Why Most Marketing is Worthless—and What To Do Instead

(Antoni Shkraba / pexels)

Let’s call it what it is: most of what passes for “marketing” today is little more than a donation to Google, Facebook, or your local award-winning ad agency.

You don’t need branding. You need money.

And the only kind of marketing that actually brings it in—on-demand, predictably, and repeatedly—is Direct Marketing.

Not the guesswork crap they teach in marketing degrees. Not the logo-polishing, storytelling, social-following, influencer-groveling garbage.

Direct Marketing is different. It asks for the sale. And it gets it.

​Let’s break it down.

Ever heard of a guy named Claude Hopkins? Back in the 1920s, he ran print ads that made millions long before social media, email, or even TV.

Guess what? The same principles he used still work TODAY, but 99% of businesses ignore them. That’s why they struggle.

​But you won’t because I’m going to show you how to apply these battle-tested strategies to your business right now.

Direct Marketing is results, or it’s nothing. It doesn’t exist to make you feel good. It exists to make you money.

It’s blunt. It’s built to provoke a response. And it’s hated by every marketing agency that makes their money by confusing you.

Traditional marketing talks about “impressions” and “awareness.” Direct marketing talks about how many people gave you their credit card.

​Which one do you want?

Traditional marketing is when you spend $10,000 and get likes. Direct marketing is when you spend $10,000 and get $50,000 back.

Traditional marketing tries to be seen. Direct marketing gets chosen.

Traditional marketing says, “Here’s our story.” Direct marketing says, “Here’s your problem—and how to fix it right now.”

​If you want to win design awards, go play in the shallow end. If you want to build wealth, read on.

I don’t care how pretty your ad is. If your offer stinks, your results will too.
Your offer should feel so valuable, so urgent, that saying no makes them feel stupid.

​Ask yourself:

If the answer is no…your offer’s broken. Fix it first. Then market it.

​And for God’s sake, don’t discount. Add value instead. Bonuses, exclusivity, urgency. Anything but cutting price.

You think email’s dead? Great. More room for the rest of us.

​Here’s what direct marketing tactics work (and still work better than anything else):

Everyone’s inbox is overflowing. Their mailbox isn’t—because nobody else is using it.

Fast, cheap, effective. But only when you write like a human, not a robot. If your list likes you, they’ll open.

Urgent? Use text because open rates are around 98%. Just don’t abuse it.

No distractions. One goal. Built to sell.

​Pick the channel that matches your audience. Then, hammer it with a message built to provoke action.

Your product isn’t for everyone. And if you try to talk to everyone, no one will hear you.
Segment. Speak only to buyers.

Someone bought a supplement? Don’t sell them the newsletter. Sell them the upsell.

​You’re not in the business of sending messages. You’re in the business of getting money.

Forget everything you learned in English class.

​Good copy doesn’t read nice. It sells hard.

If your copy doesn’t make them itch to click, call, or buy—it’s garbage.

What you don’t track, you can’t fix.

Look at your numbers—How many opened? How many clicked? How many bought?

If it’s not working, change something. One variable at a time. Test everything. Headlines. Offers. Lists.

Then, do more of what works. Burn the rest.

​That’s how you scale without setting your wallet on fire.

When you master direct response advertising, your business becomes a money-printing machine.

You stop chasing leads. They come to YOU.

You stop discounting. People WANT to buy from you.

You stop guessing. Every campaign is trackable and predictable.

And the best part?

You build a business that runs itself.

Imagine waking up to an inbox full of orders. Imagine spending ZERO time on unqualified leads. Imagine predictable revenue every single month.

​THAT is what direct marketing can do.

If you’re still relying on hope to bring in leads… stop.

Build a system that forces response.

Start now by:

Then, tweak, improve, and scale.

No buzzwords. No fairy dust. Just hard-nosed, brass-knuckle marketing that works.

If you’re serious about growing your business, start implementing my direct marketing expert tips today.

​Your competitors won’t wait. Why should you?