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This past week, I ran some guest training for an external company supporting some creators with their systems and processes. One of the questions that came up hit differently:
"How do you motivate yourself when there's so much pressure to know all the answers, but you really don't know what you don't know? Especially when that new year energy starts to fade?"
Can we just stop and talk about this for a sec?
Because I think this is something we don't discuss enough in marketing (or business, or life, tbh).
We're so bloody obsessed with figuring out what we WANT. What we SHOULD do. What the "right" answer is.
But sometimes the fastest way to get unstuck isn't asking what you want.
It's asking what you DON'T want.
I read something years ago in a branding book called Zag by Marty Neumeier that completely rewired my brain. Just one paragraph. But it changed how I approach strategy, content, and pretty much every business decision:
Most of us spend all our time asking what we SHOULD do. Almost none of us ask what we should NOT do.
And that second question is a much better question.
The Questions Everyone's Asking
When you're planning your marketing strategy, you're probably asking things like:
What should we say?
What are my competitors doing?
What tactics should we focus on?
Who are we trying to reach?
What channels do we need to be on?
Where should we spend our budget?
These are good questions. Important questions.
But they only get you halfway there.
The Questions Almost Nobody's Asking
Here's the shift that changes everything:
For every question you ask about what to DO, also ask what NOT to do.
What are we NOT going to say?
What are my competitors NOT doing?
What tactics are we NOT touching?
Who are we NOT trying to serve?
What channels are we NOT showing up on?
Where are my competitors NOT putting their money?
Suddenly, you're not just copying everyone else's homework.
You're finding the gaps and opportunities that actually makes you different.
Psst. if you're thinking "okay but I need help figuring out MY goals first," we've got three live sessions during Open Week this Friday that'll help you do exactly that.
Why This Actually Works
When you only ask what to do, you end up doing everything.
You say yes to every tactic. You chase every channel. You try to please everyone.
And you end up knackered, watered down, and sounding exactly like your competitors.
But when you ask what NOT to do?
You get clarity it may just about find your edge for the year ahead.
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Let's Look at Real Examples
Think about brands you may have heard about before.
Apple doesn't make budget phones. That's deliberate.
Patagonia doesn't run Black Friday sales. That's a choice.
Netflix doesn't do ads (well, mostly). That's positioning.
They are as much defined by what they will not do as they are by what they are doing.
How to Actually Use This
Pick one area of your marketing that feels cluttered or overwhelming right now. Maybe it's your content strategy. Your offer suite. The platforms you're trying to show up on.
Now answer these two questions: What are you currently doing in this area?
List it all out. Be brutally honest.
What should you NOT be doing?
This is the harder one. But this is where the magic is.
What's draining your energy without giving you results? What's keeping you busy but not actually moving you forward? What's making you sound like everyone else?
Cut it. Bye Felicia.
YOUR HOMEWORK ✍️
With that new year energy still looming around us, here's a wild idea:
What if you made space instead of piling on more goals, more things, more resolutions?
Pick one thing you're going to stop doing this month.
Not "do less of." Not "revisit in Q2."
Actually. Stop.
Maybe it's a social platform that's draining you. A type of content that feels forced. A client type you don't actually want to work with.
Say no to it. For real this time. Even if for just a tiny little while.
Want to Work Through This Together?
Listen, if you're reading this and thinking "okay but HOW do I actually figure out what to stop doing?" I've got you.
This Friday, we're kicking off Alt Marketing School Open Week. We're going to look at one of your goals together.
Help you refine your strategy, cut through the noise, and figure out what actually deserves your energy (and what doesn't).
If you want to work through these questions with a community of marketers who get it, that's where you need to be.
Always cheering you on,
Fab
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Fifteen years of marketing experience condensed into one book. The Customer-Driven Marketing Handbook is about building relationships using marketing as your superpower. But also a book about being human in your marketing, regardless of the tools, trends or changes that this crazy world throws at us.