Chris Bantock

When I was leading The National Lottery marketing, we stuck up these behaviours on the walls in our office. Number 3 on this list was critical thinking. I love case studies. But case studies are not proof of rules or marketing laws. They are written by winners, about winners. They leave out the late‑night panics, the bad bets, the abandoned work. What we get is a tidy story. AI makes this worse. Because everything looks plausible and appears credible. Until you dig a little. Critical thinking was a top behaviour I cared about when I wrote my first book. Marketers must question assumptions, look for evidence, stay sceptical but not cynical. Without this, we get lazy thinking, which leads to poor decisions. Now that AI can produce endless confident nonsense, critical thinking has never been more critical. My latest chapter has some practical ways to use AI to counter this. Runwithfoxes.substack.com

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How One Messy Business Name Almost Got a Local Company Suspended by Google Let me tell you a story… I recently worked with a small business owner who had no idea their GBP was quietly putting their business at risk. Here’s what I found: Their official business name was “Elite Home Services Ltd.” But their GBP showed “Elite Home Cleaning & Handyman Services.” And across other directories and citations? Every variation you can imagine: “Elite Home Services,” “Elite Cleaning,” “Elite Home & Handyman,” “ELITE HOME SERVICES LTD”… it was a complete mess. At first, they didn’t think it was a big deal. But here’s why it mattered: → Google saw the keyword-stuffed GBP name and flagged it → risk of suspension. → Mismatched NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across websites, citations, and directories → confused Google → hurt rankings. → Even without changing addresses or phone numbers, just the name differences put their GBP at risk. I could see the panic in their eyes. Losing visibility on Google could cost them leads, credibility, and even customers during their busiest season. Here’s what I did: → Aligned the website and all directory listings so every NAP matched the official registration. → Updated the GBP name to exactly match their legal documentation. → Prepared for reverification, sometimes Google asks for video verification if it’s a physical location. Heads up: → Temporary suspension is possible when you change the name. → But with proper documentation, you can appeal and get reinstated. → Going slow and covering your bases reduces risk, but fear shouldn’t keep your GBP messy. Key takeaway: Inconsistent names = wasted visibility + potential suspension. Fix it now before it costs you leads and credibility. Winter, or peak season, doesn’t wait… and neither do your customers searching for your services. If you want your Google Business Profile optimized, consistent, and safe from suspension, let’s talk. I help local businesses fix their GBP, align their citations, and get found by the right customers. → DM me today and let’s make your business Google-proof.

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12 things I see in every CEO who work LinkedIn like a boss!! Want followers to turn into revenue? Start here 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 • You share the stories others won’t. • You argue for your buyers, not against competitors. • Your voice is recognisable in any comment thread. • You turn failures into lessons. • You reply to meaningful comments like they matter. • You hold strong opinions on 2-3 specific topics. • You celebrate other CEOs’ wins, even competitors’. • You share real numbers when it serves the lesson. • You show behind-the-scenes decisions, not just outcomes. • You call out industry BS everyone thinks but won’t say. • You coin signature phrases people quote back to you. • Your content makes people think, “I wish I’d said that.” • You don’t treat LinkedIn like social media. • You treat it like the boardroom of the internet. That’s why some CEOs leverage LinkedIn to scale their business… And achieve their objectives. While others collect vanity metrics and wonder why nothing converts. And then say something like... "LinkedIn is saturated" Or... "LinkedIn doesn't work for my business" The difference isn’t follower count. It’s TRUST count! ---------- I’m Stefan. I help business owners, founders and CEOs turn LinkedIn into a high-trust client engine with authority content, smart outreach, and zero-cringe lead generation. Want to see exactly how this works? Grab my free email course:: https://lnkd.in/eyNAnixC

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❓ I've been asked a few times this week how to get the most out of #pDOOH...the simple answer is integrate it into you digital marketing mix....but things are never quite that simple.... ❓ Recent research from Skyrise shows combining #DOOH with other digital channels provides an uplift Vs control of 18%-118%. Varying significantly by sector and application. This resonates with research from Meta back in 2019 which showed a 1.6x improvement in sales by combining DOOH with mobile social. In reality pDOOH is a tactic, the use of which should be defined by the brand/campaign the strategy, which in turn should be derived from your business objectives....Place this is a measurement framework designed to gather actionable iterative intelligence (ask yourself what do I need to know to improve my next campaign) and you are set up for success! 🚀 Follow these simple steps to get the most out of integrating #pDOOH into your digital marketing mix. Get in touch to start your journey in The Middle East today [email protected] Ben Wilkins Mark Burton Displayce Blis Adform Hawk (an Azerion company) The Trade Desk The Neuron VIOOH JCDecaux Middle East JCDecaux 👀 💬 👇

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"We have progressed so much further with you all in three months than we did in a year with our last agency." This was from a client we started working with at the beginning of the year. Why is that? ① We helped them get clarity on where they were and where they wanted to go. ② We put a plan in place that tracked everything so we knew what was working and what wasn’t. ③ We work with a lot of firms. We have data on what specifically you need to do as an accounting firm data that other agencies don’t have. That gives us (and you) a huge leg up. That last point, I cannot reiterate enough. If you’re looking to undertake any marketing endeavor, make sure you work with someone who understands your industry. That will supercharge your results (and save you a lot of headaches when it comes to explaining what you do, editing content, etc.). #accountingandaccountants #marketing #smallbusiness #success #entrepreneurship

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We’re getting good traffic… but we’re not seeing the leads.... A Head of Marketing in manufacturing said that to me last week. Their SEO reports looked great. Bounce rate down. Page views up. Session time solid. But leadership? Still not convinced. Still questioning the budget. Still seeing marketing as a cost centre. And this is the problem. If your reporting sounds like: “We increased engagement” “CTR is up 12%” “The blog performed well” But not: “We generated 6 qualified leads last month” “Two are in proposal stage worth £75k” “Here’s what we did to drive them” Then you’re not showing impact. You’re just describing activity. And activity doesn’t win investment. Pipeline does! Data shows marketers waste around 37% of their budget on activity that doesn’t drive revenue! That’s the bit your FD hears loud and clear 😬 So if you’re in a traditional sector and marketing still feels slightly detached from sales… It’s time to close the loop. Build your reports like a salesperson. Talk like someone who owns the number. Otherwise, you’ll always be justifying spend. Not growing it. If this hits close to home, feel free to drop me a message. Always happy to compare notes or talk through what might move the dial. #MarketingThatSells #RevenueMarketing #B2BMarketing

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Client acquisition is never easy — but Amanda Walls, Founder of Cedarwood Digital, shares how her team makes it work. From tackling ghosting with clear qualification and transparent budgets, to focusing on niches like finance, insurance & healthcare, Cedarwood has built a reputation for ROI and client retention. Amanda also highlights the role of LinkedIn storytelling, case studies, industry events and even AI in shaping their approach. Her best advice? “Be nice to people” — your reputation is your strongest sales tool. Watch now: https://buff.ly/UkdPl6g @cedarwooddigital @amandajwalls #digitalagency #agencysales #agencylife #digitalmarketing #agencyleader #agencyai #agencyclient #agencypipeline

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Does LinkedIn still work right now? On a recent call with Lindsay, Cory, and Charlie, we spoke about the drop in reach on LinkedIn and how we’d re-optimise it for growth. We talked about how you don’t need a massive audience to win. Small creators are landing clients every day because their content is strategic. Here’s what’s worked for me even when reach has dropped: •⁠ ⁠I became a lot more intentional with my copy. •⁠ ⁠I leaned heavily into pain point triggers. •⁠ ⁠I added social proof and nuggets of value in every post. •⁠ ⁠I tested urgency, scarcity, and stronger calls to action. Even with fewer impressions, people still reach out. Because the copy is working harder. If your content isn’t performing like before, don’t just chase more views. Make every word work harder so the right people who do see it are more willing to talk to you. What’s one shift you’ve made recently?

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