It wasn’t long ago that reaching the right people took serious budget. Pay the paper for a print ad. Pay the station for your thirty-second slot. Pay the agency for the right billboard. Didn’t matter whether anyone cared, as marketers we paid for a shot at attention, crossing our fingers that we’d interrupt just enough to make a sale.
But everything’s different now. You can record a video, put it on social, and—sometimes—see it reach ten million people. One eight-minute shoot, twelve minutes of edits, and the possibility to build massive awareness at zero distribution cost. Typical? Not at all. But even the possibility resets what’s possible for anyone doing marketing.
Here’s the real unlock: It isn’t just about chasing huge numbers. Maybe you’re trying to connect with a couple hundred of the right-fit decision makers. You can reach them—directly and at scale—without buying permission for every impression. That’s a shift. And it should mean a lot for how you think about reaching your next client or partner.
Ever work for weeks to get a buyer meeting? That person you’ve chased for months is scrolling LinkedIn right now, looking for something worth their time. What story do you want them to see from you when they do?
Think about car shopping in the 90s. You’d walk onto the lot and have no clue about price, quality, or the dealership’s reputation. Everything was a question mark, and all the information was on the seller’s side. Then the internet arrived. In an instant, buyers could compare everything from home, at their own pace. The balance of power flipped. Today it doesn’t matter if you’re selling twenty-dollar shoes or surgical equipment—a buyer’s journey starts and ends where, when, and how they want. Their terms, not yours.
Markets have adapted technologically, but many strategies lag. Underestimating the impact of digital distribution is easy, but it’s a costly miss. The age of information handed control to the customer, and smart businesses pivoted because of it. Are you?
When Celsius lost their big box retail deal in 2012, most companies would have called it. But instead, they shifted: niche distribution and grassroots marketing. For three years, they went where their real audience lived—gyms, expos, CrossFit communities. They doubled down on influencer culture and reached a generation looking for something different in energy drinks. By targeting instead of blasting, Celsius built real brand identity. They unlocked scale by finding the right fit, not just the most eyes.
The Celsius case shows why brand awareness is more than a vanity metric. It’s foundational. Not just for “marketing” purposes or because it feels good, but because it tees up every downstream success metric. When you solve for that, you build something potent, not just available.
Remember when you first started selling or building something? There’s a certain energy to the early days—the learning, the wins, even the fumbles. Somewhere along the way, that can fade. For me, there was a time when burnout took over, and passion went quiet. But it cycles back. I find the spark in helping brands build and sharing what actually works. The optimism is back, and it fuels everything from our projects to my everyday work. If you miss that excitement, look for it in reinvention and real connection.
Social media has fundamentally changed the earning potential for attention. Ten years ago, attention cost money. Today, one smart piece of content can be seen by millions—no distribution budget required. That’s not something to take lightly.
Lately, the shift is everywhere. We see prospects struggle because they’re stuck believing marketing should “just work” by default. I get it—entitlement comes from the old world where an ad spot usually meant a response. But today, if your content feels transactional, it will be ignored. Real value is what earns time and attention now.
Platform-by-platform, that’s the new game. Give value, earn attention. Do it well, and you’ll solve the hardest marketing challenge online.
The attention economy has made every relationship matter—whether you reach out with a post, a DM, or a handshake. My conviction: social media is the most efficient way to build useful relationships at scale. More teams see this every day, and the resistance to “just posting promotions” is dropping. Still, some stick to old arguments: “What’s the ROI on brand?” My answer—look to the brands rapidly scaling past legacy players. The playbook just isn’t linear anymore.
No one can market their way out of a broken operation. Good product and reliable experience come before campaigns, always. Our clients remind us of this too—every campaign relies on the basics: great service and honest value. If those don’t exist, marketing just amplifies whatever is already true about your product.
Whether it’s the founder of a fast casual startup or the UPS driver who takes extra steps to help, personal connection still matters. The most unexpected ambassadors can move the needle for you—sometimes just by making a key introduction. People like Brad (our UPS driver) remind me that the work is about connecting, listening, and helping wherever you can. That mindset builds trust and opportunity, often in places you least expect it.
Growth doesn’t just happen at work—it’s personal. I broke a nicotine habit after six years. Now, when I’m reaching for a Pellegrino instead, it’s a marker of change. Even small positive routines (no matter how simple) add up. Healthier choices, better consistency, the habit of trying new approaches—all of it benefits you as a person and as a builder. There’s no perfect switch to flip, but momentum is real and always worth compounding.
So, here’s a simple question: What’s one opportunity you’ve been overlooking because you thought the old rules still apply? Now is the time to test, to share, to care—and to take advantage of the reach that’s finally in your hands.
Think value first. Build real connections. Your reach has never had this much upside for so little outlay. Try, learn, repeat.
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