Fiat Growth Newsletter #6

Performance Marketing & Personal Branding

Hey it’s Fiat!

Welcome to the Fiat Growth Newsletter. This issue takes 7 minutes to read, but here’s the quick rundown if you’re in a hurry:

• The Fast Evolution of Performance Marketing: Data and AI are reshaping how we measure success. Discover the five trends redefining performance marketing in 2024 and how to stay ahead.

• The Truth About Personal Branding: Your brand is a result of great work, not the cause of it. Learn why substance beats flash and how to build an authentic, lasting reputation.

Happy Holidays!

This issue is brought to you by Fiat Finance.

The Fast Evolution of Performance Marketing

What You Need to Know in 2024

Performance marketing is evolving fast, with data, insights, and analytics driving the way we measure success. But let’s be clear: it’s not just about clicks and conversions anymore. It's about depth, longevity, and connection. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Performance Marketing Needs a Holistic Approach
Gone are the days when you could throw dollars behind ads and wait for magic to happen. Buyers are more sophisticated now, and success requires integrating performance into a bigger marketing strategy. (Think of performance marketing as the engine, but it’s useless without a well-built car.)

2. AI-Driven Personalization Is the Game Changer
AI is optimizing everything—timing, content, and audience targeting. Predictive analytics lets us tailor campaigns with precision, ensuring ads hit the right audience at the right moment, leading to higher ROI and better engagement.

3. First-Party Data Is Non-Negotiable
With third-party cookies on their way out, first-party data collection is critical. Brands must focus on building direct consumer relationships through loyalty programs, app behaviors, and authentic interactions—this is how you stay ahead in a privacy-first world.

4. Great Creative Still Wins
Let’s not forget: performance marketing is driven by killer creative and smart targeting. If your campaigns aren’t sparking interest or inspiring action, even the best data can’t save you.

5. Balance Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
Performance marketing can’t exist in isolation—it needs to work hand-in-hand with brand-building efforts. Without balance, you’ll burn through leads and erode your brand equity. Long-term growth comes from nurturing loyalty and trust.

Final thought: Performance marketing is no longer a "set it and forget it" tactic. It’s an evolving system of insights, strategy, and creativity. You’ve got to zig when others zag, break through the noise, and focus on building sustainable, scalable campaigns.

The Truth About Personal Branding

Substance Over Flash

Almost every week, a first-time founder tells me they want to build a personal brand to help scale their startup. And almost every time, I share the same advice that Andrew Chen once told me:

Your personal brand is a lagging indicator of you doing great, meaningful work.

“Startups build a great brand by being successful—finding product-market fit, scaling traction, and doing the hard work.

Brand marketing is mostly useless without substance. The buzz comes after: late-stage companies get media coverage, conference invites, and celebrity endorsements because they earned it. Those things didn’t create success; they followed it.”

The same is true for your personal brand.

Chasing a reputation without real expertise is like scaling a startup with no product.

Focus on substance over flash. Do the work. Build the expertise.

Then let the content follow.

Takeaway:
Your personal brand is the result of meaningful work, not the cause of it. Build expertise and value first, and your reputation will naturally grow as others recognize your impact.

How can you apply these strategies?

• Prioritize expertise: Focus on solving real problems and creating tangible value before worrying about your personal brand.

• Document the journey: As you build expertise, share your insights, successes, and lessons learned through authentic content.

• Stay consistent: Let your work speak for itself, but amplify it with consistent, thoughtful communication over time.

• Avoid shortcuts: Don’t get distracted by viral trends or superficial metrics; focus on building a brand rooted in substance.

When you lead with value and authenticity, your personal brand becomes a byproduct of your success—not the other way around.

That’s all for this edition. Cheers!

Fiat Growth Team