Can marketing tools become a craft, a creative outlet—even a weekend hobby? Absolutely. Especially if you’re a little obsessed.
I don’t hit the greens. I hit dashboards.
I don’t really golf anymore.
These days, I collect marketing tools.
Some people spend their Saturdays on the course—I spend mine poking around new AI writers, testing landing page builders, and convincing myself this new platform is going to change everything.
Is that healthy? Maybe not.
Is it fun? Absolutely.
At this point, digital marketing has kind of become my version of golf. It’s where I experiment, compete (mostly with myself), and occasionally celebrate a small win that no one else really understands.
The Obsession Is Real
You know how golfers get. Back when I actually played, I obsessed over new clubs, gloves, balls—even ball markers. Always thinking, “Maybe this is the one that’ll finally improve my game.”
Now? I’m the same way—just with marketing software.
Social posting platforms, subject line testers, SEO tools, AI writers—you name it. If it promises a better open rate, a cleaner dashboard, or gets my site found on Google—I’m probably testing it.
I literally have three social media posting platforms I’m licensing right now. (Well, two… the third is a lifetime deal I couldn’t pass up. You get it.)
And let’s not even talk about how many other lifetime deals I’ve collected “just in case.”
Funny thing is, I probably only use about 20% of them. The other 80%? They’re like digital golf clubs—just sitting there, waiting for the “someday” that never comes.
I Know What I’m Doing… Kinda
I’d love to say it’s all part of a structured strategy. And sometimes, it is.
But sometimes? It’s just fun.
Testing a new subject line variation? Tuning a landing page layout? Watching heat maps like they’re playoff stats? That’s me on a quiet Saturday morning.
Gamify it—tell me I need to hit an 85 on a subject line score—and suddenly I’m down a rabbit hole of rewrites, headline analyzers, and emotional word ratios like my weekend depends on it.
Spoiler: I know it’s just a number. I also know I won’t sleep until it’s green.
Patience, Timing, and Clean Shots
Golf teaches you patience. And that’s a pretty useful skill in marketing, too.
You can’t rush results. You build something, test it, watch it flop, tweak it, and do it again. Sound familiar?
You chase the perfect funnel the same way a golfer chases the perfect swing. And let’s be real—neither one exists. But every now and then, something hits just right. The copy lands. The campaign works. The lead quality improves. And for a moment, it all clicks.
When this happens in golf, every golfer on the planet suddenly thinks they’ve got a shot at the Masters.
Same thing in marketing. One solid campaign, one spike in conversions, and suddenly I’m thinking I’ve forever cracked the code. Drafting a LinkedIn post in my head. Wondering if I should write a book.
But just like in golf—where the course changes, the wind shifts, and no two greens ever play the same—marketing is always moving. What worked yesterday might totally flop tomorrow.
So we adjust. We adapt. And we keep swinging anyway.
This Is My Sport Now
I’m not on the green much anymore. I’m in my inbox. In client calls. In LinkedIn groups and YouTube classes, diving into “that new thing” someone just launched.
This is my hobby now. My creative outlet. My version of hitting balls at the range to clear my head.
Sure, it’s work. But it’s also something I do for fun. I get curious. I try stuff. I see if I can get a little better every time. And when I don’t? I learn something, adjust, and keep going.
Just like golf. Minus the collared shirts. And the cart path only rules.
Let’s be honest—I’ve always preferred coloring outside the lines anyway.
If You Know, You Know
You’ve got folders full of tools. Probably a few accounts you forgot you signed up for. Maybe even an “experimental” landing page floating around somewhere with three different CTAs and a countdown timer that expired last year.
Same.
Let’s stop pretending we don’t have a favorite email platform, or that we’ve never stayed up too late tweaking an automation no one asked for.
Let’s Trade Tools
What’s in your bag right now?
What tool did you have to try?
What’s one you love that no one talks about?
I’m always down to swap ideas—and maybe enable your next “I swear this one’s different” download.
What Does It All Mean?
Maybe digital marketing is just the way I think, create, and connect now. It’s the game I’ve chosen—the one I actually enjoy trying to get better at, even when it’s messy.
The tools matter, sure. But it’s less about finding the one that solves everything and more about staying curious, staying sharp, and staying in motion.
Just like golf, it’s never really “mastered.”
But if you’re still showing up, still testing, still tweaking?
You’re probably doing better than you think.
If this resonates, I’d love to connect. Follow me on X (@richardbrashear) or visit richardbrashear.com — where I share more insights on using AI well in life, writing, and business.
