Sudlow Marketing

11/09/2026

Two slightly bonkers things are happening with ChatGPT and Claude.

I use both, and they are genuinely useful. But I am noticing two habits that we probably need to get a grip on.

People are using ChatGPT to talk to each other

One person asks ChatGPT to write an email.

The recipient receives it, thinks, “I am not reading all that,” and asks ChatGPT to summarise it.

They then ask ChatGPT to write the reply.

So, essentially, two versions of ChatGPT are having a lengthy and extremely polite conversation while the humans watch.

“Thank you for your comprehensive response.”

“I appreciate your thoughtful reply.”

“Please do not hesitate to reach out.”

At that point, the humans might as well go and make a cup of tea and let the two ChatGPTs get on with it.

Sometimes, “Yes, Thursday is fine” will do.

AI should help us communicate more clearly. It should not turn a simple conversation into the digital equivalent of War and Peace.

People are uploading data and asking AI to run the business

Uploading a spreadsheet and asking, “What should I do?” might feel wonderfully efficient.

The problem is that AI does not know the full story.

It does not know about seasonal changes, pricing decisions, customer behaviour, competitor activity or the fact that someone accidentally paused the adverts for three weeks.

There are too many variables.

AI will also nearly always find improvements because that is what you asked it to do.

Ask it to find problems and it will return with 27 of them, neatly organised under headings, before you have finished your coffee.

That does not mean the suggestions are wrong. It does not mean they are right either.

Be careful about what data you upload, especially anything confidential. Check the privacy settings, question the findings and use your own experience before making business decisions.

ChatGPT and Claude are useful assistants.

They should not be having your conversations or quietly promoting themselves to Managing Director.

Use AI, enjoy it and save time with it.

Just make sure a human is still in charge.

09/09/2026

If you are paying someone to manage your marketing, you should understand what they are doing and whether it is actually working.

You do not need a 20 page report full of marketing jargon and numbers that mean nothing to you.

You need to know what is working, what is not working, where your money is going and what happens next.

Good marketing data should make things clearer. It should help you make better decisions and show you whether your investment is bringing something back into the business.

If the person managing your marketing cannot explain the results in plain English, keep asking questions.

It is your business and your money. You have every right to understand the data.

08/09/2026

When I started in 2008, it was just me. It took me a long time to build a team because I never wanted clients to feel like they had been passed over to an agency and forgotten about.

Everyone here is employed in house, works full time and is based in the UK. We do not outsource client work.

More importantly, they care. They know our clients, understand their businesses and work incredibly hard to get results.

I am very proud of this lot. They also put up with me, which probably deserves some recognition on its own.

Meet the team here 👇

https://www.carrieannsudlow.co.uk/team/

04/09/2026

Social media cannot be faceless, because people buy from people.

In a world full of AI generated content, being your authentic self matters more than ever.

I used to feel incredibly insecure about making videos. If I am honest, I still position the camera so people cannot see the full extent of my disability. I have also had to delete nasty comments from people who clearly have too much time on their hands.

But I keep showing up.

Not because I am completely confident, but because I know that hiding does not help anyone. My experience, personality and perspective are what make me different. The same is true for you.

You do not need to look perfect. You do not need to sound like everyone else. You do not need to wait until you feel fearless.

You are unique, and that is exactly why people will connect with you.

Be seen. Be human. Be yourself.

19/08/2026

Meet Leo, our new Operations Manager

We’re very pleased to welcome Leo Sefton to the team.

Leo is what I’d describe as a technical genius who somehow manages to never get stressed. Give him a problem and, while the rest of us are still working out what’s gone wrong, he’s usually already found the solution.

As technology continues to change how businesses operate, Leo will be bringing smarter processes, advanced systems and plenty of technical know how to both our business and our clients’ businesses.

His skills include AI systems, data analysis, coding, C #, CRM builds and automations.

One of Leo’s biggest strengths is his confidence. He doesn’t panic when something gets complicated, he thinks it through, gets stuck in and finds a way forward.

We asked him a few questions so you can get to know him…

Describe your personality in one word:
Direct.

Why marketing?
“I thrive in a fast paced environment, marketing is certainly that.”

Describe Carrie Ann in one word:
Adventurous.
(I’ll take that)

If you could change one thing about the world:
“That people think for themselves more and always take time to think before they take action.”

And finally, where does Leo see marketing going?

More AI focused in the short term, but he believes we’ll eventually see a shift where businesses with genuine originality are the ones that really stand out.

I happen to agree.

AI can make businesses faster and smarter, but it can’t replace original thinking, good ideas and knowing what makes your business different.

Welcome to the team, Leo. I have a feeling you’re going to keep us all on our toes.

13/08/2026

A new face, even more strength behind your marketing. Meet Kim.

We’re pleased to welcome Kimberley Gammage to the team as our Paid Social Media Manager.

Kim brings more than a decade of in house digital marketing experience, working with businesses across the UK, Europe and the UAE, covering everything from restaurants and meal plans to industrial printers and edtech.

In other words, she knows there’s no such thing as a one size fits all marketing strategy.

Her experience spans paid social, organic social media, email marketing, design and communications, but what really stood out to us was something much simpler.

Kim understands people.

Her biggest talent is working out what the customer actually wants, then making sure the marketing delivers it. That fits perfectly with how we work as an agency.

As our client base continues to grow, we’re continuing to invest in a strong, experienced UK based team, with real people managing your marketing, asking questions, challenging ideas and caring about the results.

Kim describes herself as nurturing, which feels pretty accurate.
She also has an interesting view on where marketing is heading.

As AI generated content becomes increasingly common, Kim believes people will place even more value on businesses that feel real, trustworthy and human.

We happen to agree.

Technology will keep changing, but good marketing will always come back to understanding people.

Welcome to the team, Kim. We’re very glad to have you with us.

13/08/2026

Are FAQs actually good for SEO?

Yes, they can be. But simply sticking a load of questions at the bottom of a page isn’t going to suddenly improve your Google rankings.

FAQs work when they’re genuinely useful.

Think about the questions your customers ask you all the time. The things they want to know before they pick up the phone, fill in your contact form or buy from you.

Those are the questions worth answering.

Good FAQs can help you cover useful searches, add information that doesn’t naturally fit elsewhere on the page and, most importantly, make life easier for the person visiting your website.

You don’t need them on every page.

You don’t need a certain number.

And you definitely don’t need to stuff them with keywords.

If the question helps your customer, answer it. If you’re only adding it because you think Google wants to see it, don’t bother.

As with most SEO, stop looking for tricks and concentrate on being useful.

Are FAQs good for SEO? Learn how FAQs can support rankings, improve your content and user experience, plus the latest advice on FAQ schema

07/08/2026

See Carrie-Ann’s latest article on Search Engine Land

It explained why everyone sees different Google rankings.

Customers don't search in the controlled environment your SEO tools measure. That gap changes how you should interpret rankings.

05/08/2026

https://www.carrieannsudlow.co.uk/seo-for-pest-control-services/

22/07/2026

If you've got an ecommerce website, here's something worth checking...

Ask someone who's never visited your website before to look at your homepage for five seconds.

Can they tell what you sell?

Do they understand why they should choose you?

Can they see reasons to trust your business?

If the answer is no, there's a good chance potential customers are leaving before they've even looked at your products.

A clear, trustworthy website gives your marketing a much better chance of working.

I talk about this in the video below.