Strategic Growth and Marketing Blog
How To Put a Product Nobody Has Heard of in Front of a Cold Audience, With Limited Runway
Going to Market From a Standing Start Nobody is waiting for your product. That is the honest starting position, and most go-to-market advice assumes otherwise. It assumes an audience that…
Your Brand’s Villain: What Are You Willing To Be Against?
Most companies can’t name what they’re against. Your villain isn’t a rival company; it’s a broken system or a wrong belief. Two examples, and the two tests most villains fail.
Nobody Has Ever Wanted a Bridge: What Customers Ask For, What They Want, and What They Really Need
Customers name a solution, not a problem. The gap between what they ask for, what they want and what they need is where most marketing quietly fails.
Nobody Buys on the Day They Realise They Have a Problem
There are two buying triggers, not one, and they are usually months apart. Why your analytics credit the last click and miss the two years of work that actually won…
Your Biggest Competitor Doesn’t Have a Website
Your biggest competitor is the status quo. Why “lost to no decision” is the most expensive line in your CRM, and the one discovery question that finds what the status…
How Unlock Growth Strategically Approaches SEO and AEO
Somewhere right now, your ideal customer is asking ChatGPT a question. “Who’s a good [what you do] near me?” The answer names three businesses. Yours isn’t one of them. It’s…
How Unlock Growth Strategically Approaches Meta Ads
The world of tracking has changed. So has the playbook. Not long ago, Meta advertising worked like this: pick your audience, define their interests, layer on some demographics, and serve…
Go-to-Market Strategy for Early-Stage Startup Founders
Most early-stage founders pick tactics before they have a strategy. That’s why they burn budget. Here’s the framework that fixes the order.
Pressure Test Your Organic Search Strategy with Paid Ads Before Investing in SEO
Learn how to use paid ads to validate SEO keywords, intent, and conversion before burning cash and energy.
Why Most Marketers Eventually Fail, and How to Fix It
Most marketers fail not from lack of talent, but by forgetting who’s paying. Here’s how to rebuild marketing that drives demonstrable growth.
Active Angel Investors, Syndicates and Networks in Scotland (2025 Guide)
Find active angel investors, syndicates and networks in Scotland. 2025 list with focus, ticket sizes and how to pitch. 1. Alba Equity 2. Apollo Informal Investment 3. Archangels 4. Discovery…
Why Your Google Search Console Impressions Dipped in September/October 2025
Your Google Search Console Impressions charts fell off a cliff mid-September. Impressions down. Average position up. CTR steady or better. Tempting to take a victory lap. Don’t. This one’s mostly…
AEO is Just Search + Citations: A Practical Field Guide From Graphite’s Ethan Smith
Most Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) budgets get burned on busywork. Endless “best X” variants. Technical tinkering for the sake of it. SEO reports that no one reads. As Ethan Smith…
Ideate and Run Effective Growth Experiments Using The Locksmith Moments Framework
The Locksmith Moments Framework lays out a structured way to understand, analyse, and act on the moments when customers become most open to change. Instead of treating sales and marketing…
Why Independent Researchers Beat Business Owners at Jobs-to-Be-Done Customer Interviews
Business owners slip into selling mode when interviewing customers for Jobs-to-Be-Done insights. It’s not intentional, but it ruins the research. An independent researcher stays neutral, asks sharper questions, and extracts…
The Founder’s Guide to Hiring and Managing Agencies, Freelancers, and Teams (Without Burning Cash)
Hire, manage, and get results from agencies, freelancers, and in-house teams. A practical guide to avoid common pitfalls and build growth partnerships that deliver.
Stop Drowning in Data. Focus on the Metrics That Drive Growth.
Stop tracking every metrics. Learn how to identify and focus on the metrics that truly move the needle for sustainable business growth.
Price Isn’t Always the Problem. Not When Your Product Solves a Real Problem.
Customers pay more for products that solve their real problems. Align your strategy, positioning, and messaging to overcome price objections.
Job Drift Is Probably Why Your Messaging Isn’t Sticky Anymore
“Job Drift”, when customer pain shifts but your messaging doesn’t—makes your brand irrelevant, and learn how to realign positioning to stay sticky.
If You Don’t Lead Your Agency, They Will, Into a Ditch
Don’t let your agency steer off course. Leading with clear briefs and feedback is crucial for project success and to get the outcomes you need.
Why You Shouldn’t Delegate Strategy to Your Agency
Learn why outsourcing your marketing strategy to an agency can be detrimental to your business., and how to lead your agency effectively.
The Content Bottleneck Your Agency Doesn’t Warn You About
Is your website project stuck? Learn how to overcome delays and launch your site faster with strategic content planning.
What Happens When Your Agency’s A-Team Disappears Post-Contract?
Discover the common “bait-and-switch” agencies pull after signing, why it happens, and a checklist to ensure your A-team stays on the project.
How to Turn Insights From JTBD and the 4 Forces So Your Teams Can Action Them
Discover a clear, repeatable system to transform Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) and Four Forces insights into actionable strategies.