Brand awareness is not your problem

Every week I talk to a founder who tells me "We need more brand awareness." And every week I ask the same question: "What happens when someone actually lands on your site?"

Silence. Or worse is they already know the answer. The site looks like it was built by a different company than the one they describe on sales calls.

If you're Series A to C your problem is what happens after they find you. The credibility gap, where your product has outgrown your brand, and every surface a prospect touches (like your site, your deck, your onboarding) quietly undermines the trust your sales team just spent 45 minutes building.

Pouring money into awareness when these surfaces don't convert attention into trust is like turning up the volume on a broken speaker.

Fix the gap first

Real great Example of viewing the problem from a structural angle... Love the last analogy "Turning up the volume of a broken speaker"...

What my cat taught me about being a freelance Startup Marketer 😼 1. ATTENTION IS NOT GUARANTEED If he is not interested, he is not interested. Period. A good reminder that nobody owes your content their attention. 2. INFINITE CURIOSITY Gofio will investigate a random paper bag for twenty minutes like it might change his life. But he ignores the toy I bought him. Never take anything for granted! 3. YOU CANNOT FORCE INTEREST Try picking up a cat that does not want to be picked up. That is what bad marketing feels like. 4. INDEPENDENCE IS A BIT OF A LIE Gofio acts like he runs the house. But somehow I am still the one refilling the food bowl... I'm not afraid to ask for clarification if it means doing better work. My work still depends on trust and people. So yes, Gofio might secretly be my toughest marketing mentor ❤️🐱

Loved the cat reference