Blog - Unscrewed Marketing (formerly Vicky Wu Marketing)

The Real ROI of Networking (and Why Most Entrepreneurs Never See It)

Tired of networking that goes nowhere? Smart entrepreneurs use both formal and everyday conversations to grow real business—not just collect business cards. Learn how to choose the right networking spaces, bring curiosity and value to every interaction, and follow up in a way that builds trust instead of awkward silences. If you’ve been showing up but not seeing results, it’s time to make your marketing strategy work with your networking, not after the fact.

The REAL Reason THAT “Marketing Course” Didn’t Help

You’re not stuck because you didn’t follow the course, it’s because the course was never built for YOUR business. Behind the scenes, many so-called “digital marketers” are just affiliate sellers, peddling courses they didn’t create and strategies they’ve never implemented. These programs teach isolated tactics, not adaptable strategy, leaving entrepreneurs scrambling to connect the dots. What you need isn’t another module, it’s real-time guidance, built on real experience, with solutions tailored to your business.

Your Emails May Not be Reaching Clients, and How to Fix It

If your emails are landing in spam—or worse, never arriving—it might be because your email app took shortcuts during setup. Just typing in your password and letting it auto-configure often means you’re sending through someone else’s servers (like Outlook or AT&T), lumping your messages in with thousands of others. If any of them are spammy, your emails can get flagged too. The fix? Use your domain’s own outgoing server and make sure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up correctly. I’ve outlined what to check, and how to test it yourself, in this article.

Do You Need a Personal Brand or Just a Business Brand? Here’s How to Decide

Most entrepreneurs focus on building a business brand—but what happens when you are the reason people buy? Whether you’re a solo founder, franchise owner, or scaling with a team, your personal brand can either support your growth or hold it back. Discover when a personal brand is essential, how to build it strategically without turning into an influencer, and why the smartest entrepreneurs use both brand types to grow with clarity and confidence. Includes examples for professionals in corporate, franchise, service-based, and licensed roles.

Should I Advertise on Yelp? | Marketing Q&A

Yelp advertising often promises high visibility, but what’s the real cost—and return? This straight-shooting breakdown explains how Yelp’s ad system works, the hidden budget traps to avoid, and why many local businesses find themselves locked into expensive, low-ROI contracts. Learn what to know for before signing, and how to market smarter.

SEO is Dead? SEO is Not Dead? Why Search Everywhere Optimization is the New Reality

SEO hasn’t died—it’s relocated. Traditional tactics like keyword stuffing and backlink chasing don’t hold up in a world where users search via AI, TikTok, and voice assistants just as much as Google. This piece breaks down why “Search Everywhere Optimization” is the new mandate, showing how integrated, human-centered content earns visibility across channels, not just search rankings. Learn what’s important so that your brand shows up wherever decisions get made.

Should Visitors Always Land at the Top of My Web Page? | Marketing Q&A

Frustrated visitors losing patience digging for answers on your site? Forcing everyone to land at the top wastes time and drives users away. It also risks lowering your SEO rankings and losing valuable AI-driven traffic. Discover how letting AI link directly to relevant page sections keeps visitors engaged and boosts your site’s performance. Stop losing leads to outdated web practices.