@jasonfried Celebrating customers is some of the best marketing you can do.
Notes on Marketing
170 notes
Sep 2026
Simple experiences are often the ones that work best in small and mid-market. I think about how dominant @Mailchimp was in email marketing. It was a B2B SaaS tool that felt like a consumer tool.
Jul 2019
I wonder if she saw my post about this from 2011. Running FB ads helped me get my first interviews out of college. Cool to see that it still works!
solomon.io
Jason Fried@jasonfried
Out of everyone who applied for the Basecamp Head of Marketing job, only one person used an ad on LinkedIn to get an extra ounce of notice. This doesn’t get her the job, but it’s a clever, thoughtful technique to stand out against 1000+ other applicants.
Jan 2019
“...it was the divorce of “readers” from “potential customers” that prevented even the largest publishers from profiting much from the massive amounts of new traffic they were receiving. ” stratechery.com
Jun 2018
One step further—describe the specific value the product provides. For a long time @SalesLoft's marketing site simply said "Increase Qualified Demos by 300%"
Ryan Hoover@rrhoover
Pro tip: When launching a product, especially for an unknown brand, avoid super-vague-marketing-jazz-hands copy.
E.g. I just saw a product described with the tagline, “For anywhere work takes you”. I have no idea what that means.
May 2018
Cool idea—finding an apartment using Facebook ads. There's probably a ton of uses for them.
buff.ly
It reminds me a lot about how I got my first post-grad gig at @crowdfunder using Facebook ads. Hard to believe 2011 was 7 years ago.
solomon.io
For Direct to Consumer businesses to work the product has to be exceptional—so exceptional that people will seek it out as opposed to just ordering an equivalent from Amazon or Walmart. buff.ly
Sep 2017
A ton of clever inbound ideas here—How Intercom Generates $50 Million Annual Recurring Revenue sumo.com
Aug 2017
Talk about incredible marketing. I don't have any interest in working on cars, but I want to throw $20 at this. howacarworks.com
Jul 2017
This has to be the most persuasive landing page I've ever been on. Might be a questionable click, if you're at work. muzzleapp.com
I love that @SlackHQ's blog is called Several People are Typing. It's such a recognizable experience within the app.
Jun 2017
Wow, shutting down mcmansionhell.com is terrible PR for @Zillow. theverge.com
Growth is getting hard from intensive competition, consolidation, and saturation andrewchen.com
Facinating paper on e-commerce sale improvements. Main takeaways: Reduced Stock, Countdowns and Interest are key. coveo.com
Wow, incredible marketing. This is an entire story about @Square's customers—the brand is hardly mentioned. squareup.com
Mar 2017
Agency or indie band? A few thoughts on coming up with names for marketing agencies. solomon.io
Feb 2017
About 3 years ago I built a news board for people in creative agencies called Advertisers.io.
What a story—Probably the testimonial page I've seen. squareup.com
Jan 2017
Doing a little marketing expiriment, syndicating @Trustfuel's blog on @Medium. Any tips? buff.ly
The Kardashian business model is a reversal of others: Products are ads for people rather than the other way around. theoutline.com
Dec 2016
Nov 2016
Well, this is... amusing? The Cards Against Humanity Holiday Hole holidayhole.com
More A+ content and marketing from the team at @InVisionApp buff.ly
Oct 2016
After watching this video the Zendesk rebrand makes more sense. youtube.com
Fascinating post about influencer marketing and subscription perfume—How we got from $0 to $75k MRR with zero budget buff.ly
Is this new? Never noticed ads on Quora posts before?
Got an email saying that I've been added to a Cision database. Here come the PR pitches.
Originally I was pretty put off by the complexity of Pardot. It's still more complicated than it needs to be, but it's growing on me.
Sep 2016
Remember the RapGenius blackhat growth hack? buff.ly
Aug 2016
Brilliant. Dark. Hilarious. okcookie.co
Jun 2016
Come on. @VIZIO you're better than sending me email advertisements for the TV I just purchased.
May 2016
This is why I love copywriters. adweek.com
Breakfast as we know it is an invention of a General Mills 1944 advertising campaign. priceonomics.com
Mar 2016
Why I Think Zuckerberg is Trying to Kill Influencer Marketing buff.ly
I had no idea there were this many ad-blocking users. It's obviously not as niche as I thought. Scary for publishers
Why Trader Joe's, everyone's favorite grocery store, isn't on social media thenewinquiry.com
Dec 2015
Nov 2015
The Dodge Ram/Hunger Games cross promotion is odd.
How the Mad Men lost the plot buff.ly
Strong punchy copy on @iA's new Wordpress theme sales page. I'd expect nothing less. store.ia.net
Oct 2015
Great article about how Expensify and how the merge marketing and product. review.firstround.com
Sep 2015
I guess Taco Bell's app only model didn't work. That or they just used it as a marketing ploy while they build this. tacobell.com
Anti-ad blockers surface. loopinsight.com
“User acquisition doesn't really make sense unless you already have healthy retention.” review.firstround.com
DraftKings commercials every 1.5 Minutes, $82mm spent this year. We're not even at week 1 of the NFL season. buff.ly
Aug 2015
As far as ads go, this one is rather good—The Scientific Rube Goldberg Machine buff.ly
Google's @adwords signup is a serious dark pattern. Automatically starts spending money on your ads during onboarding without notificaiton.
Tweet some random shit about #marketing, #SEO, #SocialMedia, #LeadGen and watch the bots swarm.
Jul 2015
The adblocking revolution is months away theoverspill.blog
Why adblocking is the new speeding thenextweb.com
The ads on the new Designer News are probably the best on the web—easily visible, but don't take away anything from the homepage.
Jun 2015
This is the pinnacle of QR codes in marketing! Heinz ketchup bottle QR code leads to hardcore porn site theverge.com
May 2015
Scientifically proven to activate happiness. Awesome sunglasses commercial. youtube.com
This is really clever, concept—How to Hack Facebook Ads Down to $0.005 Per Click bol-agency.com
Awesome @MailChimp advertising on display near Ponce.
Apr 2015
You know what? @MailChimp has the best gorilla marketing.
I want to dislike this, but it's actually quite clever—Snapchat Uses Its Own App To Poach Uber Engineers buff.ly
MailChimp's value proposition from 2002 to present. imgur.com
My thoughts on leaving advertising—So Long and Thanks for All the Job Jackets solomon.io
"41 percent of millennials use ad block. My daughter has ad block and...she puts it on everything." buff.ly
The Economist’s Tom Standage on digital strategy and the limits of a model based on advertising buff.ly
Mar 2015
A lot of good people are part of this—Brick by Brick: A Free Guide to Building Awesome Communities buff.ly
Speaking with a class today about internet marketing. Think I'm going to tell the story about how I used Facebook Ads to get my first job.
"But BuzzFeed has never sold a banner, and I couldn’t even tell you how many monthly page views we get." stratechery.com
It removes agencies directly from the equation. What happens when more publications catch on?
Brands pay Buzzfeed to craft a story and design around the brand, publish it as a native ad and pay for distribution on social media.
Feb 2015
Good thoughts here—How to Start a Startup: Getting Press the Right Way buff.ly
Required reading for all entrepreneurs—How side projects saved our startup. blog.pickcrew.com
About six months ago I said companies were going to leverage projects to gather media/leads instead of doing media spends. Agree, disagree?
The @MailChimp awesomeness strikes again. This time with employee trading cards. mailchimp.com
Jan 2015
Interesting look at the 2014 traffic sources of one of my favorite blogs, Pricenomics. priceonomics.com
The brilliant marketing behind one of my favorite consumer products, Dollar Shave Club. getvero.com
Dec 2014
Advertising friends, I'm adding a directory of agencies to Advertisers.io. Are there any in Atlanta that I'm missing? advertisers.io
Someone has a giant QR code bumper sticker. Not only is it idiotic, but it is dangerous and should be illegal.
Nov 2014
The last couple weeks I've been working on a news board for the ad industry. Check out advertisers.io!
Social media marketing isn't so social anymore is it? Forrester advises advertisers to abandon Facebook businessinsider.com
Facebook has had a great time making fools of marketers—Facebook Will Curtail Unpaid Ads by Brands buff.ly
How user growth really works by @mijustin justinjackson.ca
Oct 2014
Taco Bell ditching it's site for an app? Poor move. Hope the PR play was worth it. tacobell.com
The Enterprise "We hire more college graduates than anyone else" commercials are odd. Is that supposed to be a selling point?
Why can't I unsubscribe from spam mailers like I unsubscribe from spam emails?
Wow, this is a must read post from @mikaelcho—How side projects saved our startup. blog.pickcrew.com
I might be addicted to real-time analytics. The funny thing is it is a completely unhelpful tool. Nothing actionable comes from it.
Sep 2014
This is an awesomely weird video from Dropbox. Did they tell these people they would be replaced with puppets? youtube.com
It's back it's back! The suit is back! paulgraham.com
Aug 2014
Google's Ads target based on what we search, Facebook's on what we like. Amazon's new ads on what we buy. Wild card!
I never thought I'd see the day when something outdid the Shake Weight. fastcocreate.com
Wow! P&G is planning to shed more than 50% of its brands—How Technology is Changing the World (P&G Edition) stratechery.com
Consumer goods companies fighting for shelf space is silly. The internet has added unlimited shelves. Focus should be on search, social.
Jul 2014
SaaS businesses can learn a thing or two from Dollar Shave Club getvero.com
Few things make more of a difference than impactful copy.
Talk about impactful copy. I'm throwing money at my screen but nothing is happening.
I'm allergic to marketing speak like that.
This is clever. Site gives you guidance on ordering custom PC that works together, makes money via affiliate revenue. buff.ly
Jun 2014
How to fail at online advertising.
Brand engagement plummets 40% year-over-year on Facebook for major brands. contently.com
Content. Community. Commerce.
May 2014
The scariest chart in Mary Meeker’s slide deck for newspapers has gotten a little scarier. buff.ly
People seem to love this article, so I'll share again—required reading for anyone working on E-commerce businesses. buff.ly
A memo to the team at Slack, invent your own market—We Don't Sell Saddles Here buff.ly
An entertaining and insightful guide to landing page optimization. moz.com
May edition of RSG Insights—The value of Facebook as organic reaches zero, anatomy of a casino website, and more eepurl.com
Apr 2014
Four years after it should have—Facebook Is Reportedly Launching A Mobile Ad Network thenextweb.com
Interesting post on hacking @unbounce for better landing pages. medium.com
Fantastic case study in conversion design—Is booking.com the most persuasive site in the world? econsultancy.com
Great thoughts on promoting content. neilpatel.com
Minimal Lego Southpark, Simpsons and Bert & Ernie. I love these ads. imgur.com
Another damning post about Facebook's ad platform. I wonder how long it can go without addressing these issues? jamespanderson.tumblr.com
I think most mobile ads are accidentally clicked. Interesting nonetheless—Pissing Away Our Money With Google Ads blog.aha.io
This study by Oglvy is a must read for anyone with a Facebook page—Life After the Demise of Organic Reach slideshare.net
I've thought it was over months ago. I suppose it's now official—The Free-Marketing Gravy Train Is Over on Facebook buff.ly
Fascinating case study—how AirBnB boosted referrals 25 percent. buff.ly
Mar 2014
My policy: Every piece of direct mail I receive leaves my mailbox and goes directly into the trash.
We just launched a pretty cool newsletter if you're looking for a read about technology advertising and casinos. eepurl.com
How to spend your first $100 in Facebook Ads by @noahkagan okdork.com
Feb 2014
Interesting thought about leveraging cheap engagements on Facebook. Curious if they convert. epicster.com
A three-step process for naming projects and products with resources. blog.pieratt.com
These FB ad issues are going to be trouble—This Man's $600,000 Facebook Disaster Is A Warning For All SMB sfgate.com
If people love your content, they'll share it—with or without social media buttons.
If somebody scans a QR code, and nobody is around to see, is the marketer still wrong?
The intenet is destroying brand loyalty, consumers are making educated choices. newyorker.com
Tests, SEO and App Store rankings—If something can be gamed, it will.
Check out how A List Apart shows ads. It appears to be a modal, but is actually part of the page. I bet this converts
I thought the commercials were supposed to be entertaining during the Super Bowl? These brands are trying too hard.
Jan 2014
An in-depth growth case study—How Huckberry is transforming the future of e-commerce. buff.ly
Do this if you want to scare away readers. This is the reason why banner ads are a race to the bottom.
Anecdotally, I think the Facebook Pages platform has turned to garbage in the last year. Don't waste money on them. vpj.svbtle.com
Interesting. @buzzfeedpartner offers sponsored posts of @BuzzFeed 's sponsor content. That is about as meta as you get.
Clever copy. The palms.com 's privacy policy—The Private parts.
Dec 2013
Incredible. How old @MailChimp bilboards become bags. vimeo.com
Upworthy split tests its headlines and pictrues. slideshare.net
So much unnecessary complexity built into these display ad networks. No wonder BuySellAds is making a killing.
Googles Ads are starting to look deceptively like search results.
Nov 2013
Oct 2013
"Advertisers are ultimately brokers of human attention" newyorker.com
Sep 2013
MailChimp Founder @benchestnut — Why I Hate Funnels mailchimp.com
@mikaelcho you and the team at @ooomf have done a fantastic job with marketing. Wondering if you would be interested in doing an interview?
People need to take growth hacking notes from the guys at @ooomf . First unsplash.com, now howmuchtomakeanapp.com.
Just discovered a whole website full of reasons not to use a QR code. buff.ly
Aug 2013
Jul 2013
It is one thing to print a metal @Mailchimp logo on a sweatshirt designlab.mailchimp.com It is another to do this dribbble.com
Jun 2013
Now that's an in-store demonstration. yfrog.com @GorillaGlue @HomeDepot
Publishing still has a long ways to go — Adventures in Publishing: The New Dynamics of Advertising brandperfect.org
I'm putting together a beginners guide to Google Analytics. What topics should it include? What hints/tips should be added?
The New York Times is considering BuzzFeed-Style sponsored stories.
May 2013
Can someone explain to me why Facebook hasn't built its own ad network? That should have been created a year ago.
Should you use a QR code?
Speaking about affordable marketing for retailers at the Downtown Mobile Alliance this morning!
Reason #512 that @mailchimp is awesome — They have a coloring book in their resources section. mailchimp.com
Odd way to promote fill-ups. yfrog.com
Apr 2013
Kmart's awesome "Ship Your Pants" commercial. signaltower.co
Feb 2013
Aug 2012
Jul 2012
Ok, I'm officially hooked. If you aren't using @unbounce to test web layouts, you aren't doing it right.
Jun 2012
Everyone in your startup is a marketer. leostartsup.com
Dec 2011
Thanks for the follow @founderfuel By any chance you or any of your startups looking for a digital marketer?
Nov 2011
Oct 2011
@helpareporter How about a keyword tool? Im a #student and an #entrepreneur ill only get an email for topics with those words and no others.
Jun 2011
Great work @cocacola the #cokemobilesummit was a phenominal experience.
Gary briggs, vp consumer mktg google. It took sony 20 yrs to build a brand, nike 10 yrs. Today it takes 6 months #cokemobilesummit
I still can't get over the fact that these speakers want you to have your phone out and interacting. #cokemobilesummit
Headed to Atlanta for the @CocaCola Social Mobile Summit.