Why Your Marketing Isn't Working (Brutal Honest Assessment)

You’re spending money on marketing. You’re posting on social media. You’re running ads. You have a website.

And nothing’s happening.

No leads. No calls. No pipeline. Just spend.

This is one of the most common problems I see in small businesses. And the causes are almost always one of seven things.

Here’s the brutal honest assessment.

Problem 1: No Clear Positioning

Symptom: Your marketing sounds like everyone else in your industry.

The issue: You’re trying to appeal to everyone, so you appeal to no one. Your messaging is generic. Your differentiation is unclear. Prospects can’t tell why they should choose you.

Common phrases that signal this problem:

• “We’re a full-service agency…”
• “We provide quality solutions…”
• “We’re passionate about helping businesses…”

None of these say anything. None of them differentiate.

The fix:

1. Define who you’re for (specific customer, not “anyone who needs…“)
2. Define what problem you solve (specific outcome)
3. Define how you’re different (why you, not competitor)

Answer this: “We help [specific customer] to [specific outcome] by [unique approach].”

If you can’t fill in those blanks clearly, you have a positioning problem.

Problem 2: Measuring the Wrong Things

Symptom: Your reports show “success” but business isn’t growing.

The issue: You’re tracking vanity metrics — impressions, followers, page views — instead of business metrics — leads, conversion, revenue.

Example:

“Our website traffic is up 50%!”

“How many leads did that traffic generate?”

“…We don’t track that.”

The fix:

Track what matters:

If you can’t connect marketing activity to business outcomes, you’re flying blind.

Problem 3: Inconsistent Execution

Symptom: Marketing happens in bursts, then stops.

The issue: You post heavily for a month, then nothing for three months. You run ads when you remember. Content is sporadic.

Marketing compounds. Inconsistency resets the progress.

Why it happens:

• Marketing is nobody’s dedicated job
• No content calendar or schedule
• Chasing new tactics before finishing old ones
• Getting discouraged by slow results and stopping

The fix:

1. Set a sustainable rhythm (what can you do every week for 12+ months?)
2. Assign ownership (whose job is marketing?)
3. Create a calendar and stick to it
4. Show up consistently, even when results are slow

Consistency is more important than intensity.

Problem 4: Wrong Channels for Your Audience

Symptom: Lots of activity, no engagement.

The issue: You’re marketing where your customers aren’t. Instagram for B2B enterprise. LinkedIn for consumer products. Facebook for Gen Z.

Example:

A B2B consultancy spending £2,000/month on Instagram ads. Their buyers are CFOs and COOs who barely use Instagram. Months of spend, zero leads.

The fix:

1. Research where your actual customers spend time
2. Ask new customers: “Where did you first hear about us?”
3. Focus on 1–2 channels your audience actually uses
4. Cut channels that don’t match your buyer profile

It’s better to be excellent on one right channel than mediocre on five wrong ones.

Problem 5: Budget Too Thin Across Too Many Things

Symptom: You’re doing SEO, PPC, social, email, content, and PR — all on £3,000/month.

The issue: Each channel gets so little investment that none can work properly.

£500/month for SEO won’t move the needle. £400/month in Google Ads burns through in days with no learning. £300 for content produces nothing significant.

The fix:

The 2–3 rule: Focus on 2–3 channels maximum.

Put enough budget into each to make a difference:

If you can’t fund a channel properly, don’t fund it at all. Concentrate budget where it can work.

Problem 6: Your Website Doesn’t Convert

Symptom: You’re driving traffic, but no one takes action.

The issue: Your website gets visitors, but they leave without contacting you. The traffic is there; the conversion isn’t.

Common website problems:

• No clear call-to-action (what should visitors do?)
• Too much friction (long forms, confusing navigation)
• No trust signals (testimonials, case studies, credentials)
• Slow loading (3+ seconds = visitors leave)
• Not mobile-optimised (50%+ of traffic is mobile)
• Value proposition unclear (what do you do and for whom?)

The fix:

1. Check your conversion rate (leads ÷ visitors). Below 2%? Problem confirmed.
2. Add clear CTAs on every page
3. Simplify forms (name + email + message is enough)
4. Add trust signals (client logos, testimonials, reviews)
5. Test page speed (Google PageSpeed Insights)
6. Watch session recordings (Hotjar) to see where people drop off

Traffic without conversion is wasted money.

Problem 7: No Strategy, Just Tactics

Symptom: Marketing feels random. Things happen without clear purpose.

The issue: You’re doing marketing activities without knowing why. Post on social because you “should.” Run ads because competitors do. Create content without goals.

Activity without strategy = wasted effort.

Signs of this problem:

• Can’t explain why you’re on each channel
• No clear goals for the quarter
• Different team members have different ideas of success
• No connection between marketing and business objectives

The fix:

Before any tactics, answer:

1. Who are we trying to reach? (Specific customer)
2. What do we want them to do? (Specific action)
3. Why should they choose us? (Specific differentiation)
4. How will we reach them? (Channels)
5. How will we know it’s working? (Metrics)

Document this. Review quarterly. Tie tactics to strategy.

The Self-Diagnosis Checklist

Rate yourself 1–5 on each (1 = major problem, 5 = strong):

Score 28–35: You’re in good shape. Optimise what’s working.

Score 21–27: Some gaps to address. Prioritise the lowest scores.

Score 14–20: Significant problems. Stop adding new activities. Fix fundamentals.

Score below 14: Start over with strategy. Stop spending until foundations are fixed.

Where to Start

If multiple problems apply:

1. First: Fix positioning (nothing else works without it)
2. Second: Fix measurement (can’t improve what you can’t track)
3. Third: Fix conversion (don’t drive traffic to a broken site)
4. Fourth: Fix channel focus (concentrate resources)
5. Fifth: Fix consistency (show up reliably)
6. Sixth: Fix strategy (connect activities to goals)

Don’t try to fix everything at once. Pick the biggest problem. Solve it. Move to the next.

FAQ

How do I know which problem is hurting me most?

Look at where the funnel breaks. Traffic but no leads = conversion problem. No traffic = channel or content problem. Traffic and leads but no sales = positioning or targeting problem.

Should I stop all marketing while I fix problems?

Stop ineffective marketing. Keep what’s clearly working. Don’t throw money at broken activities, but don’t stop everything if some channels are producing results.

How long to fix these problems?

Positioning: 2–4 weeks to clarify. Measurement: 1–2 weeks to set up. Website conversion: 4–8 weeks to test and improve. Strategy: 2–4 weeks to document.

What if we don’t have budget to fix everything?

Start with free fixes: positioning, strategy, measurement. Then prioritise paid fixes based on impact.

When should we hire help vs. fix ourselves?

Fix positioning and strategy yourself (you know your business). Get help for execution (SEO, ads, design) and for honest external assessment.

Related: Digital Marketing for Small Business UK | The £10k Marketing Mistake Most Small Businesses Make | Vanity Metrics Are Lying to You