Bec Alison is a Small Business Marketing Consultant. In this piece, Bec questions the validity of “one-size-fits-all” advice from marketing experts.
Marketing advice has never been more accessible for small businesses. But is the overflow of advice causing more harm than good, creating more confusion than clarity?
From podcasts to social media, it’s never been easier for business owners to learn from marketing experts. But instead of helping businesses, it often adds pressure to try every strategy or be on every platform.
When that is not always the answer.
Earlier this year, I attended a workshop hosted by a highly respected marketing agency owner who shared her expertise about using TikTok to enhance your personal brand.
The advice she gave was, “Every business should be on TikTok.” With a posting frequency of posting twice a day to help with growing your account.
Whilst her advice was valuable for some businesses, it didn’t take into account the nuances of every business.
It doesn’t consider the business goals, who their customers are and whether they have the resources to create consistent, high-quality content for another platform.
Posting twice a day on TikTok sounds impossible for many small businesses, but when marketing experts make it sound like a nonnegotiable, businesses feel pressured to try it anyway. Adding to the weight of doing “all the things” in an effort to attract customers and grow their business.
The problem with generic advice
The accessibility to marketing advice can empower small businesses with ideas and tools to grow. But it can also lead to feeling paralysed and overwhelmed, especially when the results don’t match the effort.
Following generic advice without considering your business can lead to spreading yourself too thin and wasting resources on strategies that aren’t suited to your goals or customers.
This often happens because there is a lack of a clear marketing strategy.
Why a strategy matters
Most marketing doesn’t work because there is a misalignment, and it comes down to a business not having any strategy in place.
When you have a marketing strategy, you understand your customers, and it helps you determine what marketing will be the most effective so you can meet them where they are instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall.
When you have a strategy you can listen to the experts with clarity. Rather than following it as a rulebook you can use the advice as a guide, making sure to tailor it to your business.
Make sure you’re bringing it back to these key considerations:
- Knowing your customers: Are they on the platform or channel you’re being advised to jump on?
- Assess the investment: Do you have the time, resources and energy to implement another strategy effectively?
- Listen to the data: Your customer’s behaviour and your data will help you determine where to put effort in.
To simplify your marketing, keep these tips in mind:
- Focus on quality over quantity: Doing fewer activities well is far more effective than trying to do everything.
- Be on the platforms that matter: Choose the channels where your customers are most active and engaged.
- Review and refine: Use data to evaluate what’s working and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Marketing is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
It’s about finding what works for you and your audience, ensuring every strategy and platform brings you closer to your business goals, without spreading yourselves too thin.
