I'm sending this newsletter out today to a few thousand people.
Every time I do this, I feel grateful—you've given me the privilege of addressing you directly.
Today, I also take a moment to appreciate how far technology has come.
I don't need to send this message to a printer.
I don't need to fold every piece.
I don't need a set of stamps.
And while technology has made things better, in some sense, it has also made things worse.
If marketers had to do all these things, we'd be way more mindful of what campaigns we launch or what posts we publish. We'd agonize over every word. We'd look at four different versions before choosing the best one. We'd sweat over every typo. And we'd painstakingly assess the results.
It's no wonder that the Golden Age of Advertising happened when production was a complicated affair.
The more friction there is, the more thinking will go into getting it right.
Now, I'm no Luddite—I love the freedom that comes with digital technology. But I feel we can still use the old mindset to improve our work today.
Here's a simple question that will improve your next piece of content:
Would you publish this post if you had to go and buy a stamp for it?
It's a reminder that just because we can doesn't mean we always should (and yes, I absolutely quoted Jurrasic Park on you!)
I've been thinking more and more about this over the last few days. I may even print it out painstakingly embroider it on a throw pillow for my office.
When things are difficult to do, we do better.
So, let's try to do better anyway.
Attention matters,
P.S. What are your thoughts on the relationship between quality and friction? Let me know!
📚 From the blog
If you're in marketing, you can never afford to stand still. It's a constant journey of improvement. In this piece, I examined the trends affecting our career trajectories in marketing now. I paired it with a full database of marketing resources that I use to stay sharp and get sharper. You may find your next read or a new favorite podcast there.
Read the post →
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Well, these were fun—hope you like them!
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