The Easiest Way to Make Your Marketing Effective

Well, in this article, I will explain how answering three basic yet very important questions will make every single spaghetti, macaroni, or whatever noodle you throw at the wall STICK!

I’m sorry! You will be disappointed if you’re reading this and expecting me to reveal my grandmother’s secret spaghetti sauce recipe.

But if you are looking for the easiest way to make your marketing effective and efficient, you’re in the right place because I’m about to give you my three-question secret formula!

Table of contents

Where to Start

Look… I own a small business, too. I know running a small business can be quite a burden. Managing everything from marketing to payroll, sales, delivery, customers, etc., can be difficult.

When businesses feel pressured to boost sales, they often rush headfirst into marketing because their sales pipeline depends on generating good leads.

And so, the all-too-familiar marketing cycle begins:

Find a person or a marketing agency, listen to their pitch, and if it sounds good, hire them. If the leads start coming in, great! But if they don’t, quickly fire them and move on to the next person or marketing company, hoping you’ll get it right now.

Now, if you find the right marketing guy or agency that delivers the leads you need, fantastic – you’re in the clear for a while. But all too often, businesses struggle with either not getting enough leads or paying far too much for the ones they do get.

The result?

Marketing becomes a revolving door of trial and error, frustration, and wasted resources, and – the spaghetti you throw at the wall doesn’t stick!

So, here’s the thing: I’ve always believed in doing things right from the get-go.

So, when answering the question, “Where do I start with marketing?” my answer is simple: Don’t rush into marketing just for the sake of “doing marketing.”

Instead, take the time necessary to do the groundwork, the research that will set your marketing up for success.

This is where my secret formula comes into play. It’s not about jumping into tactics or campaigns right away; it’s about laying the foundation for effective marketing.

The Purpose of a Business from a Marketing Perspective

Ok, one last thing before I give you my marketing spaghetti recipe.

You could scroll down, but hang with me for a second.

From a marketing perspective, the purpose of a business is crystal clear:

TO GENERATE AND RETAIN CUSTOMERS

This is the heartbeat of any successful company and is the primary goal of every marketing effort. If your marketing isn’t bringing in customers and helping you keep them, something’s off.

So, marketing is not just about getting people through the door (or onto your website); it’s about ensuring they stick around. That means attracting the right customers and creating enough value and engagement that they keep coming back for more.

If your marketing efforts aren’t driving new customers or helping you retain the ones you have, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

Remember, marketing is more than just flashy campaigns or a few ads here and there to say, “You’re doing marketing. ” It’s the lifeline that sustains your customer base. And without customers, there’s no business.

So, if your marketing isn’t working as you want it to, it’s worth taking a step back and reassessing your approach. At the end of the day, if your marketing isn’t generating and retaining customers, it’s not doing its job.

Three Questions You Need to Answer to Make Your Marketing Effective

Ah… finally, the three questions you’ve been waiting for.

When marketing, three simple yet over-overlooked questions that, when answered, can make or break your entire strategy:

WHO?
HOW?
WHAT?

Now, these seem simple, but you will be surprised how many businesses skimp over these questions. Don’t research; instead, jump straight into the marketing part.

I’ll also tell you that you’ll be even more surprised at how many marketing agencies will do the tiniest amount of work to find this out and then start running your ads or whatever you hired them to do.

So forgive me if I take a bit of time here to discuss some of the mistakes small businesses should avoid:

Assuming You Already Know Your Audience Without Surveys: Many companies make the mistake of thinking they already know who their product or service applies to. This is often because it’s obvious. But if you keep reading, you’ll see when I ask, “WHO?” I am not asking, “Who could benefit?” or “Who is it for?” or “Who can we sell it to?” or many of the common questions you hear. No, I’m asking WHO WILL BUY IT. And if you never ask, you’ll never know. This assumption can lead you down the wrong path without conducting surveys or gathering actual data.

Believing Your Product is for “Everyone”: I’m not trying to offend anyone here but too many small businesses tell me their product or service is for EVERYONE. Or “Anybody that wants to __________.” While it might be true that anyone could benefit from your service or product, it’s almost always more effective to niche down and target a specific audience. By narrowing your focus, you’ll create a stronger connection with the people most likely to buy.

Skipping Proper Research: This one is obvious, and as I discussed above, many companies need to do more than just the research step. It is critical to take the time to conduct thorough research and surveys. Too often, businesses rush into marketing without having the correct data, which leads to poorly targeted campaigns that don’t resonate with their audience.

Half-Hearted Research: Even if you do the research, skimping on it or not digging deep enough can be just as bad as not doing it at all. You need to ensure your research provides the correct answers—answers that will effectively guide your marketing decisions.