Signs your marketing is working against you

Laura Toy
Jan 5
4 min read

SMEs have come to me for help not because they are incapable of marketing, but because they don’t know where to start. They just know something isn’t working and need an outside perspective.

If this is you, this article is all about giving you the telltale signs I see regularly which tell me that your marketing is holding you back. After reading this, you will feel empowered to tackle what matters.

Even if you’re a one-person band, there is no reason why you can’t make small changes from today. DIY doesn’t mean poor quality. Investing your time in marketing can be more valuable than any money you spend. Plus there are plenty of free or low-cost tools available to make this easier to do. Whether it’s repurposing design, analysing data or writing content, there are user-friendly and affordable resources that empower you to take control of your marketing efforts.

But if your marketing is holding you back significantly, a strategic investment may not be a bad idea. And let's face it, it could save you a lot of money in the long run. Not just in marketing, but in building an intimate understanding of how your own business operates.

Before making this decision, here are the signs that your marketing may be holding you back:

Your business growth is stagnant or non existent

Your relying on referral or word-of-mouth

The customer leads you get don’t match your ideal profile

The data shows your marketing isn’t resulting in sales or leads

Your strategy is made up of last minute marketing tactics and lacks purpose

#1 Your business growth is stagnant or non existent

You offer great products and services which you current customers love. You may be seeing steady work or the same familiar faces come in and out of your business but you’re not seeing growth. When you’re an early stage SME, this can be anxiety-inducing if it results in unsustainable income. If no matter what you seem to do the dial isn’t moving, it may be time to reassess your marketing strategy.

Practical tip: If you’re not sure, check your accounts MoM over the last 24 months. Your sign will be if % change is inconsistent, flat or going down.

#2 Your relying on referral or word-of-mouth

Another clear sign your business is as a result of referrals or word-of-mouth. Don’t get me wrong, word-of-mouth is a strong tool and a great sign that your customer experience is worthy of being shared on. And it is also more likely to increase the lifetime value of each customer that comes through the door.

But relying on this to generate all your revenue risks collapse. You're putting all your future sales in the hands of your current customers. This can pile-on stress and dependency to other areas of the business to perform. Not to mention impact the livelihoods of those you’re responsible for paying each month.

Practical tip: Survey your customers on how they found your product / services. This will be your biggest tell.

#3 The customer leads you get don’t match your ideal profile

You've created products or services for a target customer who isn't showing up. You may find yourself talking to clients / customers that don’t seem like the right fit. Or see a drop off when people reach your website. This may be a sign that your messaging isn’t quite right.

Practical tip: Track back on your last 10-20 sales calls, how many of them were a strong fit? Look at your website traffic, what is your drop off % when people get to your website landing page?

#4 The data shows your marketing isn’t resulting in sales or leads

It’s important to not just put the hours into ‘doing’ the marketing work but also measuring how its working. Ideally this needs to be within a marketing strategy that has a clear direction. That way you can identify what is working and what isn’t worth your time and investment to optimise its efforts. If you're not seeing increase in sales, your marketing efforts aren't supporting growth.

Practical tip: Set clear KPIs on your marketing activity to measure from the offset. Look at these against your marketing qualified leads & sales each month. If they’re not moving in the medium term, time to reassess.

#5 Your strategy is made up of last minute marketing tactics and lacks purpose

You’re using allocated business admin time to post on social media 1x a week or send out a weekly email, but every effort feels like you’re reinventing the wheel. This is an amber flag. It should be done without second guessing. A clear purpose-built strategy means that there is method to every post, email, landing page, content and design. If you’re lacking a strategy, you’re lacking conviction to your customers too.