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Ever stumble across an old photo of yourself and cringe, wondering, "What the hell was I thinking?"

Yeah, me too.

Not just with fashion choices (trust me, there were some horrors in my past) but also with marketing.

Early in my entrepreneurial journey, before I really understood marketing, I looked up to the loudest voices in the industry. The ones who seemed to be crushing it. Flashy, over-the-top marketers are making outrageous claims with big red headlines, ugly fonts, and promises of “millions overnight.”

And, embarrassingly, I imitated some of their tactics.

But you know what? It didn’t work.

Why? Because people aren’t dumb. If you treat your audience like idiots, you’ll only attract idiots. And idiots don’t make for good long-term customers.

Why Scammy Marketing Fails (and What Actually Works)

These sketchy tactics aren’t just a relic of old-school direct-response marketing. They’re alive and well today.

Open any social media app, and you’ll see headlines like:

• “Get abs in 7 minutes (while sitting in your chair).”
• “Make millions in passive income with this shady software.”
• “Jump on this pump-and-dump crypto project before it’s too late!”

It’s all just noise. And smart consumers have gotten really good at tuning it out.

So, if you’re serious about building a real business with real customers, you need a different approach. A more ethical, sustainable, and profitable approach.

The First Principle of Lean Marketing: Create Value

David Ogilvy, one of the greatest advertising minds of all time, famously said:

“Never write an advertisement which you wouldn’t want your own family to read. The consumer isn’t a moron, she’s your wife. You wouldn’t tell lies to your own wife. Don’t tell them to mine.”

This philosophy is at the core of what I call Lean Marketing—a framework that focuses on creating value, not just grabbing attention.

In my book Lean Marketing, I talk about the problem with most marketing:

When you focus on value-driven marketing, you attract better customers, build stronger relationships, and grow your business sustainably.

‍How to Apply Lean Marketing to Your Business

So, how do you implement this in your own marketing? Here’s a simple framework:

1. Start with Your Audience, Not Your Product

Too many businesses start with what they want to sell instead of what their audience actually needs. Flip that script. Get obsessive about understanding your audience—what they want, what they struggle with, and how you can help.

2. Provide Value Before You Ask for Anything

Don’t just push offers. Instead, give before you ask. Share helpful insights, educate your audience, and create content that genuinely helps them—even if they never buy from you.

3. Build Trust, Not Just Transactions

Your customers aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. They’re real people who need to trust you before they do business with you. Be transparent. Be consistent. And, above all, be someone they’d actually want to buy from.

‍How to Create Value With Your Marketing in 2025

If you want to transform your marketing (and your business), ask yourself:

Marketing in 2025 isn’t what it was 10 or even 5 years ago. Audiences are savvier, more skeptical, and more immune to marketing B.S. than ever before. They’ve been burned by too many get-rich-quick schemes, overhyped products, and businesses that overpromise but underdeliver.

People aren’t just looking for the next shiny object. They want real solutions, transparency, and brands they can trust.

The old-school marketing tactics—clickbait headlines, pushy sales messages, exaggerated claims—don’t work like they used to. Consumers have access to infinite information, and with one quick search, they can tell if you’re legit or full of it.

So, if you want to win in 2025, you need to shift your mindset from “How do I sell more?” to “How do I help more?”

Now, ask yourself:

Is this genuinely helpful?

Would your content still be valuable even if nobody buys from you today? If the answer is no, rethink it.

Does this build trust with my audience?

Trust is earned through transparency, honesty, and delivering on your promises. If your marketing feels even slightly deceptive, you’re playing a losing game.

Am I focused on relationships or transactions?

Churn-and-burn marketing might get you short-term wins, but long-term success comes from building an audience that trusts you and buys from you again and again.

‍Make a Difference, Not Just Noise

Marketing isn’t about being the loudest. It’s about being the most valuable.

So, my challenge to you is this: How will you create real value for your audience in 2025?

Because in a world full of fake gurus and marketing bros, the businesses that actually help people are the ones that win.

—Allan

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