The Marketing Wingman

15/06/2026

Work smarter, not harder???

03/06/2026

I have to share my latest find: the Speak Easy group that meets weekly in Kerikeri. Absolute gold if you are interested in polishing your public speaking skills. Constructive, informative, very well organised and a friendly bunch of people. Highly recommend whether you find public speaking scares the pants off you or if you are looking to take your presentation skills to the next level.

29/05/2026

The best client meetings involve a little cake and coffee. Merci La Patisserie

25/05/2026

Last week Google announced major new AI capabilities for Search — and alongside it, fresh guidance on how websites get pulled into AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Which brings me to the question I hear more than any other from new clients: some version of "how do I get more people to notice my business?"

That question has never mattered more. Google still handles around 13–14 billion searches a day — far more than ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity combined — and the way it surfaces answers is changing.

So I read through Google's new guidance and translated it into plain English. My new blog walks you through what matters, what to ignore, and the one quick email you can send today. Because taking ownership of your digital presence has to be the top priority for any business serious about thriving in a soft economy — and you can be sure your competitors are already on it.

18/05/2026

Ever scrolled through Facebook in the evening, spotted a competitor's polished post, and thought that should be me? 🙋‍♀️

Same. Until I realised consistent marketing isn't about willpower or inspiration – it's about systems.

Inspired by James Clear's Atomic Habits, here are the five small habits I built into my week when I first started my business, to keep my brand top-of-mind (without losing my mind):

✏️ Set annual strategic messages – 1 hour a year
📅 Plan weekly content topics a month at a time – 30 mins a month
⏰ Block a weekly content 'production' slot – 4 hours a week
♻️ Use smart tools to repurpose copy and imagery across platforms – as you go
📊 Review what's working – 10 mins a month

Tiny actions. Compounding results.

Find out how you can do it too, in the comments 👇

11/05/2026

When was the last time you paid extra for a takeaway delivery, tried a new AI tool, or asked around for a cheap accountant?

Every one of those decisions was you running the Value-Price Equation in your head — quietly trading cost against what matters most to you in that moment. Your customers are doing exactly the same thing.

And right now? They're doing the maths more carefully than ever.

This week on the blog: why value just got more important, and how to make sure your marketing speaks to what your customers actually care about 👇

04/05/2026

If you wake up with 'sleep injuries' or peer into the mirror each morning and catch a glimpse of eye bags and chin hair, you're probably officially 'experienced'. Sigh! The flip side of that is you probably know your onions.

I fall into the 'experienced' category - so here's an onion that every business owner should know: You can't rely on social media alone to get the phone ringing. Taking the time to create a personal connection with a prospect or a customer on the other-hand will outperform your insta-worthy pics every time. In fact, email marketing returns $36 for every $1 spent. Compare that to social media that returns $2.80 for every $1 spent.

Here's how email marketing works 👇

20/04/2026

When was the last time you Googled yourself?

I did it this week, and it was a useful exercise. My social media profiles took the top two spots (phew!) — but my role as a charity trustee didn't pop up until page three.

We all know for service-based businesses, customers weigh up a couple of things:
1️⃣ The business reputation.
2️⃣The person behind the business.
And they're making up their minds long before they pick up the phone.

This week I've taken a look at the considerations and opportunities for small business owners who know their personal brand matters, but haven't got round to doing much about it. Seven simple steps. No influencer behaviour required (i.e. no weird selfies).

Have a read and let me know what comes up when you Google yourself 👇

13/04/2026

Hands up if your inbox looks like this right now. 🙋‍♀️
"Have you tried Base44?"
"I saved THREE HOURS on Tuesday!"
"Just ask ChatGPT!"
"No wait, use THIS one instead…"

It's a lot. And look, some of these tools really are brilliant. But have you noticed they're all selling exactly the same thing? Efficiency. Save time. Cut costs. Reduce headcount.

There's a reason for that. Companies like OpenAI have had billions — yes, BILLIONS — poured into them and that money needs to come back somehow. So the pitch to businesses is always the thing that looks best on a spreadsheet. Cost savings: easy to measure, easy to sell.

Customer loyalty? Human connection? Trust?
"Ummm… can we put that in a pie chart?" 🥧

And this is where it gets a bit spicy. Marketing legend Rory Sutherland has a name for what happens when businesses go all-in on efficiency at the expense of everything else. He calls it the Doorman Fallacy.

Picture this: a consultant rocks up to a fancy hotel, decides the doorman's only job is to open the door, replaces him with an automatic sliding door, pockets the cost saving, and disappears into the sunset. 🌅

Fast forward five years. Room rates have tanked. The regulars have scarpered. Someone's asleep in the doorway. And that consultant? Absolutely nowhere to be seen.

Sound familiar? It should — because it's EXACTLY what happened with supermarket self-checkouts. Rolled out to save money. Now costing the industry billions in theft, frustrated customers, and abandoned trolleys. The savings were on the spreadsheet. The losses… were not. 🛒

The tools aren't the problem. The single-minded focus on efficiency is.

So before you sign up for the next shiny thing, there are five questions worth asking first. We've popped them into a handy checklist — link in the comments, along with the full article and Rory's rather excellent YouTube clip. 👇

09/12/2025

So true.

Day 342 of 365.