Episode 08: How Smart Marketers Use August to Bulletproof Their Year-End Strategy

If you’re waiting until September to plan your fall marketing, this episode’s going to sting.

Christopher is back with a blunt-force reality check on why your Q4 strategy is already behind and what to do right now before it tanks your year-end performance.

In this episode, he’s ripping into the dangerous myth of the “summer slowdown,” the cost of calendar apathy, and the classic end-of-year chaos that marketers keep walking into like it’s their first rodeo. From meeting tardiness to last-minute campaigns, Christopher lays out the roadmap (and the red flags) for smart marketers who want to own Q4, not survive it.

You’ll learn how to audit your remaining budget, prep your marketing channels for lift-off, and avoid the internal bottlenecks that sabotage your strategy. Plus: what to do if your TikTok ads tank, your sales team ghosts the CRM, or your boss still thinks planning in August is “too early.”

 

 

What’s Inside:

• Why your September brainstorm is three weeks too late
• How to budget for success and surprise curveballs
• The Q4 event strategy most teams forget to plan
• The one marketing sin that will kill your reputation (hint: it’s got nothing to do with content)
• How to bulletproof your campaigns now—so you can enjoy the holidays later

 

From the Episode: Fall isn’t coming—it’s already here.

If you’re still in vacation mode, this is your sign to wake up, log in, and get your shit together.

Subscribe to The Bulletproof Marketer wherever you listen, and connect with Christopher on LinkedIn for more ruthless marketing truths.

 

Episode Highlights:

• Welcome + Why August Is the Most Underrated Month in Marketing [00:00]
• RANT: Why Are People Still Late to Meetings? [03:00]
• Summer Is Not “Slow”—You’re Just Not Planning Ahead [07:00]
• Why 30-Day Thinking Will Destroy Your Q4 [09:45]
• You Do Have the Data—You’re Just Not Using It [12:10]
• The Marketing Avalanche Is Coming—Are You Ready? [14:00]
• Event Season is a Resource Suck—Plan Accordingly [17:00]
• Your Budget Isn’t Static—Start Treating It Like a Weapon [19:00]
• Channels, Campaigns, and Chaos: What Needs a Q4 Refresh [21:00]
• Objectives > Ideas: Get Honest About What Worked (and What Didn’t) [23:00]
• Want Extra Credit? Start Planning for January, Too [26:00]
• Final Soapbox: Plan Now or Panic Later [28:00]

 

🔗 Resource Links

Stay connected and dive deeper:

• 💥 Subscribe to The Bulletproof Marketer Newsletter Get weekly insights straight to your inbox — zero fluff, all strategy. https://gosalesandmarketing.com/bulletproof-marketer
• 🚀 Explore The Go! Agency Discover how we build bold marketing strategies that actually deliver. www.thegoagency.com
• 👥 Follow The Bulletproof Marketer on LinkedIn Join the conversation, catch episode drops, and get behind-the-scenes takes. https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bulletproof-marketer/
• 🎙️ Connect with Christopher Tompkins on LinkedIn Thought leadership, unfiltered opinions, and daily digital insights. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgomedia