I’ve been in the marketing game for over 7 years, driving results through cutthroat strategy and unrelenting focus. I don’t buy into the self-pity that’s been circulating on LinkedIn lately, and I’m calling it out. A recent post by [name redacted for now, but referencing a widely reacted-to post by a user lamenting the “hardships” of marketing] which racked up thousands of likes and comments claimed marketing is some Herculean struggle because you have to be a marketer, photographer, copywriter, and more, all while agonizing over “catchy titles.” The chorus of marketers nodding in agreement, feeling validated in their woes, is frankly embarrassing. I’m here to dismantle this victimhood narrative with cold, hard logic. Marketing isn’t hard it’s a playground if you’ve got the wits to play. Some of you might disagree, but that is ok, I have a issue with comfort and complacency.
Marketing Is Undervalued, But That’s No Excuse for Whining
I get it marketing often gets the short end of the stick in boardrooms, seen as a “nice-to-have” rather than a revenue engine. Budgets are slashed, timelines are brutal, and the C-suite expects miracles without understanding the craft. But let’s stop pretending this makes marketing some impossible puzzle. If anything, the undervaluation is an opportunity to prove your worth and dominate. If you’re crying about juggling roles or brainstorming titles, you’re already losing. Let me break down why marketing is easy when you approach it with the right mental models, psychological leverage, and sheer strategic mindset.
Why Marketing Is Easy: A Masterclass in Mindset
- Mental Models Make Complexity a Joke Marketing isn’t about wearing a dozen hats; it’s about mastering frameworks that simplify every task. Take the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. I don’t waste time perfecting every photo or obsessing over every word; I identify the high-impact channels and messages that drive conversions and double down. Struggling with titles? Use the AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). Craft a hook that grabs, build curiosity, tap a pain point, and push for a click. It’s a formula, not rocket science. If you can’t distill this, you’re overcomplicating a basic game.
- Psychology Hands You the Cheat Codes Human behavior is predictable when you understand cognitive biases and emotional triggers. Scarcity makes people act fast limit an offer, and they’ll bite. Social proof turns skeptics into buyers showcase real demand, and trust builds itself. Even something as “hard” as copywriting boils down to mirroring your audience’s fears or aspirations. I’ve written headlines in minutes by simply tapping into loss aversion (“Don’t miss out on X”) or status-seeking (“Join the elite who Y”). This has proven exceptionally useful for coming up with viral video hooks. If you’re sweating over a title for hours, you don’t know your audience you’re just guessing, but even that is easy today with AI, you just need to ask the right questions to get a propper awnser. And for you who are against using AI in your work, Reddit and Quora always have an open door with deep insights if you know how to look.
- Technology Does the Heavy Lifting Let’s talk about this “photographer” nonsense. Tools like Canva, Unsplash, and AI-driven design platforms let anyone with half a brain create professional grade visuals in under an hour. Ok I agree AI advertising is starting to look cheap and low effort, but the statistics say it is still really effective. Need video? Smartphone cameras and free editing apps like CapCut rival what pros charged thousands for a decade ago. Analytics platforms, Google, Meta spit out audience insights faster than you can complain about “wearing too many hats” and don’t even get me started on using AI to interpret your media buying data. I’ve run entire campaigns solo, from concept to execution, because automation and accessible tech make it a breeze. If you’re still manually grinding every detail, you’re inefficient, not overworked.
- Multitasking? It’s Called Prioritization The idea that juggling roles is some unique burden is laughable. Every profession demands adaptability, entrepreneurs pivot, engineers debug, chefs manage kitchens while cooking themselves. Marketing’s no different. I’ve shot my own product photos, written copy, and scheduled posts all in a day, not because I’m a superhero, but because I prioritize ruthlessly, doing the tasks in order of execution and agregating similar tasks to beat wasted time. If a task doesn’t drive ROI, it’s delegated or dropped. Crying about being a “jack of all trades” signals you can’t separate noise from signal. The jack of all trades for most companies is still more useful than a master of one, and AI can make you an instant master of anything if you invest in learning the mechanics of the craft. Learn to focus, and the “burden” vanishes.
- Catchy Titles Are Child’s Play with Systems Let’s zero in on this “titles are hard” myth. A title’s job is to hook, not to win an award. I use proven templates, listicles (“5 Ways to X”), questions (“Are You Missing Y?”), or bold claims (“Why Z Fails Every Time”) and test them with split campaigns. I’ve generated dozens of headlines in under 30 minutes by pulling from swipe files of what’s worked before or from analyzing best performing ads on Meta gallery. Data from past campaigns tells me what sticks; I don’t sit around “agonizing.” If you’re spending days on a single line, you’re paralyzed by indecision, and you have the wrong notion that creativity is a gift only for chosen ones not a skill.
Calling Out the Echo Chamber of Mediocrity
To the hundreds of marketers who liked and commented on that post, basking in collective validation: wake up. Feeling “seen” for your struggles doesn’t make you better at your job; it makes you complacent. It makes you more frustrated and less efficient, put in 110% and you will replace stress with a fun challenge. I’ve read comments like “So true, marketing is exhausting!” and “Finally, someone gets it!.” all I see a crowd of professionals who’d rather commiserate than dominate. Marketing or business aren’t therapy; as cheesy as it might sound they are a battlefield. If you’re nodding along to tales of hardship instead of sharpening your edge, you’re dead weight in this industry.
Entrepreneurs and marketers reading this, ask yourself: do you want to be coddled, or do you want to win? If you’re still clinging to the “marketing/business is hard” crutch, you’re admitting you can’t handle the preassure, but you can change that and become a ruthless shark providing value and emotional connection to your customers. I’ve built campaigns that tripled revenue for clients while working with scraps, minimal budgets, skeleton teams, and zero sympathy. I didn’t whine; I weaponized every mental model, psychological trick, and tool at my disposal. The world is not perfect I make mistakes, get frustrated at board decisions, but I learn adapt and do my best the next time. If I can do it, so can you. Stop making excuses and start making impact.
A Hiring Red Line: I’d Never Touch Anyone Who Liked That Post
As a ruthless marketer who lives for results, I wouldn’t hire anyone who engaged with that post, and here’s why. First, it signals a victim mindset someone who’d rather lament challenges than solve them. I need problem solvers who see obstacles as puzzles, not burdens. Second, it shows a lack of strategic thinking if you can’t see through the emotional bait of a pity-party post, how can I trust you to read an audience or outmaneuver a competitor? Third, it suggests you’re more invested in peer approval than performance. My network is built for outcomes, not online back-patting. If you liked that post, you’re already on my “complacent marketer” list.
The Bottom Line: Marketing Is Easy When You’re Good
Marketing is only hard if you’re approaching it with a scattershot mindset, no systems, and a fragile ego. I’ve turned underfunded startups into category leaders by leaning on frameworks like mental models (First Principles, Inversion), psychological levers (reciprocity, anchoring), and tech that does 80% of the grunt work. I don’t care if the world undervalues marketing; I care about proving its worth through undeniable numbers. Premium branding, campaign execution, audience capture it’s all like martial arts, anticipating the next move and moving with precision adn calm no matter your wounds. If you’re struggling, it’s not the job; it’s your approach, today you have so much information at you disposal and even AI that you really have no excuse to be better