Watch & Learn: Quick, Practical Marketing Tips

Just because a marketing strategy worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. Not because it’s bad. Not because you’re doing it wrong. But because it might be meant for a different stage of business entirely. I see this all the time: → Scaling strategies in build mode → Optimisation tactics in survival mode → Random content with no offer (but 30 hashtags and a Canva template) If your backend is duct-taped together, your lead magnet has no follow-up, and you’re still not clear on what makes your offer stand out, scaling isn't the move. Clarity is. Strategy-stage mismatch is real, and it’s one of the biggest reasons good marketing efforts fall flat. I recorded a short podcast about it this week if you're curious. It’s on Spotify now. But if you take one thing from this post, match your marketing to where your business actually is. Not where Instagram says it should be.

In a recent strategy session, my client mentioned they’d seen another business see great results by improving their after-sales process, and thought maybe they should do the same. Totally valid instinct. But I wanted to pause and unpack it. Because jumping on a tactic just because it worked for someone else? That’s a fast track to burnout and scattered results. And I felt the need to share how we unpacked this in a video, because it’s actually really valuable if you’re trying to be more intentional with your marketing. Here’s what we looked at: The true impact of the tactic. Both the upside and the hidden costs Whether it directly supports the goals we’ve already committed to. What “doing it well” would look like, and if it’s even the right time for it. Small businesses don’t have the luxury of throwing spaghetti at the wall. Every yes is a no to something else. So let’s make sure the things we say yes to are worth it.

If your ads aren’t converting, the answer isn’t always “write better ads.” Sometimes, it’s about looking at what the analytics are actually telling you and letting that guide your content decisions. A client came to me with a campaign that, on the surface, looked solid. Meta was reporting great engagement, they had plenty of clicks and interest. But when we looked at the actual results? Nothing. No demo requests coming through. So we zoomed out and looked at both the Meta data and the website analytics. That’s when it clicked. The ad content was attracting people who were still in research mode. Curious, yes, but definitely not ready to book a demo. What made it worse was that the landing jumped straight to “book a demo”. That’s a disconnect. And it’s the kind of thing analytics can show you… if you’re paying attention. So we rewrote the landing page to offer value and answer the questions people actually had at that stage. We kept the lead magnet, but shifted the entire campaign objective from lead gen to engagement. And we changed the metric we cared about most: not just form fills, but time on page. Because if they’re reading and sticking around, the message is landing. That’s what the analytics told us to focus on. Bottom line? If you want better results, look at the data.

If you want to grow your revenue, it really just comes down to three things: Growing your market size Increasing your market share
Improving your profit margin I call it the Revenue Growth Framework, and it’s a handy way to figure out where to focus if you’re trying to grow your business.

We talk so much about quality vs quantity, but I think we’re asking the wrong question. It’s not about how much content you make, or how polished it looks.
It’s about quantity vs impact. Because when we chase “quality,” most people stop thinking about the message…
 …and start thinking about the production. And suddenly, “I want to help my audience” turns into
“I can’t post this, it doesn’t look professional enough.” That mindset? It’s stopping way too many small business owners from showing up.
 Not because they don’t have something valuable to say—
but because they think it doesn’t count if it isn’t pretty. So here’s your reminder: Impact isn’t about editing.
Value isn’t measured in pixels.
And fancy content isn’t the same as good content. Your challenge?
Make the content anyway.
Say the helpful thing. Even if it’s messy. Especially if it’s real.

Before we get into how to define your audience, let’s pause and take a moment to understand why you need to understand our audience so well. Remember, to build a brand (which is the aim of the steps in this series), you need to give your audience a brand that they can connect with and will want to engage with. Sharing content that addresses your audience's interests and challenges, which is guided by your customer personas, and that is aligned with your brand, is a great place to start!

Let’s talk a bit about core values and how to define your company’s core values.   P.S. Have a look at my website to download the detailed workbook I created with activities to help you define your core values and enhance your brand's presence on social media.

In case you missed my last article, here’s a quick look at The Impact Vortex. It’s a practical tool that helps you avoid the overuse of industry jargon that leads to audience desensitisation, and dig deeper to truly understand and articulate the value that your business offers. It’s not only effective, but it’s also surprisingly easy to implement!