Why Your Marketing Strategy Feels Off (and What to Do Instead)

At some point, most business owners or marketing leads hit what can only be described as the fog. You’re not quite sure if your content is working. You’ve got a few lead magnets floating around. You’ve tried running a campaign or two... possibly one involving “tripwire” offers, even though no one really knows what that means. And yet, the results remain discouragingly vague.

The metrics are fine, but they’re not exciting. The content calendar is full, but conversions are flat. Your energy? Somewhere between “mildly hopeful” and “Googling ‘remote fishing villages with no Wi-Fi’."

If you’ve been here, you’re not alone. And no, your problem isn’t that you’re lazy, unstrategic, or not “manifesting” hard enough.

You’re likely facing a strategy-stage mismatch: the silent killer of otherwise decent marketing efforts.

The silent problem no one warns you about

When marketing feels off, most people assume they need better execution, sharper copy, more video content, or a rebrand. Occasionally, that’s true. More often, though, the issue lies upstream: you’re using a strategy that doesn’t align with your actual business maturity or structure.

This is not a fringe problem.

A 2024 study published in the European Research Studies Journal found that while many SMEs are investing in modern digital marketing tools, the majority continue to rely on traditional communication methods and face significant barriers to implementing more advanced strategies effectively. ¹ The researchers point to gaps in digital capability and decision-making frameworks, which lead to businesses adopting tools and tactics that aren’t suited to their current stage of growth.

In other words, the problem isn’t ambition. It’s misalignment. Businesses are trying to scale with systems meant for survival, or they’re stuck repeating early-stage tactics long after they’ve outgrown them.

How did we end up here?

It’s easy to blame ourselves when marketing doesn’t work. What’s harder, and far more accurate, is to see the system that led us here.

Modern marketing advice often operates like a buffet: here’s a list of things you could be doing. Email funnels, SEO, Facebook ads, content pillars, TikTok trends, influencer campaigns, chatbots, webinars. Pick whatever looks tasty.

But a buffet without a dietitian is how you end up with five kinds of cheese and a stomach ache. Or, in business terms: a scattered, overstuffed strategy that leaves you bloated with work and starved of results.

Most marketing “templates” don’t ask what your business actually needs right now. They assume you want traffic, leads, and scale, regardless of whether you’re actually ready to handle them.

This is the equivalent of trying to run a marathon because someone handed you running shoes, without asking if you’ve recovered from a sprained ankle. It’s well-meaning but misguided.

Matching strategy to stage: a simple framework

One way to avoid the trap of strategic misalignment is to understand what kind of growth stage your business is in and tailor your marketing accordingly. As Chaffey and Smith (2021) emphasise, marketing excellence doesn’t come from chasing every new tool but from aligning the right tactics with the right business objectives at the right time. Strategy, timing, and integration matter more than noise.

I use a simple three-stage model with clients, not because life is neat and linear, but because decision-making is easier when you know what you’re optimising for.

1. Build

This is the foundation phase. You’re validating your offer, understanding your audience, clarifying your message, and figuring out what resonates. You might still be DIYing your content or building initial traction through relationships.

Focus: Visibility, trust, and connection.

Typical mistake: Trying to “scale” with paid ads before your funnel or offer is even clear.

2. Optimise

You’ve got some proof of concept. People are buying, following, or engaging. Now, it’s about refining: improving conversions, simplifying processes, building light systems.

Focus: Consistency, conversion, and content that nudges people to act.

Typical mistake: Staying stuck in scrappy mode when you could already be mapping campaigns and segmenting your audience.

3. Scale

You’ve laid the groundwork. Now, you’re ready to amplify. This is where media buying, team delegation, and advanced data tracking start to make sense. Importantly, scale doesn’t mean “bigger for the sake of it”. It means intentional growth, supported by infrastructure.

Focus: Amplification, systems, and smart delegation.

Typical mistake: Over-complicating or hiring too fast without a clear plan.

But what about “growth hacks”?

It’s tempting to latch onto shortcuts. Who doesn’t want 10,000 followers, viral Reels, or a magic funnel that sells while you sleep?

But let’s be honest: most businesses aren’t losing because they don’t have the latest AI tool. They’re losing because they’re trying to copy strategies built for businesses two years (and three budget lines) ahead of them.

As marketers and business owners, our job isn’t to “do all the things”. It’s to do the right thing, in the right order, based on the right information.

Sometimes, that means scaling back. Sometimes it means doing less, but with more focus.

So… what should you do?

Start by asking better questions.

Not: “What’s working for others?”

But: “What do I actually need next?”

Not: “Should I be running webinars?”

But: “Am I still in the stage where showing up weekly and building relationships has a better ROI?”

If you’re in the build stage, invest in clarity and consistency.

Get crystal clear on who you're speaking to, what they care about, and what you’re offering. You don’t need a funnel; you need a message that lands. Posting three times a week won’t help if every post says something different.

If you’re in the optimise stage, start measuring and improving your process.

This is where you move from “I hope this works” to “I know what works.” It’s about tightening up systems (automations, email flows, repurposing content) so you’re not reinventing the wheel every month.

And if you’re ready to scale, make sure your backend is ready for the attention you’re chasing.

There’s no point spending €2,000 on ads if your onboarding breaks or your delivery process isn’t scalable. Scaling reveals what’s broken... and fast.

Because let’s be honest, visibility is not the problem. Alignment is.

If you’re not sure what stage you’re in

That’s exactly what I help clients figure out in a 90-minute Strategy Session. We take a clear-eyed look at where you are, what’s holding you back, and what to prioritise next, based on your actual business, not someone else’s template.

It’s practical, focused, and completely bespoke. No funnel fluff, no guru jargon. Just strategic clarity and a plan you can start using this week.

Ready to stop guessing and start making moves that actually work?

Book your Strategy Session here

Sources

1. Sharabati, A.A.-A., Ali, A.A.A., Allahham, M.I., Hussein, A.A., Alheet, A.F. and Mohammad, A.S., 2024. The impact of digital marketing on the performance of SMEs: An analytical study in light of modern digital transformations. Sustainability, 16(19), p.8667. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198667

   
   

2. Chaffey, D. and Smith, P., 2021. Digital marketing excellence: Planning, optimising and integrating online marketing. 6th ed. Abingdon: Routledge.