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Your Business Stage vs. Your Marketing Tactics: What to Change (and What to Stop Doing)

Podcast Episode Transcript


Introduction


You know that frustrating feeling when you’re doing the marketing (posting, writing emails, even boosting the occasional post) and still wondering:

“Is this actually working… or am I just shouting into the void?”

Yeah, I’ve been there. And you’re not alone.


In this episode, I break down one of the most common issues I see in small businesses and stretched marketing teams, something I call a strategy-stage mismatch.


It’s not a lack of effort. It’s not even a lack of strategy.

It’s trying to implement a strategy that belongs to someone else’s business, one that’s at a different stage, with different capacity, and totally different context.


Here’s what that looks like, and what to do instead.


What is a strategy-stage mismatch?


Let’s start with what this isn’t.


This isn’t about people being lazy. Or not “doing the work.”It’s about trying to apply a strategy that doesn’t make sense for where your business is right now.


Maybe you followed advice from a course, or tried to replicate what someone successful was doing online. You downloaded the funnel template. You posted more. You started that email list. You even made a lead magnet (bless).


But… the results didn’t come.


And naturally, you start thinking:


“Maybe I’m just not good at this.”“Maybe marketing isn’t my thing.”“Maybe I need a new platform. Or a new tool. Or a new personality.”

But here’s the thing:

You’re doing the right work — just at the wrong time.


Most businesses don’t fail at execution. They struggle because they’re implementing strategies designed for a different business stage.


The 3 Stages of Business (and the right strategy for each)

To help my clients make sense of this, I use a simple 3-stage model. It’s not fancy, but it works.


1. Build

This is where you’re laying the foundation, your message, your offer, your customer clarity.

Your focus should be on connection, not conversion.

You don’t need a funnel. You need clarity.


What works here:

  • Consistent, human content

  • Networking and relationship-building

  • Messaging you can actually repeat (without waffling)


What doesn’t:

  • Paid ads

  • Complex automations

  • SEO deep dives before you’ve even tested your offer


2. Optimise

You’ve got some traction. People are paying attention... maybe even paying you.

Now you’re refining what works and fixing what doesn’t.

Your job here is to streamline and stabilise.


What works:

  • Onboarding systems

  • Nurture emails

  • Repurposing content, not creating from scratch every day


What doesn’t:

  • Random growth hacks

  • Team expansion without a process

  • Making things fancier instead of more effective


3. Scale

Now that your backend is solid and your message is proven, you’re ready to turn up the volume.


What works:

  • Paid campaigns with clear follow-through

  • Delegating content creation or operations

  • Investing in amplification strategies


What doesn’t:

  • Staying in reactive mode

  • Treating scaling like "just doing more"

  • Hiring a freelancer to “fix it” without a clear plan


What this looks like in the wild


Here are a few strategy-stage mismatches I see all the time:

  • A founder spending €2,000 on Facebook ads… for an offer they can’t explain in one sentence

  • A marketing lead burning out on content because there’s no campaign structure — just constant posting

  • Someone building a 7-email nurture sequence that leads… nowhere


It’s not that these things are wrong.

They’re just wrong right now.


It’s not a lack of strategy. It’s a “this strategy belongs to someone else’s business” problem.

What to do instead


You don’t need to do more. You need to do the right thing for where you are.


Start by asking:

  • Where is my business really at? (Be honest.)

  • What’s the next most useful thing to focus on?

  • What am I doing just because I think I “should”?


Focus on alignment. Not what’s trending, not what someone else did. Just: what actually fits you right now.


That’s where traction starts. That’s where clarity lives.


Want help figuring it out?


If this episode hit a nerve — that’s a good thing. It means you’re ready to stop guessing.

You can read more about this in my latest article: Why Your Marketing Strategy Feels Off (and What to Do Instead)


And if you want to shortcut the process, book a Strategy Session. We’ll figure out your business stage, what to prioritise, and what to stop wasting time on.



Thanks for listening — and if this helped, share it with someone who’s stuck in marketing overwhelm.


See you next time.

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