Marketing, Properly!

Makin Media
Makin Media
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The podcast for business owners, founders and managing directors who want marketing to make a little more sense. In each episode, we’ll tackle one of the questions business leaders should be asking about marketing, brand and growth, without the jargon, hype or miraculous five-step formulas. Just practical thinking, straight answers and occasionally the uncomfortable question nobody else wants to ask. Produced in Scotland.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    08: Do We Need a Rebrand or Do We Have a Bigger Problem?

    “We need a rebrand.” It’s an exciting sentence. It suggests change, progress, new beginnings and, almost inevitably, several meetings devoted to discussing slightly different shades of blue. But what if the brand isn’t actually the problem? In this episode of Marketing, Properly!, Sean looks at one of the most common assumptions growing businesses make: that changing the logo, colours, website and visual identity will somehow solve a much deeper commercial problem. Because a genuine rebrand isn’t simply a new logo. It’s about how customers understand your business, what they think you’re good at, who they believe you’re for and, ultimately, why they should choose you. We explore when a rebrand genuinely makes sense, perhaps because the business has grown, entered new markets or simply outgrown the way it presents itself, and when the real issue may be positioning, pricing, customer experience, sales, service or an unclear proposition. There’s also the danger of throwing away valuable brand recognition simply because the leadership team has become bored with it. Sometimes evolution is considerably smarter than revolution. And before commissioning the new website, rewriting the brand guidelines and ordering 3,000 mugs with the new logo on them, there’s one important question to ask: What are we actually trying to fix? Because if the problem is deeper than the brand, changing the wrapping won’t solve it. It will simply give you a much more attractive version of the same problem. And that’s not rebranding. That’s redecorating. Marketing, Properly! - practical marketing thinking for business leaders who want better decisions, clearer strategy and considerably less marketing theatre. Hosted by Sean Makin, a Fractional CMO and Strategic Marketing Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in marketing and brand. Produced in Scotland.

    08: Do We Need a Rebrand or Do We Have a Bigger Problem?

  2. Sep 10

    07: Why Does Our Competitor Look Bigger Than Us?

    Have you ever looked at a competitor and wondered how they manage to look so much bigger, more established and more successful than you? Their website looks impressive. They’re constantly appearing on LinkedIn. Their branding is polished. Their case studies look fantastic. They seem to be everywhere. And yet you know the reality. You may have more employees, more customers, more experience, more revenue — perhaps even a better product. So why do they look like the market leader? In this episode of Marketing, Properly!, Sean Makin explores the gap between the reality of a business and the way the market perceives it. Because customers can’t see your turnover, management accounts or record-breaking quarter. They judge your business by the signals you put into the world, your website, visibility, positioning, branding, case studies, customer evidence and the way you communicate. We look at how consistent visibility can create perceived scale, why strong positioning can make a smaller specialist look more authoritative than a much larger generalist, and how social proof, case studies and confident communication can dramatically change the way a business is perceived. We also look at the danger of competitor envy. A company making lots of noise isn’t necessarily more successful and copying everything your competitors do is rarely a sensible strategy. Instead, the question is: What are they communicating that you’re failing to communicate? If your business has grown but your marketing hasn’t kept pace, you may not have a business problem at all. You may have a perception gap. And closing that gap doesn’t mean pretending to be bigger. It means making sure the outside world can see the strength, experience and credibility that already exists inside your business. Marketing, Properly! - practical marketing thinking for business leaders who want better decisions, clearer strategy and considerably less marketing theatre. Hosted by Sean Makin, a Fractional CMO and Strategic Marketing Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in marketing and brand. Produced in Scotland.

    07: Why Does Our Competitor Look Bigger Than Us?

  3. Sep 3

    06: Should Marketing Be Generating Revenue?

    Should marketing generate revenue? Yes. There we are. Shortest episode we’ve ever done. Unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated than that. In Episode 6 of Marketing, Properly!, strategic marketing consultant Sean looks at the relationship between marketing and revenue, and why it isn’t always as neat as the dashboards would have us believe. Customers have an irritating habit of behaving like human beings. They see an advert, forget it, read an article, ask a colleague, listen to a podcast, visit your website, disappear for three months and then suddenly place an order on a Wednesday morning. So which piece of marketing generated the revenue? Quite possibly, all of them played a part. This episode explores why marketing absolutely needs to contribute to commercial performance, but why revenue is ultimately a business outcome influenced by Marketing, Sales, pricing, product, customer experience and operations. We look at why Sales and Marketing shouldn’t operate as rival departments, the dangers of trying to attribute every pound of revenue to a single marketing activity, and why what’s easiest to measure isn’t necessarily what created the result. There’s also a look at the commercial role of brand, which metrics actually help us understand marketing performance, and the occasional absurdity of “marketing-influenced revenue” dashboards where almost anything can apparently claim credit for the sale. Because marketing shouldn’t exist in a comfortable little bubble separated from revenue. Some marketing captures demand today. Some creates demand for tomorrow. Some helps Sales convert it. Some keeps existing customers. And some builds the reputation that makes everything else work better. The real question isn’t “Can you prove this specific piece of marketing generated revenue?” It’s “Can we explain how our marketing contributes to the commercial performance of the business?” If your Marketing team talks about engagement, your Sales team talks about pipeline and Finance talks about revenue as though they’re discussing three entirely different businesses, this episode is for you. Marketing, Properly! - practical thinking, straight answers and occasionally the uncomfortable marketing question nobody else wants to ask. Hosted by Sean Makin, a Fractional CMO and Strategic Marketing Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in marketing and brand. Produced in Scotland.

    06: Should Marketing Be Generating Revenue?

  4. Aug 28

    05: Has Our Business Outgrown DIY Marketing?

    Most businesses start by doing their own marketing. The founder writes the posts. Someone builds the website. A friend designs the logo. Someone’s nephew apparently “knows SEO”. And somehow, amongst all of this, a business starts to emerge. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with DIY marketing. In the early days, it can be remarkably effective. But what happens when the business grows and the marketing approach that worked at £500,000 turnover starts looking rather less convincing when you're aiming for £5 million? In Episode 5 of Marketing, Properly!, strategic marketing consultant Sean looks at the signs that a business may have outgrown its informal approach to marketing. We explore how DIY marketing can gradually turn into accidental marketing, different people, agencies, channels and activities all doing useful things, but with nobody really joining the dots. There’s also the founder bottleneck: when every campaign, website change, budget decision and piece of content still needs approval from the Managing Director. At that point, the problem isn't necessarily time management. It may be that marketing has become too commercially important to manage informally. We look at fragmented brands, disconnected specialist suppliers and the common mistake of trying to solve everything by hiring one heroic Marketing Manager expected to handle strategy, social media, SEO, PPC, design, video, CRM, events, PR, analytics and, naturally, be “good with AI”. The episode also sets out five signs you've outgrown DIY marketing, and why the answer isn't automatically to hire a full-time Marketing Director. The right solution might be an internal marketer, a small team, better agencies, fractional leadership, or simply a proper strategy. Because the real question isn't “Are we too big to do our own marketing?” It's “Has marketing become too important, complicated or commercially significant to manage informally?” If it has, it may be time to start marketing the business you're becoming, rather than the business you used to be. Marketing, Properly! - practical thinking, straight answers and occasionally the uncomfortable marketing question nobody else wants to ask. Hosted by Sean Makin, a Fractional CMO and Strategic Marketing Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in marketing and brand. Produced in Scotland.

    05: Has Our Business Outgrown DIY Marketing?

  5. Aug 25

    04: Why Are We Getting Leads But Not the Right Leads?

    “We need more leads.” It’s probably one of the most common sentences heard in marketing meetings. But what happens when you’re already getting plenty of leads — they’re just not very good? Sales blames Marketing. Marketing blames Sales. The agency points proudly at a falling cost per lead. Meanwhile, the CRM quietly fills up with people who are never going to buy anything. In Episode 4 of Marketing, Properly!, strategic marketing consultant Sean Makin asks whether businesses have become too obsessed with generating more leads when the real objective should be generating better opportunities. We look at why volume can be a dangerous marketing metric, how vague targeting and generic messaging attract generic leads, and why good marketing should do something businesses are sometimes uncomfortable with: put the wrong customers off. There’s also a look at where your best leads actually come from, why the cheapest lead isn't necessarily the most valuable, and why Marketing and Sales need to agree on what a genuinely qualified opportunity looks like. And sometimes, Marketing isn't the problem at all. Poor follow-up, weak nurturing or positioning that attracts entirely the wrong type of customer can all leave businesses wondering why a healthy-looking CRM isn't turning into a healthy sales pipeline. Because the goal of marketing isn't to fill your CRM. It's to create the right commercial opportunities for the business. And sometimes the smartest way to improve your marketing isn't to generate more leads. It's to deliberately generate fewer, better ones. Marketing, Properly! — practical thinking, straight answers and occasionally the uncomfortable marketing question nobody else wants to ask. Hosted by Sean Makin, a Fractional CMO and Strategic Marketing Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in marketing and brand. Produced in Scotland.

    04: Why Are We Getting Leads But Not the Right Leads?

  6. Aug 21

    03: How Do I Know If My Marketing Agency Is Any Good?

    How do you know if your marketing agency is actually any good? It’s a surprisingly difficult question. After all, agencies tend to be very good at one particular area of marketing: marketing themselves. Impressive websites. Case studies. Awards. Strategic frameworks with reassuring names. And, quite possibly, an office dog with more LinkedIn followers than you. In Episode 3 of Marketing, Properly!, strategic marketing consultant Sean Makin looks beyond the polished presentations and monthly reports to ask what businesses should really expect from their marketing agency. We explore the difference between activity and meaningful results, why a good agency should ask difficult questions, and why specialist agencies naturally see opportunities through the lens of their own expertise. Most importantly, we look at whether your agency can clearly explain how what it’s doing connects to the commercial objectives of your business. There’s also the danger of monthly report theatre, lots of graphs, encouraging green arrows and impressive numbers, but very little that actually helps you make a decision. A useful report shouldn’t simply demonstrate that your agency has been busy; it should tell you what happened, why it matters, what you’ve learned and what you’re going to do next. But there’s an uncomfortable question for the client too. What if the agency isn’t the problem? Poor briefs, slow decisions, constantly changing priorities and withholding the commercial information an agency needs can make even a very good agency struggle. Great agency relationships require accountability on both sides. The episode finishes with a simple five-question test to help you assess your current agency relationship, and what to do before deciding it’s time to find another one. Because the real question isn’t simply “Is our agency any good?” It’s whether you’re getting the expertise, challenge and results your business needs and whether you’re being a good enough client to get the best from them. Marketing, Properly! - practical thinking, straight answers and occasionally the uncomfortable marketing question nobody else wants to ask. Hosted by Sean Makin, a Fractional CMO and Strategic Marketing Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in marketing and brand. Produced in Scotland.

    03: How Do I Know If My Marketing Agency Is Any Good?

  7. Aug 14

    02: How Much Should My Business Be Spending on Marketing?

    How much should your business spend on marketing? Ask Google and you’ll find percentages. Ask an agency and you’ll probably get a proposal. Ask your Finance Director and you may get a rather different percentage. Possibly zero. In Episode 2 of Marketing, Properly!, strategic marketing consultant Sean Makin tackles one of the most common, and most misunderstood, questions business owners, founders and Managing Directors ask about marketing. Rather than reaching for a convenient percentage of turnover, this episode looks at a much more useful question: what are you trying to achieve, and what level of marketing investment is realistically required to achieve it? We explore why industry benchmarks can be useful as a sense check but dangerous as a strategy, why ambitious growth plans need realistic investment behind them, and what should actually be included when calculating your true marketing spend. There’s also a look at customer acquisition costs, the danger of both under-spending and throwing more money at weak marketing, and a simple Run, Grow and Experiment approach to structuring your budget. Because there is no magic percentage. A good marketing budget isn’t about spending as much, or as little, as possible. It’s about investing the right amount in the right things for the commercial outcome you’re trying to achieve. If you’re currently staring suspiciously at a marketing spreadsheet wondering whether you’re spending too much, too little, or simply spending it on the wrong things, this episode is for you. Marketing, Properly! - practical thinking, straight answers and occasionally the uncomfortable marketing question nobody else wants to ask. Hosted by Sean Makin, a Fractional CMO and Strategic Marketing Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in marketing and brand. Produced in Scotland.

    02: How Much Should My Business Be Spending on Marketing?

  8. Aug 12

    01: Do I Actually Need a Marketing Director?

    Do I Actually Need a Marketing Director? Your business is doing plenty of marketing. You’ve got a website, social media, perhaps an agency, some Google Ads, a CRM with several hundred mysterious features and, somewhere, a marketing plan that nobody has opened since February. But who’s actually in charge of it all? In the first episode of Marketing, Properly!, Fractional CMO and strategic marketing consultant Sean Makin looks at the difference between doing marketing and actually leading it, and asks when a growing business really needs senior marketing leadership. We explore what a Marketing Director should actually do, the warning signs that your business may have a leadership gap, why an agency isn’t a substitute for strategic direction, and when a Fractional Marketing Director might make more sense than another full-time senior hire. We also turn the question around, because not every business needs a Marketing Director. Sometimes you need a good marketer. Sometimes you need a specialist. And sometimes you simply need someone senior enough to decide what you should stop doing. If your marketing is becoming more important, more expensive and increasingly difficult to coordinate, this episode will help you decide whether you need a Marketing Director or whether what you really need is marketing leadership. Marketing, Properly! — practical thinking, straight answers and occasionally the uncomfortable marketing question nobody else wants to ask. Produced in Scotland.

    01: Do I Actually Need a Marketing Director?
  • 8 Episodes

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The podcast for business owners, founders and managing directors who want marketing to make a little more sense. In each episode, we’ll tackle one of the questions business leaders should be asking about marketing, brand and growth, without the jargon, hype or miraculous five-step formulas. Just practical thinking, straight answers and occasionally the uncomfortable question nobody else wants to ask. Produced in Scotland.

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