Something’s Off, But You Can’t Say What
We’ve been getting the same kind of call a lot lately.
A client reaches out wanting a marketing audit or just help figuring out what to do next. When we ask what’s not working, the answer usually isn’t very specific. It’s more of a feeling; we’ve been doing the same things for a while, we know we should probably change something, but we’re not sure where to start.
The reasons vary. Sales aren't where they should be. Leads have slowed. Marketing feels stale. Or the rapid pace of AI and digital marketing has people wondering if they're falling behind. There's rarely one obvious problem. It's usually a collection of small issues that have built up over time, leaving people unsure where to begin.
When that call comes in, we don’t start with a full teardown of every message, channel or a rebrand. We start with understanding what they are doing today, what their business strategy is (if they even have one), and then dive into three important questions.
Who is my target audience?
Start here, even if you think you already know the answer. If your audience has changed, or you suspect there are people you’re missing, this is where research earns its keep. You probably don’t need a six-month study or an expensive quantitative survey. Look at what you already know, write down what you don’t, and only then decide how to fill the gaps, whether that means digging through your own data or bringing in outside help. Skip this step and everything downstream is a guess.
What is my message?
Good audience research does double duty; it also tells you why people buy, join, or donate, and just as important, why they don’t. That second half is the one people often skip. Once you know the why, look hard at everything you’re currently saying, your website, your ads, your emails, your social posts, and ask whether it still holds up.
How do I reach them?
This is where those same insights point you toward the right channels, and it’s also where habit does the most damage. Doing something because you’ve always done it, or because a competitor does it, isn’t a strategy. Audiences shift. Competitors shift. The landscape shifts. Maybe your channel mix is still right and just needs adjusting. Maybe it’s time to try something you haven’t: direct mail, an event, a short video series.
If all three at once feels like too much, it is. Take one question per quarter. Even just sitting down with your team and talking through these three, out loud, tends to turn “we should do something” into an actual plan.
You don't have to have all the answers today. But if your marketing feels like it's lost its way, these three questions are a good place to start. They're where we start with our clients, too.