📪 HH #78: Branding Is for Cattle
- Justin Hubbard
- Apr 24
- 7 min read
TL;DR – Let’s cut to it: small business owners shouldn’t waste time chasing “branding” or vanity metrics like impressions and likes. You’re not in business to be popular — you’re in business to get paid. And no one deposits “likes” at the bank.
Vanity metrics (likes, followers, views) look good on paper but don’t book jobs. What really matters?
✅ Leads generated
✅ Conversions
✅ Jobs completed
✅ Revenue and profit
Every marketing dollar should be traceable to real results. That’s direct-response marketing: clear calls to action, real offers, trackable outcomes. Not “brand awareness” fluff that big companies burn millions on.
You don’t need a brand. You need a reputation — and that comes from solving problems, earning trust, and delivering real service. Your logo doesn’t build your business. Your jobs do.
Bottom line: Branding is for cattle. You’re here to close work, not collect applause. Stick to marketing that drives revenue — not ego. Let your competitors chase followers while you stack profits.
Full article 👇
Let’s get one thing straight
Branding is for cattle, not for marketing your small business.
Harsh?
Maybe.
True?
Absolutely.
In the no-nonsense world of contractors and small business owners, chasing vanity metrics like impressions and likes is a dead-end.
You’re not in business to collect applause; you’re in business to get paying customers.
If that bold claim made you raise an eyebrow, good – keep reading 👇
Vanity Metrics: All Show, No Dough
“I’m not interested in impressions.” Ever feel that way? You should.
Impressions (how many eyes saw your ad or post) might make a marketing newbie excited, but smart business owners know better.
Why?
Because those numbers don’t mean a thing if they don’t turn into work. Getting 10,000 views on a Facebook post is worthless if not one of those viewers becomes a paying client.
Those big numbers are what we call vanity metrics – data that looks pretty on paper but doesn’t pay the bills.
In fact, experts warn that page views, clicks, and social media likes “don’t equal sales”.
Sure, it feels good to see a high view count or a bunch of thumbs-up, but you can’t deposit “impressions” in your bank account.
Fans, followers, likes and tweets don’t make a business profitable. It only counts when those fans actually pick up the phone, request a quote, or sign a contract.
Let’s break down some common vanity metrics versus the real measures of success:
Vanity Metrics
→ Impressions (how many people might have seen your content), Likes/Followers (people clicking a button but not necessarily buying), Website Traffic (visitors who browse but never inquire).
These are feel-good stats. They stroke your ego – “Wow, 5,000 people saw my post!” – but they don’t put food on the table.
Metrics That Matter→ Leads Generated – How many people actually called, emailed, or walked in because of your marketing.
→ Conversion Rate – What percentage of those leads turn into jobs or sales.
→ Jobs Completed / Sales Made – The number of projects you booked (and got paid for) as a result of a campaign.
→ Profit – The dollars in your pocket after the work is done.
→ Cost per lead or acquisition – how much you spent to get a paying customer, which shows if your marketing is worth it.
The difference is night and day.
Vanity metrics are nice-to-have numbers; meaningful metrics are must-have numbers. The former is all show, the latter is all dough.
Remember, “branding” in the traditional sense won’t keep the lights on. As marketing guru Dan Kennedy famously said, “Branding is for cattle.”
In other words, spending your precious budget just to “get your name out there” without a tangible return is often a waste of money.
You’re not Coca-Cola; you can’t burn cash on billboards hoping people recognize you someday. You need results now.
What Actually Puts Money in the Bank
So, what should a serious, no-nonsense business owner focus on?
Actions and outcomes that lead to revenue. It’s that simple.
Every marketing effort you undertake needs a clear purpose: to generate leads and convert them into jobs.
This is the core of direct-response marketing – advertising with a clear call-to-action and a trackable result.
For example, instead of a vague radio jingle that “builds your brand,” run a radio spot that says “Call now for 10% off your first service – offer expires Friday.”
That way, you can count how many calls you got and how many deals you closed. If you put out 1,000 flyers and 50 people call, that’s 50 potential jobs.
If you blast an email to 1,000 addresses and 100 people click through, but only 2 contact you, those 2 real contacts are what count (and you might tweak your approach to get more).
Always aim for actionable metrics – numbers that tell you what to do next (adjust the ad, follow up on a lead, etc.), not just numbers that make you feel good.
Consider this practical mindset: every dollar you spend on marketing should be accountable. If an ad cost you $500, you want to know, did that $500 bring in at least $500 (hopefully much more) in new business (profit)?
If yes, great – do it again.
If not, either improve it or stop doing it.
Unlike “branding” campaigns, which big corporations throw money at without knowing exactly what comes back, you demand to know what you get for your money.
This is how 👉 Adimize (my digital marketing company) 👈 approaches marketing. We measure success in jobs booked and profits made, not in “brand awareness” or other fuzzy metrics.
Remember that quote about branding being literally for cattle? One marketing expert put it bluntly: “A brand is what is burned into the side of a cow’s butt.” It’s a cheeky way of saying that obsessing over logos, color schemes, and image means nothing if it doesn’t drive business.
You could have the slickest logo in town, but if your phone’s not ringing, that logo isn’t worth a dime.
Focus on building a reputation for quality and a pipeline of leads – not just a brand image. Reputation comes from delivering great service and solving customer problems, not from a fancy website alone.
Jobs and referrals – those are the real reputation builders.
Results Over Fluff: The No-Nonsense Edge
When it's all said and done, marketing is about ROI – Return on Investment. For a small business owner, that means real work and real money.
Every impression or like that doesn’t lead to a conversation with a potential customer is just noise. It might as well not exist.
As the saying goes (and it’s absolutely true): You can’t deposit likes and impressions at the bank. They won’t pay your suppliers, your gas, or your crew. Only paying clients do that.
So why chase things that don’t directly feed your business?
It's all about practical, no-nonsense perspective, and the practical truth is this: if it doesn’t bring you business, it’s not worth your time.
That’s the sharp, grounded mindset that gives you an edge. Sure, it’s cool to have a recognizable name or a catchy logo, but you know what’s cooler? Having a schedule full of jobs and money in the bank because your marketing actually works.
Being “famous” in your town is meaningless if you’re not profitable. I’d rather be unknown and profitable than popular and broke – and we suspect you would, too.
Don’t Get Caught in the Vanity Metrics Trap
Let your competitors brag about views and branding fluff while you quietly snag all the paying customers because you kept your eyes on what matters. Impressions and branding hype are for the ranchers with cattle.
You’re a business owner with bills to pay and a company to grow.
Focus on strategies that turn into work – bids, jobs, happy customers, and steady profits. Cut the BS and double down on the metrics that move the needle.
In the world of small business, that’s how you stay ahead of the herd.✌️
Justin Hubbard
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