Lee Murray: Consulting and Growth Marketing

If the past two years have taught business leaders anything, it’s that nothing is written in stone. As cliché as this lesson may be, it accurately illustrates the constant of change, particularly in the sphere of marketing and business growth. 

With the explosion of technology and digital communication in the past decade, it seemed that a transition to a more digitized society was inevitable, and with that would come a major shift in the way we connect, grow and do business. But having a pseudo fast-forward button in the form of a global pandemic certainly sped up the pace of change for many businesses. 

In the face of change, nearly every business is also presented with opportunity. For older generations, those who happen to be aging out of raising businesses, resisting change is somewhat of a pillar. It’s also something that has held them back from real growth in the past few years. 

Fortunately, new generations are beginning to move into the space of managing and spearheading brands. These zealous leaders are more willing to consider new ideas and are more open to discovering new ways to grow.

This is where Lee Murray steps in, showing business owners how to embrace the new world of marketing (because it’s not what it used to be) with smarter strategies that take advantage of the changing world around them.

Lee Murray, Business Growth Advisor

Lee Murray is the brain behind the consulting service, Harvard Murray Consulting. As a business consultant, he helps mid-tier and second stage businesses achieve growth and take their brand to the next level.

Lee’s consulting company operates with a clear and concise focus. They work with a precise group of businesses, tailoring their services to fit those who have already nailed down a solid history of sales (which is the first phase of a successful business) and are ready to move on to the next phase of growing their brand. 

According to Lee, second-stage growth has to focus on marketing and, most of all, brand. Sales got those businesses to where they are, but marketing will take them further. The ideal client for the team at Harvard Murray Consulting already knows that intelligent marketing is what they need to take the next step, and they’ll have an open mind about doing it a little differently.

Lee’s Take on the Current State of Media

Major media platforms just don’t hit the way they used to. Although Google and Facebook are still major players in the media game, Lee and other business professionals have noticed a lag in the efficacy of these familiar ad platforms; but not for the reason you might think. Part of this drop has something to do with the sheer volume of users and advertisers, but it’s largely an effect of something much more sinister. 

Lee likens the Google advertising realm to a casino. With this comparison comes a sharp realization, a warning that we’re all familiar with: the house always wins. 

Millions of dollars are lost every year to Google, mostly from the pockets of small business owners. This is largely due to the fact that most small businesses simply don’t know how to run ads effectively in this space. Google is there to take their money, but doesn’t show up to educate them about best practices or, really, any practices at all. 

The search ad game is a lot like a massive slot machine wherein most businesses are paying to play, hoping to hit big, but almost never winning. Every once in a while, a marketer manages to get it right. They figure out the game and win. Then, they return to square one and try to do it again with another (often completely different) client, and begin the game all over again with the same odds.

On platforms like Facebook, Lee feels the major problem is a lack of attention. Not from users or advertisers, but from the people in charge. While the higher-ups are focused on their next meta-sized project, they've stopped paying attention to the thing that made them who they are. They’re ignoring their users and most of all, neglecting their small advertisers. Completely harmless, docile ads are flagged and banned with no explanation, frustrating and upsetting the people who continue to play the game because they don’t know where else to turn.

To Lee, Facebook is broken. Traditional media is broken. Which is why it makes sense to adjust course and try other channels. 

Today, the real media power rests with individual voices. Individuals on social media are getting millions of views, often on single videos. Consumers are paying keen attention to what a single person has to say, more so than they are to entire news teams and unsolicited advertisers. 

According to Lee, communication is taking on a crypto-currency mindset – it’s a peer-to-peer world we’re living in. We’re cutting out the middle men more and more each day, whether it’s the bank or major media platforms. If you don’t look at it for what it is, Lee suggests, you’ll be left behind. 

This is one reason why affiliate marketing looks to be the “next big thing” in business growth. To win in marketing, you have to build your audience. Build and earn trust from them. This can happen when businesses partner with individuals who offer thoughtful cross-border content that has value for BOTH audiences. Even more than added value, these strategic partnerships offer more control over content.

How the Pandemic Affected Business Consulting

For Lee, one of the greatest effects the pandemic had on his work was the way it revealed his particular niche of clients, the ones he really wanted to work with. One of the most important characteristics of the business owners who team up with Lee is their ability to adapt and approach a new situation with an open mind. 

The clients Lee has loved working with most are those who saw the challenge at hand and were ready to move forward anyway. Where so many businesses saw roadblocks, Lee and his cohorts saw opportunities. According to Lee, success is all about mindset. 

In the good times and the bad, major leaders have a vision and mindset for growth and are constantly running toward it. They’re adaptable and they’re open to ideas. 

Lee’s Advice for Marketing and Growth Leaders

When we asked Lee what advice he might give other marketers, or even a younger version of himself, he chuckled. Lee jokes that he wouldn’t have listened to sound advice twenty years ago, even from himself. Ironically enough, now in the business of consulting, this receptive demeanor is precisely what Lee asks his clients to take on, and something he has to remind himself to work at each day. 

After some banter about his somewhat stubborn nature, Lee finally says that the most important thing for growth is clarity. Knowing exactly where you want to go, right from the start, is crucial. Running off course for any amount of time puts you farther away from your goals; and man, does it complicate things. 

If you don’t have clarity, find it. Ask the people closest to you and ask those on the outside. Talk to someone who’s been in your shoes, and someone who has been where you’re trying to go. They’ll give you some of the most valuable feedback you’ll ever receive and they will ask the tough questions, the ones you never thought to ask. You’ll find answers and you’ll find clarity.

Additionally, Lee feels like the most valuable concept we can focus on now is community. Connecting with and engaging your community is the best way to figure out what to do next. Your next big move, your next small step – ask your community where to go, they’ll give you their honest opinions. These answers may not always be the easiest to hear, but they’ll take you far. 

Community helps us teach others, share knowledge and fulfill unmet needs. This is the philosophy behind a community, building one another up – showing and learning how to be the best version of yourself. Community is the most natural way we connect to others and it just makes sense. So why can’t we use this innate hunger for connection in the best way we know how?

The concept of community is more important and relevant than it’s ever been, and it’s building the next major media platform. It champions individuals that offer real, authentic content, over irrelevant paid advertisements. Real conversations are taking the place of keywords and headlines. 

Even though we’re more connected than ever, people have never been so disconnected. But community, and a little clarity, can bring us back together and take us to the next level.