There is no shortage of marketing advice. A lot of it sounds impressive. Very little of it is practical – especially for smaller businesses or those with modest budgets.
After working with Maine businesses for many years, I’ve noticed a steady constant – the problem usually isn’t a lack of ideas. The problems are small habits that quietly undermine progress.
They don’t feel dramatic.
They don’t feel wrong in the moment.
But, over time, not only do these behaviors not produce results desired, they actually stall potential growth.
This one is subtle, but one of the most common things I run into with new clients.
We all assume our preferences are universal. If we hate email, we don’t email our customers. We don’t like social media, so we don’t post on social platforms. If we hate reading explanations, we don’t include explanations.
But your customers are not you.
Your job isn’t to create marketing that feels good to you. It’s to create messaging that makes sense to the people you’re trying to reach.
If your audience reads newsletters, write them.
If they want testimonials, give them.
When they need reassurance before hiring you, provide it.
Stop filtering your strategy through your own habits.
Oh, this is a big pet peeve of mine. Landing on a website, and there’s lots of things happening – flashing, sliding, fade-outs – but what does this business do. If someone lands on your website and can’t figure out what you do in five seconds, you’ve already lost them.
Clarity beats clever every time.
You don’t need clever taglines or poetic phrasing that sounds impressive but explains nothing. You need plain language that a real person understands immediately.
Clarity builds trust. Confusion erodes it.
Here’s the rub – real effective marketing efforts are not exciting. Some days, honestly, they might not even be interesting (to you). Consistency is not exciting. It doesn’t feel creative. It doesn’t feel bold.
It just feels repetitive. That’s the point.
Trust is actually built through this repetition, not bursts of energy. It’s built through showing up, time and again. If your marketing only shows up when you feel inspired, it will never compound.
Steady beats flashy. Every time.
People can feel when something is written to impress instead of connect.
You don’t need inflated language. You don’t need buzzwords. You don’t need to “leverage strategic solutions to maximize outcomes.” Yes, I read that yesterday on a website, and it’s six words of absolute drivel.
You need to sound like yourself. Your brand needs to develop its own voice – a voice that people will come to recognize and trust. And by the way:
Professional does not mean stiff.
Clear does not mean boring.
Human does not mean unqualified.
In fact, the more your messaging sounds like a real person, the easier it is for people to relate to and understand. This makes it easier for them to remember you and trust you.
When everything sounds polished and generic, everything starts sounding the same. And when everything sounds the same, people stop paying attention.
This is a very easy trap to fall into, especially for newer businesses or for those MacGyvers of a trade who can do everything (doesn’t mean you should). Trying to be everything feels safe.
It isn’t.
When you try to appeal to everyone, you dilute your authority. When you get specific about what you do well, you become easier to understand and easier to hire.
Confidence is specific. Vagueness is forgettable.
You don’t grow by expanding outward in every direction. You grow by owning your lane.
Trust is created through building a relationship, clarity, and proof. It’s built by answering questions before they’re asked. It is built by showing up when you’re not selling anything.
If every interaction is transactional, people tune out.
I was looking at a website the other day and one of the team bios was actually a sales pitch! It turned from talking about this person’s experience (which is what I wanted to know about before I entrusted them) to, “come on by and see for yourself how great they are…!” I was turned off immediately.
I see websites and social media posts all the time that are selling up front, immediately, and hard. It’s a bad long-term strategy.
The businesses that win are the ones that educate, are consistent, and allow the connection to develop naturally. The strongest brands aren’t the loudest – they’re the most reliable.
Trends are tempting. They create an illusion of importance, of relevance.
But if a trend doesn’t help explain what you do, solve a problem, or build trust, it’s a distraction. All marketing efforts must support your message or help your customer.
You don’t need to go viral. You need to be understood.
The most effective marketing is often the simplest – answer the questions people already have.
Safe feels professional, but in reality it’s forgettable.
The businesses that stand out are clear about who they are. Not exaggerated. Not performative. Just real.
Your business should sound like a real person stands behind it. Because one does.
Most marketing problems are not strategy problems. They are clarity problems. Discipline problems. Consistency problems.
I’m sorry, but there is no revolutionary tactic. This may shock some people – what you need to do is stop undermining your own message.
Clear beats clever.
Steady beats sporadic.
Honest beats exaggerated.
These are all fixable! If you’re tired of spinning your wheels or second-guessing every move, it might not be that you need something new. You might just need to find your voice in what you’re already trying to say.