I’m writing this on December 3rd, which happens to be my birthday. My (GULP) 60th birthday to be precise.
As I thought about what to share to celebrate the occasion, I considered a lot of typical “looking back” topics:
A reflection on the lessons I’ve learned Some of the great stories I’ve seen Just sharing an expression of my gratitude to my family, my teammates, our clients, and all the incredible people I’ve met in the staffing industry
And then I thought…nah. I need something different.
This week, our leadership team is all together in South Florida to discuss our plans for 2026. I had the pleasure of starting my birthday with a walk on the beach with my wife.
We were discussing challenges and issues that our clients face (yes, we are just that exciting on a morning walk together!), and she asked a great question:
Why doesn’t marketing work as well as it used to?
This question hit me hard.
I’ve been in marketing a LONG time. When I started, very few staffing companies had a website. There was no such thing as SEO. No social media. No doom scrolling. And AI was limited to science fiction.
Over the past 30 years, we’ve seen an explosion in communication tools and channels. We’re more connected than ever. We’re always online. In theory, it should be easier to reach and connect with others than at any time in history.
But it’s not.
Marketing IS harder. What worked in the past no longer has impact today.
Why is it harder to market today?
We’re losing the battle for attention.
Despite all the different communication channels available (or maybe because of them), it’s harder than ever to reach people and get them to pay attention.
We’re drowning in a sea of noise. And it’s become incredible difficult to get your message seen and heard.
Attention spans have collapsed. Once upon a time, people read books. They loved long-form content. They loved learning. Today, people consume information via memes and reels.
It’s not that long-form content is dead (yes, people do read books, listen to Joe Rogan podcasts, and even read this long newsletter!), but these days, capturing attention starts with micro content.
Communication methods and styles have changed. At 60, I am practically a dinosaur. I will not pretend to understand the language of Gen Alpha. I still prefer email over texting…and reading over short-form video. Yes, you can put me out to pasture.
Depending on whom you sell to, their preferred communication methods (and language) have likely changed over the past few years. Is your sales and marketing adapting?
Inboxes are bottomless. Speaking of email, last week, I happened to glance at the home screen of a friend’s iPhone. That little red dot next to the email icon displayed a 5 DIGIT number. More than 10,000 unread emails…that’s insane.
I was stressed just looking at it.
But that’s reality. Inbox zero is a dream few achieve. Most of us face a daily barrage of unsolicited email, which makes email marketing success more difficult to achieve (note, I said difficult, not impossible…email can still be a top ROI marketing channel!).
Competition comes from all angles. How many staffing companies are in your local market? If only that was all your competition! Today, you are also competing with nearshore and offshore solutions, online gig platforms, AI and automation, and more.
It’s never been more difficult to differentiate your services and carve out a position in the market that you can own.
Trust has died. Blame the internet. Blame the politicians. Blame your competitors. Blame whomever you want, but we’ve reached a time in history where few people trust what anyone says.
So, even when you can break through the clutter and get the attention of your ideal prospect, getting them to believe anything you say has become an almost impossible challenge.
The law of inertia works against us. This isn’t a new challenge…it’s one that has always challenged sales and marketing.
The simple reality is that’s it’s easier and safer for companies to stick with their current vendors than to make the effort to switch to a new one.
Our industry is a victim of its own success. The staffing industry had an incredible run from 2010 to 2023. Everyone was hiring. If you could recruit talent, you could close job orders.
But a couple of things happened along the way. One, we forgot how to sell. Two, as labor markets got tighter, we (as an industry) tried to force too many square pegs into round holes, which damaged our reputation for quality and reliability.
So, what can you do about all of this?
Actually, it’s not that hard.
Be different. Be bold. Be persistent. Be helpful. Be truthful. Be authentic. Be consistent. Be everywhere.
Great marketing today is not “one thing.” It’s not just SEO or social media or automation campaigns.
Great marketing is a combination of tools and tactics that will:
Capture the attention of your ideal prospects Get them interested in the problems you can solve and unique solutions you offer Generate demand for your unique approach to staffing Get people to take action—either reaching out to you or agreeing to speak with the professionally persistent salesperson on your team.
Great marketing helps your salespeople to sell. It helps you get found. It makes it easier for employers to purchase your services and job seekers to apply to your jobs. It empowers your sales team.
As Peter Drucker famously said, “The purpose of business is to create a customer, and the business enterprise has two—and only two—basic functions: marketing and innovation."
My birthday present to you.
Want a few specific ideas on marketing for your company?
Reach out. Seriously, send me an email or call me.
I’ll be happy to spend time with you. We’ll talk about your business, your sales, marketing, and recruiting challenges, and then I will put together a specific list of strategies and tactics to help you become more successful in 2026.
You can reach me by clicking “Reply” or call me at 1.888.696.2900.
Thanks for reading. David |
