Dan Kennedy is one of my marketing hero’s.
I’ve tried to summarise some of my favourite ideas he has shared.
Let’s be blunt.
If your marketing isn’t working, it’s probably not the algorithm’s fault. Or the market’s. Or Mercury in retrograde.
It’s probably one of these dangerous mistakes. Mistakes Dan Kennedy has spent his life warning people about. And I’ve seen every one of them, over and over, across every industry.
Some are slow leaks. Others are full-blown disasters. All of them are avoidable.
So here they are. Burn them into your brain. Then audit your own marketing with them.
1. Being Boring
Kennedy called this “the biggest marketing sin.” If your ad looks like everyone else’s, sounds like everyone else’s, and feels like a shrug — it’s not going to work. Being safe is the riskiest thing you can do. Stand out or be ignored.
2. No Clear, Direct Response Offer
Hope is not a marketing strategy. If your ad doesn’t ask someone to do something specific — call, download, book, click — you’re wasting money. A direct response offer gives people a reason to act now, not someday.
3. Not Building a List (Or Ignoring the One You Have)
If you don’t have a list, you don’t have a business — you have a series of expensive experiments. Email it. Mail it. Call it. The businesses that survive aren’t always the best — they’re the ones who can follow up.
4. Trying to Appeal to Everyone
If your message is for everyone, it resonates with no one. Niches get riches. Get specific about who you’re talking to — their fears, their frustrations, their dreams. Then speak their language.
5. Not Knowing Your Numbers
Not tracking your results is like lighting money on fire and hoping it warms your sales. Cost per lead. Conversion rate. Lifetime value. These aren’t “nice to haves.” They are your pulse. Stop measuring, and you’re flatlining.
6. Relying on One Lead Source
Word of mouth? Great. Facebook ads? Awesome. Cold outreach? Go for it. But relying on just one is like building a house on a toothpick. Diversify. Kennedy called it a “marketing Parthenon.” Build multiple pillars or expect the roof to cave in.
7. No USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
If you can’t clearly answer, “Why should I choose you over anyone else?” — you’re invisible. A real USP doesn’t just differentiate. It makes the competition irrelevant. (“Great service” doesn’t count.)
8. Thinking Like an Artist, Not a Marketer
Kennedy said it best: “It’s not about what you like. It’s about what works.” You might love the look of your brand. But if it doesn’t convert, it’s just pretty wallpaper. Let the market decide.
9. Weak Copy That Doesn’t Sell
Copy is a 24/7 salesperson. Most businesses hand that job to the intern. One strong headline can double response. One weak one can kill it. The difference is in the words.
10. Giving Up Too Soon
Most sales don’t happen on the first try — or the second. They happen after the fifth, sixth, seventh touchpoint. If your follow-up consists of one email and a prayer, you’re leaving serious money on the table.
Final Thought
None of this is rocket science. But it is discipline. Most businesses don’t fail from lack of effort — they fail from lack of focus on the right things. Dan Kennedy’s advice isn’t trendy, but it’s still the most useful marketing truth I’ve ever learned.
And if you’re making any of these mistakes — now’s the time to fix them.