[🐝🇺] a blunder banishing "bro-marketing"

Today’s 5-25-25 (if you’re in North America)

There’s a lot of numerology behind those numbers, & they have a bit to do with today’s topic …

I thought starting with the date looked cool …
& it let me procrastinate writing this long enough to discover the #s - that seemed a comfortable deflection - taught me something.

You can read more about the #s here, if you’re curious.

Sticking to the #s, I send newsletters out at 9:11 my time … 9-11 is not only my birthday (again, if you’re in North America), & one of the most-dialed # growing up … because I was always getting into scrapes trying to keep up with older cousins.

OK. Deep breath in. Hold.
Slooooowly release …

And now …

In the last episode, I shared information on 'banishing bro-marketing’.
There were a lot of thoughts, stories, examples, & even how to wage war against it all jumbled up in my head.
Starting with a free mini-course by A-list copywriter Lorrie Morgan.
I shared the struggle to untangle them all with a few people.

& I thought I had it all figured out.
I was wrong.

In my excitement to help with a concern mentioned in the survey link, I forgot catapulted over the cardinal rule of marketing …

Know Your Audience

Fortunately, you’re an engaged group sharing different feedback every week.

Everything from typos to emoji issues, & even content confusion.

I jumped the gun.
& I didn’t follow my advice …

Does your audience understand what you’re talking about?

In this case, not everyone, obviously!

I saw the survey.
I knew a way to help.
& my brain had blinders on - like horses in a race - to focus straight ahead & ignore those beside or behind you.

That’s great on the track.
& it works when you’re talking to 1 person
(because of the amount of consulting & mentoring I do; I usually AM talking to 1 person)

You also write as if you’re talking to 1 person.
But newsletters (& marketing) are different.
Because more than 1 person reads it.

& not everyone is “on the same page”
So, give enough information & context so everyone can follow along.

We’ve all been there at some point …
You’re at an event or with a group of people
& there’s some inside joke or information that everyone seems to have but you.

Feeling out of the loop is NOT a good feeling.

It’s a great reminder for all of us.
No one’s perfect.
Marketing is all about putting things out there & using feedback (results) to improve.

We can all get a little “too excited” about the thing in front of us.
When we get too focused on 1 thing, it’s easy to overlook everything (& everyone) else.
So big thanks to my friend Dana for asking & letting me share your question.

Let’s backtrack & talk about what “bro-marketing” is & using male-gendered words.

What is Bro-Marketing?

Bro-Marketing (by my definition) uses
- a lot of hype
- absolutes, like biggest, fastest-growing, most-profitable
- implied promises of “easy” & very little effort
- lots of jargon like, “dominate” “crush” “kill it” “10X”
- fake scarcity & pressure tactics
- buzzwords like “7-figure secrets”

Have you seen The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio?

That’s an extreme example - because it’s 3 hours of it - but it checks many bro-boxes.

Everyone’s definition is a bit different … especially if you’re knee-deep in dealing with bros.

The problem is bro-marketing can work short-term.
Long-term, it’s going to damage trust, credibility, & authority.
People leave.
& because people quietly leave, bro-marketers are more likely to justify it with “they weren’t my people.”

Does using male-gendered words make you a “Bro-Marketer”?

A friend of mine, Erica Lovecraft talks about it in this LinkedIn post.

There’s no right or wrong answer …

My Canadian 2 cents, using a phrase like, “Hi guys” alone isn’t bro-speak.
I remember, very clearly, switching to “Hey you guuyys” after seeing The Goonies.

That’s STILL what I think of (& how I say it) when I use it.
#SorryNotSorry

But I get it’s not right in all circumstances.

& the more aware you are of using “questionable” words, phrases, etc. (because you Know Your Audience 😉), the better you become at not getting egg on your face.

What Can You Do Instead?

The more time you spend consuming ads & skewed news, the more likely bro-marketing finds its way into your words.

As a marketer, part of my job is studying ads & content & the news
(to monitor the trends & things relevant to clients)
- Learn to identify & change how you write & talk to people
(like Lorrie Morgan teaches)
- Start limiting & removing the “bros” from your inner circle by not engaging with it
(like unsubscribing from emails & not clicking links)
- Find unbiased & bro-less resources for information
(like the 1440 newsletter)

— — — — — — —

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— — — — — — —

TL;DR

→ First & most important rule of marketing … Know Your Audience
→ Bro-marketing = selling through hype, fake-urgency, & in-your-face dominance.
→ If you’re here, you’re probably not the type to hang with the bros … willingly.

→ You want marketing that feels like you (& your clients).
Marketing that’s relatable, authentic, & real.
- Learn how to identify it & not use it
- Avoid it online & off
- Get information from unbiased sources.

So go forth & sell without the cringe or the urge to shower.
Your audience (& water bill) will thank you for it.

Make it a great “bro-free” week!
EG

PS:
Dana’s a friend with an amazing newsletter on building products. The Product Potion newsletter has become a resource for me. It’s 1 of the few newsletters landing in my work email instead of my newsletter-only email.

PPS:
📣 Tell me what you want to read about … here
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn … here
👋 Invite others ready to be authentic, transparent, & sometimes disruptive … with this link

📈 Want to talk about better marketing results for your business by being yourself?
Find a time that fits your schedule.

1-click comment on today’s topic

• 🚀🚀🚀 to boldly go ... authentic, transparent, and sometimes disruptive

• 🤷🤷 are we there yet? ... this was OK, not great, but OK

• 😴 bored now ... there's sooo much room for improvement