The Anti-CMO Playbook: What to Do When You’re Over the Marketing BS

If you've ever opened a marketing plan and thought, “Why does this feel like it was written for a Fortune 500, not my actual business?”, you’re not wrong.

Most marketing advice today is written by marketers trying to impress other marketers.

Meanwhile, you're over here with a half-finished carousel, a team of one (maybe), 24 tabs open, and no idea whether your last reel did anything useful.

This post is for the founders, operators and business owners who want a clear, commercial, no-fluff plan to show up, stay relevant, and grow revenue, without sounding like every other LinkedIn thought leader in a vest.

What most people get wrong

The default advice goes something like this:

"Build a funnel. Nurture leads. Create valuable content. Be authentic. Post consistently".

It’s not wrong. It’s just incomplete. And in most cases, written for businesses with full teams, five-figure ad budgets, and way more time than you.

Here’s the actual founder reality:

• You don’t need 45 pieces of content a week. You need 3 that actually work.

• You don’t need to be “everywhere”. You need to show up where your audience makes buying decisions.

• You don’t need a “lead magnet”. You need relevance.

You’re not running a marketing department. You’re running a business. And that requires a different kind of system, one that respects your time, doesn’t rely on luck, and still makes your brand impossible to ignore.

A editorial photo of a barefoot female founder wearing a sleek pastel power suit, standing on a rooftop at sunrise. Shredded corporate marketing playbooks fly around them like birds. Sky gradients in soft pink, cloud mist in the background.

The Real Story (backed by data)

Here’s what we’ve seen in the data and in the field:

83% of founder-led brands post “just to stay visible”, not because they’re tracking results. (Later x Hootsuite Content Strategy Report, 2024)

The average B2C buyer needs 3–5 meaningful content interactions before they make a purchase decision. But most brands waste those touches on filler.(HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2023)

Conversion rates increase 2.5x when the content is created for a specific buying moment, not just a content calendar slot. (The Content Geeks internal case studies, 2025)

Most content is written to “tick the box”.

At The Content Geeks, we write content to change a mind, earn a save, or drive a DM. If it doesn’t move one of those, it doesn’t go out.

The smart play (how to actually win)

Here’s how we build marketing systems that work, for humans who are running a business, not a full-time content studio.

1. Strategy ≠ Spreadsheet

A content strategy that lives in a Gantt chart but dies on execution isn’t a strategy.

We focus on founder-relevant strategy:

• What are you selling?

• Who actually buys it?

• What do they need to believe to say yes?

Then build content that answers those beliefs. Not trends, not vibes, not “what everyone else is doing”.

2. Don’t sell. Solve.

We create systems around these three questions:

• What question are people already Googling that your offer answers better?

• What objection do they have that you can crush before they even ask it?

• What story will make them believe you’ve done this before and done it well?

This is where short-form content, testimonials, founder POV, and subtle CTAs outperform hard-sell landing pages 90% of the time.

3. Make it build, not burn

Great marketing compounds. It doesn’t just expire after 24 hours. We design content stacks where:

• One high-performing post → becomes a Reel, a carousel, a blog, an email

• That blog → ranks for SEO, feeds AI engines, and attracts inbound traffic

• That inbound traffic → is tagged, sorted and warmed for real offers

It’s not just about posting. It’s about building a visibility engine that works even when you’re doing other CEO things.

Quick wins: what to do this week instead of overhauling everything

• Kill half your content calendar. Keep only the posts that speak directly to a real decision your audience is trying to make.

• Write a voice note about your biggest industry frustration, turn it into a post that positions you as the expert who fixes it.

• Reframe your services page into a “here’s how we solve it” format, not “here’s what we offer”.

• Use this ChatGPT prompt:

  “Write me a short-form video script for [insert your offer] that opens with a problem my dream client is sick of hearing about”.

• Define 3 content pillars:

  • Belief-building (why your offer matters)

  • Proof (show them it works)

  • Process (show how it works)

Founder to founder side note

You don’t need more content. You need content that does something.

Marketing doesn’t have to feel like theatre. You don’t have to become a full-time performer.

Smart systems. Sharp messaging. A bit of geeky psychology.

That’s the anti-CMO playbook. And you’re holding it now.

You already know what makes your business great. Let us turn that into content that earns clicks, not just compliments.

DM us the one thing you're tired of explaining to clients. We’ll turn it into content that finally gets the point across.

FAQ

What is the anti-CMO playbook?

It’s a founder-first approach to content marketing that removes corporate fluff and focuses on sharp, relevant content systems that actually move revenue.

Why doesn’t traditional marketing advice work for small businesses?

Most marketing advice is built for larger teams and long timelines. Solo founders and small businesses need faster execution, leaner systems, and content that converts directly.

How do I build content that converts, not just attracts likes?

Focus on belief-shifting content, client decision moments, and proof-driven storytelling. Prioritise clarity over creativity when trust is the goal.

Do I need a content calendar to be successful?

No. You need a system. A calendar is just a tool. What matters more is the clarity of your message, your timing, and your ability to repeat what works.

What’s the first step in fixing a broken marketing strategy?

Start by asking: “What do my best-fit clients need to believe before they buy”? Then make content that answers that, again and again.