Sunni Sukumar
5/5
When I first came across Justin Brooke back in 2010, I saw how he thinks differently about marketing than most. That’s why I became a customer when he launched his Direct Media Buying Institute, which is now AdSkills.
A few nuggets I love:
* Their free Daily Edge email newsletter is better than a bunch of other stuff I’ve bought. That’s a win for no risk right there.
* They have a bunch of free YouTube tutorials, and their paid courses are also all video-based (with worksheets). I love video. What’s really cool is their commitment to keep the courses updated, since the ad networks often change their user interfaces, features, etc.
* They focus on media planning before media buying. Yes, they train people to buy media like pros, and pros focus first on exactly who to target, where to target and how to target them (messaging, ad unit types, etc.)
Specifically, the 5x3 account structure and 6 audience types have given me good structure to start from scratch on any campaign.
* They teach practical ways to deal with real-world campaign issues. For example, take knowing when to exit a losing campaign. They don’t give the vague “statistical significance” answer I’ve heard before, which can cost a small fortune. They have a simpler way. And they also teach strategies to keep a campaign fresh, so it keeps producing a good ROI.
* When I reply to one of their email broadcasts, they reply back (usually in a day) to let me know they hear my specific questions, thoughts and concerns. That personal touch feels really good. It may not take them much time, but how many companies do that?
* AdSkills isn’t only Justin Brooke now. They have ace ex-Googler, John Belcher, onboard and have courses from other topic experts. That’s helped me learn from some of the best people in one place.
* The community around AdSkills has some of the sharpest marketers I’ve ever been around. The first time I logged into their Pro League, I knew it was on another level, just from what people were talking about in there. And the members are happy to help each other out.
For all those reasons, I’m thankful to be a customer for sure. Not exactly a secret now lol, but a company as good as AdSkills can’t stay a secret for long anyway.