The Spot Community’s Post

‘No decision’ is the new black 💀 I miss the glory days of hearing yes on the discovery call. Just to feel young again, I’m mulling some one-off packages with a clear, yessable outcome. I asked myself: → What am I good at? → What do founders need but struggle to find or do internally? → What service will founders find easy to understand, say yes to, refer on? Below is what I’m thinking. Probably between US$1-2k per package, will of course share previous examples with whoever’s interested. What do you think? Will any of these land? Maybe they already have? DM me. — 1️⃣ — Raving customer video testimonials If your customers are raving about you, getting them on camera will provide your best-performing content. I’ll host remote interviews, prospect the gold, then work the videos into 10s of formats you can use over and over. — 2️⃣ — Visually engaging Linkedin posts Wait - I agree, there are already too many LI writers out there. But I use design to tease out your point, so you’re not pumping out text posts that get ignored, or spamming prospects with selfies. Then I’ll distribute top-performing posts to your ICP via Linkedin ads. — 3️⃣ — Custom web builds (e.g. calculators, tools) Your prospects don’t always ‘get’ your value. Your site is limited. Your dev team are busy. A custom tool or calculator shows the value of your product, arms your sales team with a killer asset, and can perform pretty darn well on search.

There aren’t enough black and brown people in the marketing world. Of all my years of working in the corporate world, often I’ve been the only black guy working on the project. I’ve mentored so many people and often they are discouraged by this. So I want to write this for those of you that need to hear it. Your skin color: - Doesn’t have to dictate the opportunities available to you - Doesn’t have to prevent you from receiving that raise - Doesn’t have to stop you from achieving your monetary goals As long as that narrative is painted in your mind, it will become your reality. Your perspective on life is what dictates your success. I do not say this to be insensitive. I say this as a black man who had no connections, didn’t go to school for marketing, had all the markers that the statistics list of the typical black man who should be dead or in jail by 25. Instead, I went from being a security guard to being a digital marketer. Mind over matter, even when things are getting tough. If you’re trying to get your start in digital marketing, my inbox is open to any questions you might have! #digitalmarketing

We are excited to share that our CEO and Founder, Joseph Anthony was featured as a Black Marketing Vanguard by Sabrina Sanchez in Campaign US. Joe shared the following advice: "Reach out and engage industry thought leaders. Don't be afraid to be uncomfortable as you may need to come outside of yourself to meet and better understand a very small yet dynamic part of the ad industry. Also, don't assume that Black marketers are so different and that they can't support your broader marketing efforts beyond reaching diverse audiences. Black marketers have the capacity to help drive both general and segmented communications." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gz897ig3 See all of the Vanguards here: https://lnkd.in/geudhK5i

Winning without being able to share it with anyone is like eating the worst thing you’ve ever tasted. It just doesn’t feel right not to share it with anyone. My following has increased and I’m super happy about it. I’ve been able to meet some incredible people and hear incredible stories and it’s by far the best thing about my job. If I could make other people feel the way I do I would. So what next? I don’t have a goal of hitting a certain following or connection amount. I do want to connect with each person I have connected with and figure out how I can support them. If you haven’t heard from me. A message is coming. If you want to beat me to the gun, reach out. Please, it does save me some time in coordinating. But, seriously I’m happy to connect with anyone willing. No one asked. But if you want to know how I grew this past month and how I’ve grown more in the second half than the first, here’s how. 1. I learned how to write better: I started rewriting scripts from people who when I read their writing, it emotionally connected with me (Jason Camissa, Paul Graham etc.). 2. I connected with more people. LinkedIn sales navigator made connecting with the right people 5x faster. 3. Be consistent. Growing isn’t just a way to increase my reach so I can have more eyes on my Private Network for Black Executives Zenite Network(shameless plug) but to truly connect and be a connector. Once again, I’m happy to connect and grateful for the opportunities.

Hey! What are you doing next Tuesday, July 23 at 12 PM EST? One of my favorite communities, the The Spot Community’s All Black Collective (formerly Black@INBOUND) is hosting a Marketing Blitz with the Black Marketers Association of America (BMAA)! They’re dropping gems for career professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners. The link to register is in the comments section. Make sure you join The Spot as a member so you can register! Marketing experts Natalie Gullatt and Amber Owens will share insights on: 💡 How to write a marketing resume that gets callbacks. 💡 How to brand yourself for promotion and speaking engagements. I got the shirt I’m wearing in this photo at the Black@INBOUND activation last year at INBOUND. If you’re going to INBOUND this year, you must come through!! But this year, the activation is The Spot Community and it will literally be the spot that everyone is talking about at INBOUND. Like literally. Shirt: Congo Clothing Company #resumetips #personalbranding #resumeadvice  #marketingtips #inbound24

𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 August is Black Business Month, founded by John William Templeton and Frederick E. Jordan in 2004. Let's make it a habit to support Black-owned businesses year-round. Here are some easy ways to help: ➡ 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀: Take the 15% Pledge to sell products from Black-owned businesses. Use the Support Black-Owned Businesses Directory to find them near you. ➡ 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: Interview a Black business owner. Share their advice on running a business, overcoming challenges, or dealing with common issues. These stories can help others learn and grow. ➡ 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Teach your followers how they can support Black businesses. Share tips on your social media, newsletter, or website. ➡ 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: Use Google’s “Black-owned” tag to get more visibility. 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺. #BlackBusinessMonth #SupportBlackBusinesses #CommunitySupport

𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙙𝙄𝙣? If your answer to this is "𝙮𝙚𝙨", then read this. You scroll through LinkedIn, seeing posts celebrating achievements, milestones, or projects, and you think, “I wish I could share my growth too.” But then, you hesitate either because you don't want to draw unnecessary attention from your village people, or perhaps you want to dodge the black tax from extended family members. Maybe you are just not in the mood to explain your moves to everyone. Here is the thing: While your concerns are valid, staying silent might mean missing out on key industry opportunities and connections that can literally change your life. So, what is the solution? Here are a few things you can do 1. Focus on Your Field: Share your opinion about topics in your industry that interest you. This way, you can establish yourself as a knowledgeable professional without sharing personal information. 2. Don't share in real time: There is no rule that says posts and announcements must be immediate. Share about events, achievements, or milestones after some time has passed. It can be months after, nobody can beat you for that. Remember, LinkedIn is not Snapchat! 3. Value Over Details: Instead of writing long personal updates, focus on sharing value. Even a single sentence about a general experience can be spun into valuable content relevant to your network. 4. Engage With Others: Commenting on posts you resonate with can also showcase your expertise. This lets you participate in discussions and share your knowledge without revealing too much about yourself. Don’t let your village people hold you back. It’s time to shine on LinkedIn!

Morning Gents! I’m pleased to announce that I’ve created a group for Black men in marketing! Community Sub-Groups To provide value and organisation, we have several sub-groups within the community: - Job Boards: Post any job opportunities you come across here. - Social Media Reposts: Share content you want the group to amplify on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. - Learning & Development:Share and find learning resources such as courses, guides, and more. - Other Opportunities: Post speaking engagements, podcast features, blog contributions, and other opportunities. I’ll also be sharing relevant opportunities here. - General Chat: Use this space to chat, ask questions, and get to know each other. The chat will be monitored to ensure a positive environment. - Announcements: Stay updated with important announcements and updates from me and the core team. Participation and Support I hope you find this group useful and make meaningful connections. Myself and the team will be active in the chat to encourage discussions. To ensure the group is effectively managed, two male liaisons will be appointed to oversee activities. Their names will be announced soon. Black men in marketing or those interested in marketing from all over the world are welcome! If you’d like to join, please DM me for the details. Looking forward to building a strong network together!

Here's why we're spending time with each other instead of going to Black Hat this year: ↳ We've been to Black Hat in past years which was expensive, really expensive. ↳ Did we see an ROI? Sure. But, for 1/3 of the price we can attend smaller events that are better aligned with our ICP and have less hype. ↳ Our goal is to have real, meaningful conversations with potential customers and partners and we've found that our audience prefers cheaper-sponsor conferences. Lastly, not attending Black Hat allows us to do a lot of other things like go out to lunch and prioritize items that benefit everyone in the company.