Marketing Notes

Field notes from the work.

One post a month. Things we learned on a project, opinions we did not feel like keeping to ourselves, and the occasional rant about marketing-speak. Written by John, the human at the front of this shop.

Plain English · no jargonReal opinions · not hedged

Most of these come out of conversations with clients, or out of the back of John's truck on the drive home from a sign install. If you want them in your inbox, scroll to the bottom of any post and sign up.

Written by John Parkins

19 / 19 notes

Polly the Palette and Beau the Booklet looking at a printed proof where a glowing blue has gone muddy, with a bright blue still showing on a nearby monitor.

Why your printed colors don't match your screen

The blue that glows on your screen often dies on press. Here's why your monitor lies about color, and what to do before your logo hits print.

Jun 15, 20264 min read

Coach Lumi the Lightbulb in a COACH cap with a whistle and a play-diagram clipboard, calmly pointing to one circled play while a firehose of app icons and paper sprays past behind her

You don't need to master AI. You need a coach.

Most small business owners aren't behind on AI. They're drowning in it. Here's why that's a different problem, and what actually gets you using it.

Jun 19, 20265 min read

Tara the Target asking a question into a vintage answer machine that prints out a recommendation

Your customers are already searching with AI. Is your business showing up?

I ask AI full questions and have it summarize reviews for me, and so do millions of your customers. Here's where those tools get their facts about your business, and how to make sure they get it right.

Jun 4, 20264 min read

Vintage 1930s cartoon of Manny the Mailbox holding up one envelope beside a towering pile of identical postcards spilling into a trash can

Stop mailing everybody: EDDM vs a targeted mailing list

A customer wanted to mail every house in the area. I told him most of them wouldn't care. He sent it anyway. Here's the real math on EDDM vs a targeted list.

Jun 4, 20264 min read

Lumi the Lightbulb calmly lifting a flashy costume off a plain little AI app to show the same machine underneath

You don't have to become the AI expert

Most AI marketing tools are just ChatGPT or Claude in a costume. You don't have to keep up with any of it. You need someone who already does.

Jun 5, 20265 min read

Tara the Target eyeing a big pile of dull junk leads next to a small stack of glowing good ones.

Why your Facebook ads get leads but no customers

Cheap Facebook leads that go nowhere aren't a Meta problem, they're a measurement problem. Here's the number to watch and how to get leads worth calling.

Jun 2, 20266 min read

Cris the Cursor at a desk late at night, surrounded by a half-built website coming apart at the seams.

The website was supposed to be the easy part

A DIY website looks like the easy, cheap way to get online. Here's what building your own site actually costs you, in dollars and in the nights you don't get back.

Jun 1, 20264 min read

You don't need more marketing advice. You need a plan.

You're great at what you do. Nobody trained you to choose between a website, a logo, and Facebook ads on day one. Here's how to start with a plan instead of a guess.

May 28, 20265 min read

Lumi the Lightbulb mascot with an open toolbox of glowing AI tools, 1930s rubber-hose cartoon style

Five AI tools I use every day to run a marketing agency

I use AI every day to run BeyondVivid. Most agency owners I know do too, they just won't say so. Here's the stack, what it costs, and the rule that keeps it from doing the work for me.

May 23, 20265 min read

Marco the Map at a chalkboard drawing out the customer journey arrow from customer to success

Stop being the hero of your own website

Your website is not for you. It is for the person who is one bad rainstorm away from calling somebody. Here is the framework that fixes the words on your homepage and gets the contact form filling out again.

May 22, 202610 min read

Why your Google Business Profile is more important than your website

For most local small businesses, your Google Business Profile is the most valuable piece of digital real estate you own. Here is what it does, why Google can pull it, and how to keep it from going quiet.

May 21, 20269 min read

Beau the Booklet holding up a fanned stack of paper samples in a print shop scene

The Paper Guide: How to Pick a Stock That Doesn't Embarrass You

Before someone reads a word on your printed piece, they feel it. Here are the four paper stocks that cover 90% of what a small business will ever print, plus the upgrades that make a card people remember.

May 17, 20267 min read

Yara the Yard Sign standing roadside at dusk as a car blurs past, sign reading clear and bold

Yard Signs That People Actually Read From a Moving Car

A yard sign is a billboard with a budget problem. You've got two seconds to land a message. Here's how to design one that works, what to print it on, and where you're legally allowed to put it.

May 17, 20267 min read

Polly the Palette sketching design concepts at her drawing table

Don't Hire a Designer Based on Their Degree

Some things can't be taught. You either have the eye for design or you don't. Here's what actually matters when you're hiring.

May 15, 20265 min read

Lumi the Lightbulb at a desk reviewing AI-generated copy

Brain SquadDigital Squad

AI in the marketing agency space: what's worth using.

I have been using AI tools in my marketing work for a while now. Here is what is actually useful, what is hype, and the tools I keep coming back to when nobody is watching.

May 15, 20267 min read

Beau the Booklet flipping through a freshly printed mailer in a 1930s rubber-hose print shop

Print is not dead. It is just picky.

Print marketing is not dead. It is just picky about when it shows up and what it shows up looking like. Here is when print wins, when it is a waste of money, and what to do about it.

Apr 22, 20265 min read

Frank the Camera in a 1930s cartoon photo studio, turning away from a wall of identical stock photos toward a real scene.

Brain SquadDigital Squad

Why we stopped using stock photos on client sites

Stock photos are the visual equivalent of saying you are passionate about excellence. They check the box and say nothing.

Mar 30, 20264 min read

The thing nobody tells you about a rebrand

A rebrand is not a paint job. Half the work happens before anyone opens a design file, and the part the client sees is the smallest piece.

Feb 18, 20266 min read

Lumi the Lightbulb pointing at a jargon-filled marketing proposal pinned to a wall, holding a magnifying glass.

How to read a marketing quote without going crazy

A short, honest field guide for small business owners who are staring at a proposal full of words like 'omnichannel' and 'engagement uplift.'

Jan 10, 20265 min read