Notes on Writing: Marketing Sux

 Yes, I spelled "sux" wrong. It may a bit cutesy, but I've got nothing to lose at this point. 

I write for work. Well, I write fairly often as part of the job. The rest spills over into spreadsheet and task management territory. So, not as much writing as I probably need or like. But, there is some writing involved. Writing supposedly opened these doors; unfortunately, a bunch of other nonsense spilled out as soon it did. 

What writing I do do (ha!) is centered on various marketing and branding topics, though if you do that type of writing for any amount of time, you soon realize that variety is sorely lacking. Digital marketing is even narrower, and you quickly come full circle and slam head-first into "adjacent" topics. 

At first, you convince yourself that you aren't actually repeating yourself. But that in itself becomes a real struggle. You find that marketing concepts really just boil down to several time-tested basics. Digital marketers throw a bunch of buzzy SEO and techy nomenclature on top of those base (repulsive) ideas, but that's really just an attempt to fool the reader into believing they're reading something different. It's probably also designed to fool themselves, just long enough to make it to the next content project. 

It's all generic and boring and makes me want to jump through the window. 

Marketing and branding and advertising are one and the same. Sure, they might try to convince you that one's about product exposure while the others are about building "recognition" and "awareness" (both pulled from buzzy digital marketing lingo), but there's really not much difference. Well, I guess advertising is generally paid for (marketing is too, but I'm rolling with it), but other than that, the concept is the same. It's all about deception and distraction and triggering the emotional impulse needed to buy. 

It's really hard for me sometimes to plow through a marketing-related writing assignment (isn't it ALL marketing?). Well, maybe most times. My heart just isn't in it. There are rare occasions where I find myself framing a sentence or turning a phrase, accidentally churning out something original in spite of myself (or my attitude, disposition, or moderate-to-low energy level). But those are seemingly rare as fuck. Enjoyment is fleeting. Finding the motivation to continue and push on is hard. Really hard. Which, of course, makes it that much harder to avoid the phone and social media and other things I'm really trying to avoid today or any day. 

{this is a mess, I know. But like I told myself and any unlucky audience members at the beginning of this latest endeavor, it was going to unfold that way}

I could get all high-minded here about how truly rotten marketing is and it's undeniable role in grift, free market capitalism, the degradation and rot at the core of society, etc. After all, marketing really is just sleight of hand and used to mask greed and destruction. 

But this post, like the last two, is about writing. Marketing writing, to be specific. And if I start to diverge from that idea now, well, 

it really wouldn't hurt a goddamn thing, would it?

I hate writing about things like improving your LinkedIn or branding your small business, or how to become a thought leader. That shit is so vapid and valueless and overdone, and I am done rewriting every hacky piece of trash written by SEOs and marketing grads just for a (very) outside chance of grabbing a page 1 ranking for "how to build a brand." It sucks and it's wearing me thin. But I keep doing it because I gotta pay the bills. Blech. 

90% (a real number!) of everything you find on Google and online is a phony baloney sales pitch disguised (often poorly) as something useful (yay crypto!).

I am writing this today with the same level of energy and enthusiasm as I bring to the keyboard every Monday morning. Which is to say I am doing this it seems out of little more than to force myself to do it because it feels like I need (have?) to do it because I'm running out of time (mid-life?) and need to do something to awaken the beast within and go out with a bang. It's like I'm doing this simply to avoid some level of future regret, which could be wise or it could be a terrible reason to do anything depending on your fucking point of view. 

But, at least I'm writing. 

I'm building a habit, right? I'm ignoring fear (am I, really?) and pushing forward and doing something that needs to be done. Right? 

Yeah, maybe. 

This screed hasn't been completely out of bounds or incredibly challenging to write. The internal kicking and screaming is there and loud but not deafening or too load bearing to bear. True, my head is in a fog and I'm really not that motivated to do this, but it's not like I've had to yank out my own fingernails to get my fingers moving in the right direction. 

And, I think I'm nearing 1,000 words, which is kind of sort of my daily goal for this sort of thing. I figure if I can add a new 1000 on something anything each day I can create a truly mountainous pile of word vomit upon which to look back on 50 (30, 20?) years from now and say "look, I tried to do something and pull my shit together" to make myself feel better between bedpan cleanings. 

I just really want to find the sweet spot where writing is fun and scary and thrilling and where I can grab a topic and write about it coherently and make it interesting and make myself look intelligent or informed in the process. 

See? It's all about me (blech)

I feel like I've done enough today of writing for writing's sake, though I may return later. Because in spite of being somewhat drowsy and incredibly unmotivated, there is something bubbling under the surface. I can feel it; it just doesn't have the strength or wherewithal to push past that swampy film and unleash itself upon the keyboard. I have thoughts on friends and politics and America and ramen and family and movies and other things and these thoughts want to burst forth into the ether and leave their stink on everything. Yet, clarity of mind is not happening right now. 

Thus, this exercise in futility. 

I will keep writing, America. I will keep on. You just stay there and let me catch up a little, would ya? I'm, like, WAY fucking behind here. 

bleep blorb shorp glorp