Why Marketing Can't Fix Confusion

When growth slows, marketing is usually the first place people look.

The website needs refreshing. Social media needs more attention. Maybe it's time for a new campaign. More content. Better SEO. A bigger marketing budget.

Sometimes that's exactly what's needed.

More often, though, I think the problem sits much further upstream.

I've seen practices invest thousands in websites, advertising and content, only to be disappointed with the results. Not because the marketing was poor, but because the practice itself wasn't clear enough in the first place.

Marketing doesn't create clarity. It amplifies whatever is already there.

If your practice has a clear point of view, knows who it's for and can explain why it's different, marketing has something meaningful to work with.

If it doesn't, marketing simply spreads the confusion a little further.

The questions I find myself asking are rarely about channels or campaigns.

Who is the practice really for?

What do you want to become known for?

Why would someone choose you over another practice?

What do you do differently?

Those conversations almost always have a bigger impact than deciding what to post on LinkedIn next Tuesday.

This is why I don't start with marketing.

I start with positioning.

Once that's clear, the messaging becomes easier. The website has a purpose. Marketing becomes more consistent because it's all built on the same thinking.

The strongest practices I've worked with aren't necessarily the ones doing the most marketing.

They're the ones with the clearest point of view.

Everything else follows from that.

Chat soon,

B