Interview With Harry (Paid Media Strategy Consultant)

1) Where were you born and raised? Also tell us something unique about yourself.

Born and raised in Gloucester, UK. As a teenager/young adult I spent most of my time fronting punk bands - playing the sweaty backstreet pubs of Gloucestershire and Bristol.

2) What got you interested in marketing and what was your journey?

It's in the blood I think. My father was in marketing and would often use my brother and I in ad campaigns he was running when they couldn't find other child models. When I was a teenager I would do work experience with business friends of his who owned marketing related companies. I went on to study Marketing at university but always had side hustles and various marketing related projects on the go to earn beer money. From a digital marketing perspective, I was lucky in that I came of age just as SEO and PPC was kicking off and the migration to digital was gathering pace.

I learned the fundamentals of these disciplines early on and believe a lot of it is still relevant today. Out of university I spent a couple of years working for a company but quickly realised I preferred the freedom and variety of working for myself - so I setup my own consultancy specialising in PPC, SEO and digital marketing strategy. That was in 2010 and I haven't looked back since.

3) What skills and industry do you specialize in?

Digital campaign strategy and PPC (multi-channel management) mostly. I still dabble in SEO, but only from a foundational/technical perspective - I tend not to get involved in the link-building or content generative aspect. I work with a wide range of industries, from e-commerce consumer goods brands to engineering companies, IT services and tech B2B.

4) What is your best soft skill?

Probably my understanding of marketing at it's most basic level - having a core grasp of the who and the why. I think my background in marketing strategy first has served me well over the years. Knowing how to apply digital tactics is the sprinkles on top.

5) What softwares and tools do you use regularly?

Sounds really boring but mostly just the ad platforms themselves (even for keyword/audience research). Google Ads Editor. Chat GPT for idea generation and efficiency. Then the Adobe Creative Suite for asset generation.

6) What are your goals for the next year and into the future?

Again, really boring but, probably just to get even better at my craft. I don't have ambitions to have a huge agency, just a serious reputation. I believe that the larger you get you often compromise something in return.

7) What has been the hardest thing you dealt with in your career path?

The process of figuring stuff out myself mainly. There is no true guidebook in digital marketing - and anyone who writes one finds it is quickly outdated. When things aren't going well it can be a pretty lonely place and when a client leaves, for whatever reason, you can't help but take it personally. But it builds resilience and the understanding that you can't control everything.

8) What is the biggest mistake you made that you want others to avoid?

Probably forgetting to set expectations. Always communicate with the client what you hope to happen (with reasons for it) and then having a plan B/C in-case things don't work out as planned.

9) Who are your favorite people in the industry that you follow?

For PPC/digital: Nils Rooijmans, Ed Leake, Kasim Aslam and John Moran. For marketing in general, Seth Godin, Rory Sutherland and Scott Galloway to name a few.

10) Who has had the biggest influence on your career to date?

Probably my father.

11) What has been your favorite course that you taken and why?

Ed Leake God Tier Ads course. Just an awesome checklist of everything you need to build out an effective Google Ads account - supremely detailed.

12) What would you tell yourself or someone who is just starting out in marketing?

Focus on the stuff that you enjoy and have aptitude for. You don't have to be great at all disciplines. Don't be afraid to delegate/farm out.

13) If the entire world was listening to you, what would you have to say?

Be excellent to each other. Party on dudes.

14) Where can we find you?

PPC: www.albionmarketing.com .

Marketing consultancy: www.getburton.com .

And LinkedIn, obviously.