10k on marketing last week. Let's spend €10k more. That's hypothetical, of course. In my newsletter last Friday, I shared 2 scenarios for launching a new B2C product with a €10,000 budget. If you missed out on this, you can access it below. 🔗 Marketing Things #6 | How to Spend €10,000 in 7 Days as B2C Marketer? 🔗 This week, we'll do the same exercise as a B2B brand. But first... 2x mini-updates 💫 In addition to marketing, I'm doing an MA in Creative Writing in London. And I've got a...
9 months ago • 4 min read
How to invest €10,000 in marketing in 7 days? 💸 The main issue for many marketers isn't the lack of budget. It's the doubt about how and how much to spend. If any of the following scenarios sounds familiar, keep reading: You are given X monthly budget (but the management) and told to spend all of it, maxing out on results. You are told to launch a product but not told how much marketing budget you have. You don't know how to calculate the optimal marketing budget for a new product/market...
9 months ago • 4 min read