Ugly Mug Marketing

09/14/2026

AI search is quietly killing your clicks. 83% of Google searches now end without one. 😳

The AI summary answers at the top, your small business sits somewhere below it. About 20% chance you get seen, 14% chance they click.

The fix isn’t more keywords — it’s answers. People search in questions now, so put the questions and the answers on your website and your socials. FAQ pages, Q&A posts, the exact language your customers use. That’s what AI pulls from when it decides who gets mentioned.

Be the answer, not the link nobody scrolls to.

📩 Send this to a business owner who still thinks SEO is just keywords.

09/10/2026

The most underrated marketing tool for your business is free. Are you using it? 👀

09/03/2026

85% of small business owners who are hiring right now can't find qualified applicants.

Most owners think that's a labor market problem.
But it's not.

Here's why you're not attracting A-players:

𝟭) 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

A-players aren't scanning job boards. They notice companies over time, through what gets posted, what gets said about them, what their friends mention. If you only show up when you're hiring, you show up too late.

𝟮) 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲'𝘀.

"Seeking motivated self-starter, competitive pay." That's not a pitch. That's wallpaper. A-players skim past it the same way they skim past a generic sales email.

𝟯) 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱.

A-players don't want a job. They want a place where their standards aren't a burden. If your post doesn't say who you are and what you expect, you're not filtering for anyone. You're just hoping.

𝟰) 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.

Pay gets you in the applicant pool. It doesn't win the A-player. Everyone in your market can match pay. Almost nobody can match culture, standards, or story.

Here's the fix, in one line:
Recruiting A-players is all about your marketing.

Same AIDA. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
Your company is the product. Market your job openings accordingly.

Full breakdown is in this week's Ugly Mug newsletter. Free.
Link in comments.

Which one of these four hit closest to home for your business? Drop it below.

09/01/2026

😍 www.wwd3.com 👀

08/27/2026

Today, 5 people walked into our conference room with calendars they hated.

Five hours later, they walked out with calendars built with intention.

Not notes.
Not ideas.
Not “I’ll implement this later.”
Built!

Here’s what we uncovered in those 5 hours:

✔️ Most “emergencies” aren’t emergencies. They’re recurring tasks nobody scheduled.

✔️ Your calendar isn’t full. It’s undefended.

✔️ Progress isn’t a feeling. It’s a block of time that happened or it didn’t.

Feel like you’re constantly busy, but not making progress toward the goals that actually matter?

Does your to-do list never seem to get any shorter?

Discover your Time Profile and see how you could reclaim 10+ hours every week by taking this 2 minute quiz:

https://time.uglymugmarketing.com/

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

Setting goals is the easy part.

Actually sticking to them is a whole different story.

For Week 4 of our Back to the Basics series, we’re talking real accountability and goal setting. Let's be honest, it's way too easy to write down a bunch of goals and then completely ghost them by next month (or even next week).

We’re breaking down how to:
�Set goals that actually make sense for your real life (and avoid burnout)
�Build daily habits, so you're not relying purely on motivation
�Create a simple routine to hold yourself accountable
�Track your progress without overcomplicating it

If your goals usually live in your notes app or feel totally overwhelming once you start, this is for you.

Let's stop letting our goals slip through the cracks and actually make it happen. Let's get to it!

� New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! �

08/21/2026

Yesterday a room full of local salespeople learned why one local guy sold his company to one of the largest firms in the world.

It wasn't his product.

It wasn't his price.

It was the details.

The small, intentional, almost invisible things he did consistently while everyone else was focused on the latest sales technique.

That's it.

That's the whole lesson.

If you want to be in the room next month there are only a few seats left.

Link in comments.