It’s horribly easy to get overwhelmed—and sucked into spending time and money we can’t afford—on marketing in general, and digital marketing in particular.
While I’ll be sharing insights from various digital marketing experts over the coming weeks, I wanted to start with a refreshingly grounded reminder I got from Nick Lambe, then of Gordalex.
The Security Guy Who Changed How I See Digital Marketing
Nick’s background is in digital and physical security. Most of us picture hackers when we think of cybercrime, but according to Nick, only about 20% of that crime is online. The rest? Old-fashioned physical-world fraud and theft.
Take one case Nick’s team worked on: a social media trail led them to a ring of car thefts, traced through selfies and public posts. This blend of real-world observation and digital sleuthing underpins how Nick thinks about digital strategy—and it’s directly applicable to marketing too.
Back in the early days of social media, Nick wanted to understand how criminals—and by extension, businesses—were using these platforms to influence behaviour. He travelled to LA, met Tai Lopez, Tai Lopez (you might remember the infamous “here in my garage” video), and his approach to digital marketing shifted forever.
Why Most Digital Marketing Fails
Nick observed that around 90% of businesses approach digital marketing just like traditional marketing: sell, sell, sell.
But digital marketing isn’t about selling—it’s about storytelling.
During his time learning from Tai Lopez, Nick also met Jesse Navarro, a brilliant copywriter, and Sean Vosler, a social and YouTube strategist. These were people who understood that marketing today is built on narratives.
A Simple (and Brilliant) Digital Marketing Strategy
One of Sean Vosler’s best techniques is disarmingly simple and perfect for any small business:
Have a friend interview you about your “why”—why you do what you do, what you care about, your backstory, your mission. Go deep. Make it conversational and honest.
Then, transcribe the interview (you can use a freelancer on Fiverr for under £50), and suddenly, you have a mountain of authentic content.
You can use this across:
- Blog posts
- Social media snippets
- Mini videos
- Email marketing
It’s a full-blown, story-rich digital marketing campaign, without a massive spend.
Think Like an Investigator
Nick compares effective digital marketing to intelligence work:
First, identify your target.
Then profile them.
Work out how to reach them.
Finally, figure out how to influence them.
He emphasises clarity around the kind of traffic you actually want. Many businesses obsess over SEO or throw money at Facebook ads without truly understanding what’s effective for their audience.
“SEO is great, but if your site content is boring or confusing, you won’t convert,” he says.
“Facebook ads? Fine—if you’re selling Post-Its to students. Not if you’re pitching to B2B banks.”
Nick prefers low-cost, story-led campaigns. One example? His company helped a financial services firm win a £500,000 contract by filming YouTube and LinkedIn videos outside their target client’s offices—naming the company, naming the job title of their contact, and telling a quick, clear story. That’s guerrilla marketing at its best.
The Power of Necky Guerrilla Marketing
When I was researching the book Scale for Success, I spoke to George Rawlings, who had just launched a dating app called Honeypot. With zero budget, George leaned hard into storytelling and guerrilla marketing.
At first, their blackboards simply said “Download Honeypot”—and nobody paid attention.
So, they pivoted.
One day at 4 a.m., George set up a whiteboard at Liverpool Street Station reading:
“To my cheating boyfriend: don’t bother coming home tonight. @George.Rawlings enjoy seeing this on Instagram. I saw you with that girl at the weekend. PS — Honeypot is NOT the next Hinge.”
It went viral within hours.
Next came a sandwich board campaign:
“I @GeorgeRawlings cheated on my girlfriend, and this is my punishment.”
In tiny letters at the bottom:
“Do not download Honeypot.”
It was cheeky. Funny. Emotional. And it worked.
For just £300, they gained over 5,000 downloads.
George told me, “You have to become a character. People follow personalities.” And they did. Honeypot—now rebranded as Thursday—partnered with Uber and BrewDog and raised £2.5 million in seed funding. Their tone? Still playful. Still disruptive.
Rethink Your Digital Strategy
Before you get sold on pricey ad packages or cookie-cutter social campaigns, pause.
What’s your story?
What makes your business human?
What would make someone smile, cry, or share your message?
Those are the building blocks of a digital campaign that actually connects.
In Summary: Story First, Sales Follow
Forget the aggressive “sell, sell, sell” digital playbook. Instead, start with stories. Be real, be relevant, and be brave enough to do it your own way.
It’s more affordable than you think. And it’s far more effective.
(and measure, measure, measure what you do)
