Brew a good stout before a chocolate stout

I’m personally not a fan of the Coors Light, but I respect the heck out of its brewers.

Why? It’s impossible to hide a flaw in Coors Light.

That beer is so simple, clean, and light. Any flaw would stick out like a glob of ketchup on a white t-shirt.

Coors Light comes out the same every time, which ain’t easy.

On the other hand, take a much bigger and more complex beer. Say, a 10% abv imperial stout packed with coffee, chocolate, and caramel flavors.

If there is a flaw in THAT beer, it’s easy to hide.

As much as I love small craft breweries, I taste many beers that were rushed to market. When I was teaching online homebrewing classes, I always gave my students this advice:

“Brew a good stout before you attempt a chocolate stout.”

The idea is to dial in a simple recipe first. Prove you can brew that base recipe well. THEN open your pantry and start adding exotic ingredients.

I recommend the same approach for your marketing. Most marketing campaigns are too complex right out of the gate, which makes it easy for mistakes to slip in.

Instead, start with a clean, simple, and effective campaign. Run a simple email campaign before jumping into Instagram ads. Dial in your argument before adding a bunch of bells and whistles.

Brew a good stout before attempting a chocolate stout.

About the Author

Billy Broas

Billy is the founder of The Five Lightbulbs®.

He got into marketing his late 20's, when he left his career at an engineering company to run his online business. He’s consulted on messaging to top entrepreneurs, including Tiago Forte, Ryan Deiss, and Leila Gharani.

Billy lives in San Diego with his wife, their two children, and an abundance of tasty Mexican food.

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