17 November 2025
Copycat, copycat, copycat.
It used to be an insult when you were at school.
In adult life, people seem to embrace it like nothing else.
This is multiplied 100 times when it comes to marketing.
Now, that wouldn’t be a problem if everybody copied the best practitioners.
But they don’t. They tend to copy bad practice. Probably, because there’s a lot of it about.
It’s also because they want to try a bit of everything, so they don’t miss out on a golden opportunity.
That includes social media, which is giving people even bigger headaches than they used to have.
Since it first reared its ugly head back in the noughties, social media has exploded and companies have tried to keep up with it.
At first posting to Twitter (now X) and, maybe, Facebook they now also have to contend with LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok (even Reddit if we believe the latest reports that AI loves it).
That’s bad enough, but there’s still traditional media to consider and other marketing opportunities such as exhibitions, direct mail, email marketing etc., etc., etc.
That’s way too much for most businesses to be able to deliver quality content on a regular basis. And too expensive.
Just say “No”
It also dismisses what any good marketer will tell you.
Good marketing is as much about saying “no” to things as it is spotting and taking advantage of new opportunities that offer a real benefit.
It’s always been the same, it’s just that social media has made a lot of people lose their perspective and forget the fundamentals.
The golden rule is don’t just rush into something new, just because it’s there and some people are raving about it – they’ve probably got their own agendas at play.
Watch it, study it and see if there are real returns to be had.
Don’t ditch what you are already doing, unless that has proven itself to no longer be worthwhile.
Marketing is not a sprint. You can take your time.
And don’t get sucked into thinking that everybody else has hit on the right answer and are coining it. They aren’t, which is probably why they are flailing about trying anything new that comes onto the scene.
Things in marketing, and business generally, are tough at the moment, which is why the market is ripe for charlatans promising the earth, untold rewards if you follow their simple five point plan.
Trust in your instincts and don’t become a copycat.
