{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1","title":"PBSM","home_page_url":"https://pbsm.uk","description":"PBSM","author":{"name":"PBSM"},"items":[{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/put-strategy-before-spend","html_content":"

We’re half-way through August and many CEOs will be thinking about Q4 and the business targets for the end of the year. If those targets feel like a stretch, then suddenly marketing is the focus. The instinct is to do mo...

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/put-strategy-before-spend","title":"Put Strategy Before Spend","summary":"We’re half-way through August and many CEOs will be thinking about Q4 and the business targets for the end of the year. If those targets feel like a stretch, then suddenly marketing is the focus. The instinct is to do mo...","date_modified":"2026-08-14T09:25:13Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/why-i-send-out-my-marketing-emails","html_content":"

Before I start, I’m going to give you the chance to sign up to my email list. If you do sign up, you’ll get a fun, insightful and helpful marketing email twice a week, on a Monday and a Friday. You can sign up here.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/why-i-send-out-my-marketing-emails","title":"Why I send out my marketing emails","summary":"Before I start, I’m going to give you the chance to sign up to my email list. If you do sign up, you’ll get a fun, insightful and helpful marketing email twice a week, on a Monday and a Friday. You can sign up here.","date_modified":"2026-08-06T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/it%E2%80%99s-not-holiday-time-for-your-marketing","html_content":"

It’s holiday time! That’s great. You’ve earned it. Your marketing team has earned it.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/it%E2%80%99s-not-holiday-time-for-your-marketing","title":"It’s Not Holiday Time for your Marketing","summary":"It’s holiday time! That’s great. You’ve earned it. Your marketing team has earned it.","date_modified":"2026-07-09T08:15:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/workshop-or-fractional-support-which-one-is-right-for-you","html_content":"

If you've found your way here, chances are you already know something needs to change with your marketing.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/workshop-or-fractional-support-which-one-is-right-for-you","title":"Workshop Or Fractional Support: Which One Is Right For You? ","summary":"If you've found your way here, chances are you already know something needs to change with your marketing.","date_modified":"2026-06-25T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-right-support-at-the-right-time","html_content":"

If you're running a B2B tech business and you've got a junior marketing team doing the doing, but no one at the wheel strategically, you'll know this feeling.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-right-support-at-the-right-time","title":"The Right Support at the Right Time ","summary":"If you're running a B2B tech business and you've got a junior marketing team doing the doing, but no one at the wheel strategically, you'll know this feeling.","date_modified":"2026-05-28T08:45:19Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-illusion-of-busy-marketing","html_content":"

There is a persistent problem in B2B marketing that shows no sign of going away.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-illusion-of-busy-marketing","title":"The Illusion of Busy Marketing ","summary":"There is a persistent problem in B2B marketing that shows no sign of going away.","date_modified":"2026-05-21T07:55:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/stop-being-busy-start-being-better","html_content":"

Many marketing teams run themselves ragged. Endless campaigns. Constant content. Daily posts. Weekly reports. Monthly reviews. And at the end of it all, when they need to demonstrate the results they have achieved, there...

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/stop-being-busy-start-being-better","title":"Stop Being Busy. Start Being Better.","summary":"Many marketing teams run themselves ragged. Endless campaigns. Constant content. Daily posts. Weekly reports. Monthly reviews. And at the end of it all, when they need to demonstrate the results they have achieved, there...","date_modified":"2026-05-07T08:48:53Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-strategic-marketing-foundation-you-need","html_content":"

Nearly all businesses know that marketing is important, but not all of them know how to make marketing work for them. For most B2B tech companies marketing means hiring a junior marketer or a small agency. That decision ...

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-strategic-marketing-foundation-you-need","title":"The Strategic Marketing Foundation You Need","summary":"Nearly all businesses know that marketing is important, but not all of them know how to make marketing work for them. For most B2B tech companies marketing means hiring a junior marketer or a small agency. That decision ...","date_modified":"2026-04-23T07:53:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-strategic-foundation-missing-from-most-b2b-tech-marketing","html_content":"

I've worked with some of the biggest names in B2B tech, Microsoft, Motorola, NEC Europe, and I've also worked with ambitious start-ups trying to scale. Over 25 years, I've seen a pattern repeat itself again and again: ma...

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-strategic-foundation-missing-from-most-b2b-tech-marketing","title":"The Strategic Foundation Missing From Most B2B Tech Marketing","summary":"I've worked with some of the biggest names in B2B tech, Microsoft, Motorola, NEC Europe, and I've also worked with ambitious start-ups trying to scale. Over 25 years, I've seen a pattern repeat itself again and again: ma...","date_modified":"2026-04-02T07:57:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/punched-in-the-mouth","html_content":"

I'm big on planning your marketing, on thinking about it and being strategic. Too many people just 'do' marketing and then are surprised that the results aren't what they hoped for (although, they can't actually measure ...

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/punched-in-the-mouth","title":"Punched in the mouth","summary":"I'm big on planning your marketing, on thinking about it and being strategic. Too many people just 'do' marketing and then are surprised that the results aren't what they hoped for (although, they can't actually measure ...","date_modified":"2025-11-28T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/two-starbucks-tea-bags","html_content":"

I went into a Starbucks recently and ordered a large tea. I don't like Starbucks tea, but it was the only option and I needed the caffeine boost.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/two-starbucks-tea-bags","title":"Two Starbucks' tea bags","summary":"I went into a Starbucks recently and ordered a large tea. I don't like Starbucks tea, but it was the only option and I needed the caffeine boost. ","date_modified":"2025-11-24T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/community","html_content":"

If you can manage it, creating a community is great marketing.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/community","title":"Community","summary":"If you can manage it, creating a community is great marketing.","date_modified":"2025-11-21T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/success-is-boring","html_content":"

Don't get me wrong, it's great to be successful. The results of success are not boring. But how to achieve success is often boring.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/success-is-boring","title":"Success is boring","summary":"Don't get me wrong, it's great to be successful. The results of success are not boring. But how to achieve success is often boring.","date_modified":"2025-11-17T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/how-do-they-sell-you-internally","html_content":"

In the B2B marketing it's not good enough to convince your prospects, you have to help them convince their boss, their CFO, their investors etc.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/how-do-they-sell-you-internally","title":"How do they sell you internally?","summary":"In the B2B marketing it's not good enough to convince your prospects, you have to help them convince their boss, their CFO, their investors etc.","date_modified":"2025-11-14T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/better-not-more","html_content":"

There is a tendancy in the modern world of marketing to do more - send out an extra social media message, put another ad on Facebook, send another email etc etc.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/better-not-more","title":"Better, not more","summary":"There is a tendancy in the modern world of marketing to do more - send out an extra social media message, put another ad on Facebook, send another email etc etc.","date_modified":"2025-11-10T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/dont-kill-yourself","html_content":"

If you work in marketing (and I assuming you do, or something similar if you're reading these emails), then nothing about your job is important enough for you to risk your own health and wellbeing.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/dont-kill-yourself","title":"Don't kill yourself","summary":"If you work in marketing (and I assuming you do, or something similar if you're reading these emails), then nothing about your job is important enough for you to risk your own health and wellbeing.","date_modified":"2025-11-07T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/your-job-isnt-to-be-liked","html_content":"

Your job is actually to persuade people to take action - if they like your marketing, that's just a bonus.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/your-job-isnt-to-be-liked","title":"Your job isn't to be liked","summary":"Your job is actually to persuade people to take action - if they like your marketing, that's just a bonus.","date_modified":"2025-11-03T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/networking","html_content":"

I love networking, but it's a skill to be good at it (and I'm not assuming that I'm the best - far from it).

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/networking","title":"Networking","summary":"I love networking, but it's a skill to be good at it (and I'm not assuming that I'm the best - far from it).","date_modified":"2025-10-31T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/perfection-isnt-perfect","html_content":"

It's great to get things right and it's even better to get lots of things right. But it's actually worse to get everything right.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/perfection-isnt-perfect","title":"Perfection isn't perfect","summary":"It's great to get things right and it's even better to get lots of things right. But it's actually worse to get everything right.","date_modified":"2025-10-27T09:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/your-audience-doesnt-care","html_content":"

Your audience doesn't care if this is work that you have slaved over for months, or thrown together in an afternoon. They don't care if this is your favourite piece of creative ever, or something you tried to veto.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/your-audience-doesnt-care","title":"Your audience doesn't care","summary":"Your audience doesn't care if this is work that you have slaved over for months, or thrown together in an afternoon. They don't care if this is your favourite piece of creative ever, or something you tried to veto.","date_modified":"2025-10-24T10:13:25Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/should-you-fing-swear","html_content":"

Please excuse the self-promotion - but I’m doing a talk in Crawley on Friday 24th Oct and as a subscriber to these emails, I thought you might be interested, or know people who are.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/should-you-fing-swear","title":"Should you f***ing swear?","summary":"Please excuse the self-promotion - but I’m doing a talk in Crawley on Friday 24th Oct and as a subscriber to these emails, I thought you might be interested, or know people who are.","date_modified":"2025-10-20T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/take-action","html_content":"

I talk about planning your marketing, thinking about things, rather than just doing. Being strategic and not just tactical. However, there are times when you just have to do something.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/take-action","title":"Take action","summary":"I talk about planning your marketing, thinking about things, rather than just doing. Being strategic and not just tactical. However, there are times when you just have to do something.","date_modified":"2025-10-17T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/get-the-product-right","html_content":"

You may have noticed a difference in the email format. For some of you, this may be the first email you've received from me.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/get-the-product-right","title":"Get the product right","summary":"You may have noticed a difference in the email format. For some of you, this may be the first email you've received from me.","date_modified":"2025-10-13T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-best-carbonara","html_content":"

I would rather go to the restaurant that is known for having the best spaghetti carbonara, than one which does 17 different pasta dishes quite well.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-best-carbonara","title":"The best carbonara","summary":"I would rather go to the restaurant that is known for having the best spaghetti carbonara, than one which does 17 different pasta dishes quite well.","date_modified":"2025-10-10T15:09:31Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/smile","html_content":"

Several years I used to fly quite regularly on budget airlines. At that time there were really only two to choose from if you were catching a budget flight - RyanAir and EasyJet.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/smile","title":"Smile","summary":"Several years I used to fly quite regularly on budget airlines. At that time there were really only two to choose from if you were catching a budget flight - RyanAir and EasyJet.","date_modified":"2025-10-10T15:08:29Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/case-studies","html_content":"

Case studies are a great marketing tool – they highlight your expertise by showing prospects that you have already solved the problems they are facing for someone else. They also provide great content that can be used in...

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/case-studies","title":"Case Studies","summary":"Case studies are a great marketing tool – they highlight your expertise by showing prospects that you have already solved the problems they are facing for someone else. They also provide great content that can be used in...","date_modified":"2025-10-10T15:07:40Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/what-if-they-dont-like-it","html_content":"

What should you say to people that don't like your marketing? Well, if they're your target audience you should say, "I'm sorry we got it wrong, what would work to make you buy from us?"

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/what-if-they-dont-like-it","title":"What if they don't like it?","summary":"What should you say to people that don't like your marketing? Well, if they're your target audience you should say, \"I'm sorry we got it wrong, what would work to make you buy from us?\"","date_modified":"2025-09-29T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/bambi-on-ice","html_content":"

I help businesses with their marketing strategy.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/bambi-on-ice","title":"Bambi on ice","summary":"I help businesses with their marketing strategy.","date_modified":"2025-09-26T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/important-over-urgent","html_content":"

I love a good 2x2 grid, but I love this one in particular (see below).

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/important-over-urgent","title":"Important over urgent","summary":"I love a good 2x2 grid, but I love this one in particular (see below).","date_modified":"2025-09-22T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/take-the-time-to-think","html_content":"

Marketing is super exciting because you get to do things and write things and design things and generally be creative. And even if you've got someone else doing those things for you, it's still exciting to be around it.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/take-the-time-to-think","title":"Take the time to think","summary":"Marketing is super exciting because you get to do things and write things and design things and generally be creative. And even if you've got someone else doing those things for you, it's still exciting to be around it.","date_modified":"2025-09-19T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/be-you","html_content":"

I'm not going to say, "because everyone else is taken". But I am going to say because authenticity works better than faking it.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/be-you","title":"Be you","summary":"I'm not going to say, \"because everyone else is taken\". But I am going to say because authenticity works better than faking it.","date_modified":"2025-09-15T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/ask-for-compliments","html_content":"

If you've done good work ask people to tell you. You don't need to be over the top about it, but a simple, "did you like ...?" or a, "what did you think of ...?" usually works.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/ask-for-compliments","title":"Ask for compliments ","summary":"If you've done good work ask people to tell you. You don't need to be over the top about it, but a simple, \"did you like ...?\" or a, \"what did you think of ...?\" usually works. ","date_modified":"2025-09-12T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/stop-talking","html_content":"

In most instances, less is definitely more.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/stop-talking","title":"Stop talking","summary":"In most instances, less is definitely more.","date_modified":"2025-09-08T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/best-guesses","html_content":"

Marketing is always a series of best guesses and you need to be comfortable with that.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/best-guesses","title":"Best Guesses","summary":"Marketing is always a series of best guesses and you need to be comfortable with that.","date_modified":"2025-09-05T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/segmentation","html_content":"

Part of knowing your customers is segmenting the whole market (anyone who might buy from you).

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/segmentation","title":"Segmentation","summary":"Part of knowing your customers is segmenting the whole market (anyone who might buy from you).","date_modified":"2025-09-01T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/10%25-off","html_content":"

It's very tempting to offer a discount to new customers - to use a discount as the subject line in an email, or as a splash on your homepage.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/10%25-off","title":"10% off!","summary":"It's very tempting to offer a discount to new customers - to use a discount as the subject line in an email, or as a splash on your homepage.","date_modified":"2025-08-29T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/enjoy-it","html_content":"

If you work in marketing you have, in my opinion, got a great job.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/enjoy-it","title":"Enjoy it","summary":"If you work in marketing you have, in my opinion, got a great job. ","date_modified":"2025-08-25T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/outrageous-nonsense","html_content":"

That is what the CEO of RyanAir, Michael O'Leary talks most of the time.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/outrageous-nonsense","title":"Outrageous nonsense","summary":"That is what the CEO of RyanAir, Michael O'Leary talks most of the time.","date_modified":"2025-08-22T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/simplicity","html_content":"

In most things in life, simple is better than complicated. Marketing is no exception to this. And in every walk of life, overcomplication for the sake of it is always a bad idea.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/simplicity","title":"Simplicity","summary":"In most things in life, simple is better than complicated. Marketing is no exception to this. And in every walk of life, overcomplication for the sake of it is always a bad idea.","date_modified":"2025-08-18T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/market-then-message","html_content":"

Before you can know what you should say, you need to know who you are saying it to - who is your target audience?

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/market-then-message","title":"Market, then message","summary":"Before you can know what you should say, you need to know who you are saying it to - who is your target audience?","date_modified":"2025-08-15T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/thought-leadership","html_content":"

If your PR or marketing agency tries to sell you a thought leadership campaign, stop for a minute to consider it.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/thought-leadership","title":"Thought Leadership","summary":"If your PR or marketing agency tries to sell you a thought leadership campaign, stop for a minute to consider it. ","date_modified":"2025-08-11T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/storytelling","html_content":"

Lots of marketing advice will tell you to 'tell stories' to your audience. For once, this is good marketing advice, and Steve Jobs certainly thought so:

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/storytelling","title":"Storytelling","summary":"Lots of marketing advice will tell you to 'tell stories' to your audience. For once, this is good marketing advice, and Steve Jobs certainly thought so:","date_modified":"2025-08-08T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-best-briefs-limit-you","html_content":"

At its core, marketing is about rejecting things – making conscious choices to focus on specific things, means rejecting all the other choices you could have made.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-best-briefs-limit-you","title":"The best briefs limit you","summary":"At its core, marketing is about rejecting things – making conscious choices to focus on specific things, means rejecting all the other choices you could have made.","date_modified":"2025-08-04T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/an-audience-of-one","html_content":"

Your audience for any piece of marketing is the one person who is ready and willing to buy right now. If you can get it right for them, then lots of other people will also respond well to it.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/an-audience-of-one","title":"An audience of one","summary":"Your audience for any piece of marketing is the one person who is ready and willing to buy right now. If you can get it right for them, then lots of other people will also respond well to it.","date_modified":"2025-08-01T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/disruption","html_content":"

To some extent marketing is all about disruption. At the very least you have to disrupt your audience's day to get their attention.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/disruption","title":"Disruption","summary":"To some extent marketing is all about disruption. At the very least you have to disrupt your audience's day to get their attention.","date_modified":"2025-07-28T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/its-all-about-the-brief","html_content":"

If you have a team that is working on your marketing - whether that is an internal team, or an external agency - then the quality of their output is almost all down to the quality of your brief.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/its-all-about-the-brief","title":"It's all about the brief!","summary":"If you have a team that is working on your marketing - whether that is an internal team, or an external agency - then the quality of their output is almost all down to the quality of your brief.","date_modified":"2025-07-25T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/better-questions","html_content":"

If you ask better questions, you get better answers - it's that simple.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/better-questions","title":"Better Questions","summary":"If you ask better questions, you get better answers - it's that simple.","date_modified":"2025-07-21T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/get-the-basics-right","html_content":"

People like me bang on about them for a reason - because they're important.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/get-the-basics-right","title":"Get the basics right","summary":"People like me bang on about them for a reason - because they're important.","date_modified":"2025-07-18T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-customer-is-not-always-right","html_content":"

They never were.

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/the-customer-is-not-always-right","title":"The customer is NOT always right","summary":"They never were.","date_modified":"2025-07-14T08:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/you-dont-need-a-new-idea-every-day","html_content":"

I was talking to someone recently about social media and they were struggling with it because they felt that they needed to be clever and creative every day to post something new and fresh. I politely suggested that that...

","url":"https://pbsm.uk/blog/f/you-dont-need-a-new-idea-every-day","title":"You don't need a new idea every day","summary":"I was talking to someone recently about social media and they were struggling with it because they felt that they needed to be clever and creative every day to post something new and fresh. I politely suggested that that...","date_modified":"2025-07-11T08:00:00Z"}]}