Many Hats Marketing

05/30/2026

Had a great dining experience at Rollin Stone - R.Stone today. Excellent food. Had a chance to talk to the chef - and he's passionate about his craft. Everything is from scratch. Food was cooked and seasoned perfectly. He gave me a sample of his Tomato Bisque soup and it was excellent. This place is a great addition to downtown Chamber of Commerce - Juneau, WI !.

05/19/2026

I've been working with Green Star Marine for over a year now. Together we created a marketing strategy and an ex*****on plan for that strategy. We created a new website and a content calendar for all of its social channels. We're building their blog and case study library and optimizing everything for search - both traditional and AI. I'm teaching their small marketing team how to utilize AI to improve their productivity. Blogs are the foundation of their content and repurposed into social content - efficient, targeted and optimized for each channel. It's exciting to watch everything coming together and I look forward to watching the growth that they will experience.

If you're a small business owner and don't know what to do with your marketing, I can help. Everything starts with strategy.

www.hatsmarketing.com
E: [email protected]
T/C: 906-221-7871

05/10/2026

Wishing all of you moms out there a Happy Mother's Day!

04/27/2026

04/21/2026

I've worked in various marketing roles for nearly 30 years. To say that the marketing landscape has changed during that time is an understatement.

My wife has been forced to listen to me wax poetic about marketing strategy, advertising campaigns, new product strategy - all of it. Yeah, sometimes as we're watching TV and an ad pops-up I analyze it - out loud. 🙂 Which has led to discussions about marketing in general. To no one's surprise, sometimes we don't agree on things.

So, I thought it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on marketing.

My question for you: what's the first that comes to your mind when it comes to marketing?

04/07/2026

I review a lot of small business websites. Here are the 3 things missing from most of them:

1️⃣ A clear answer to "what do you do and for whom?"
Within 5 seconds of landing on your homepage, a visitor should know exactly what you offer and whether it's for them. Most sites bury this. Put it front and center.

2️⃣ Social proof above the fold
Client logos, testimonials, or a "trusted by" statement should be visible early not at the bottom of the page. People decide fast. Give them a reason to stay.

3️⃣ One clear call to action
Not five things to click. One. "Schedule a free call." "Get a quote." "Visit us at [address]." The more options you give, the less often people choose any of them.

These aren't expensive fixes. They're strategy fixes.

Does your website have all three? Drop the link in the comments and I'll take a look. 👇

04/02/2026

As part of every Strategy First Engagement, I interview a client's best customers. I ask them:

"Why did you choose this company over everyone else?"

I've done this 30+ times across different industries and markets.

The answer is almost always some version of the same word.

TRUST.

Not price.
Not speed.
Not the flashiest website.

Trust.

They trusted the company would do what it said. They trusted the people behind it. They trusted that if something went wrong, it would get handled.

This is what marketing is really supposed to do. Not shout about your features. Build trust — before someone ever walks through your door.

Every post you make. Every review you respond to. Every time you show up consistently. You're either building trust or eroding it.

In the Upper Peninsula, where everybody knows everybody — trust travels FAST.

Is your marketing building it deliberately?

🎩 Many Hats Marketing — marketing strategy for businesses that want to earn it.

03/30/2026

What a Strategy First Engagement actually looks like, week by week

People ask me: "What exactly do you DO in those first 30-45 days?"

Here's the breakdown:

📋 Week 1 — Discovery
I audit everything you currently have — website, social, messaging — and interview your best customers. (Yes, actually talk to them. This is where the gold is.)

🎯 Week 2 — Strategy development
We define your ideal client, craft your core message, and map the full customer journey from first touchpoint to loyal advocate.

📌 Week 3 — Build the plan
Content strategy, channel recommendations, growth priorities. All tied to your specific goals and budget.

📦 Week 4 — Delivery
You receive a complete marketing strategy document — yours to keep — plus an ex*****on calendar with a week-by-week action plan.

At the end of 30-45 days: clarity, direction, and a real plan.

And the strategy is yours whether we continue working together or not.

Interested in learning more?
Visit: www.hatsmarketing.com
Email: [email protected]
Call or text: (906) 221-7871

03/25/2026

The #1 reason marketing doesn't work for many small businesses

I've worked with many small businesses. And the #1 reason their marketing isn't working is almost never what they think it is.

It's not the wrong platform.
It's not the wrong logo.
It's not the wrong agency.

It's the missing strategy.

Here's what I mean:

Marketing tactics: social posts, ads, emails, SEO: only work when they're pointed in the right direction. That direction is your strategy.

Without it:
❌ Your messaging says something different on every platform
❌ You don't know which customers you're really trying to reach
❌ You can't tell what's working and what's wasting budget

With a clear marketing strategy:
✅ Every tactic works harder
✅ Your team knows exactly what to say and to whom
✅ Your spending gets focused — not scattered

You don't need more marketing. You need the right plan.

What marketing challenge is your business facing right now? Drop it below — I give free advice in the comments. 👇

03/23/2026

What IS a fractional CMO? (Explained in plain English)

I get this question a lot. So let me answer it simply.

A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive who works with your business part-time giving you executive-level strategy without the executive-level price tag.

Instead of hiring a full-time Chief Marketing Officer at $250,000/year:
✅ You get the same strategic expertise
✅ At a fraction of the cost
✅ Without the benefits, bonuses, or long-term commitment

It's leadership as a service. And it's exactly what most small and mid-sized businesses need but didn't know they could access.

Is your business trying to figure out marketing without a real strategy behind it? That's exactly the problem I solve.

👇 Drop a question in the comments — I read and respond to every one.

Share this with a business owner who's been doing marketing alone.