Scene: Quarterly Marketing Review. The CMO leans forward, looking at the dashboards displayed on the screen. “Okay, team, walk me through the last quarter. We’ve been pushing hard, but the numbers aren’t there. What’s going on?”

• “Well,” someone from the content team starts, “we’ve been churning out content like crazy! We’re using ChatGPT to generate 100 blog posts a month!”
• “And we’re building brand awareness!” another voice pipes up. “We’ve started a podcast, just like everyone said we should!”
• “We’re driving traffic!” the paid ads specialist adds. “We’re running campaigns on every platform and targeting every possible keyword!”
• “And we’re generating leads!” someone from marketing ops chimes in. “We created a webinar and gated the content, just like the playbook says!”

The CMO looks around the room. Heads are nodding. Everyone’s been busy. Everyone’s been following the latest trends. But the leads? The revenue? Nowhere to be found. Sounds familiar?

We’ve all been there. We’re bombarded with new tactics, new platforms, new strategies. It’s tempting to try them all, to jump on every bandwagon, to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.

So, what’s going wrong? Why is it so hard to get marketing right?

Doing Everything, Getting Nothing Done

• Tactic-Centric Thinking: We become obsessed with individual marketing tactics, losing sight of the overall strategy. We focus on how we’re doing something rather than why. We might be great at running social media ads, but if those ads aren’t aligned with our business goals or target audience, they’re not effective.
• Spray and Pray Approach: We launch campaigns because we committed 200 leads to sales. Not when we have nailed the product value proposition, audience research and key messaging. We “do” email marketing to everyone on our list and  post on LinkedIN without considering how to customize for the channel. Because let’s face it, it’s “free”. And we need to look busy.
• Automation Over Authenticity: Oh yes, AI automation. The promise of speed, automation and efficiency (read: fewer people needed in your team). Rampant automation of marketing tactics has impacted authenticity and genuine human connection. We send generic emails, create robotic social media posts, and use chatbots that sound like, well, robots. This can alienate our audience and damage our brand.

Marketing Done Right, Not Just Right Now

Let’s contrast the previous example with a B2B SaaS company that adopted a strategic approach:

• Content Marketing with a Purpose: Instead of churning out generic blog posts, they created in-depth, valuable content that addressed the specific pain points of their ideal customers. They focused on long-form guides, case studies, and thought leadership pieces that established them as experts in their industry. (Companies like SEMRush have built a massive following through their insightful content that educates and empowers their audience.)
• Podcasting for Connection: They launched a podcast that featured interviews with industry leaders and discussions on relevant trends. Instead of just chasing downloads, they focused on creating high-quality content that fostered engagement and built a community. (Check out Salesforce’s podcasts that cater to different segments of their audience, providing valuable insights and fostering a sense of community.)
• Paid Media with Precision: They used paid media to target their ideal customers with laser-like accuracy. They focused on specific demographics, job titles, and company sizes, and they used compelling ad copy and visuals to attract the right people. 
• Webinars with Value: They hosted webinars that provided valuable insights and actionable advice to their target audience. Instead of just using webinars to generate leads, they focused on delivering high-quality content that helped their audience solve their problems.

This company understood that marketing tactics are only effective when they’re part of a larger strategy. They focused on providing value to their audience, building relationships, and establishing themselves as a trusted resource. As a result, they generated high-quality leads, increased their brand awareness, and achieved significant business growth.

What’s the takeaway for us marketers?

What do I actually do differently on Monday morning?”

• Strategy, not just stuff: It’s not enough to just do a bunch of marketing things. Every tactic needs to ladder up to a bigger marketing strategy. Think of it like this: are you just throwing darts, or are you aiming for a bullseye?
  
• Targeting is EVERYTHING: Forget the “spray and pray” approach. Those days are over. We need to be super precise about who we’re trying to reach. It’s about finding your ideal customer persona and speaking their language, not shouting at everyone and hoping someone listens.
  
• Be human, not a robot: Automation is cool and all, but let’s not forget that we’re talking to actual people. Authenticity matters. Ditch the generic marketing messages and find ways to connect with your audience on a real level. Be helpful, be valuable, be… well, be yourself!
  
• Measure what really matters: Stop obsessing over those typical marketing metrics that don’t tell the whole story. We need to move beyond just counting things like MQLs and start looking at overall funnel quality and efficiency. Are we attracting the right leads? Are they moving through the marketing funnel smoothly? Also, let’s stop dismissing anything that can’t be directly attributed to a dollar sign. That new podcast you’re doing with a client, or that awesome how-to guide you shared freely with prospects – those things go a long way in establishing trust and credibility, even if you can’t immediately tie them to revenue.

In a nutshell? Your customers are tired. Don’t try to impress them with lots of marketing. Be authentic, solve their problems, and while you’re at it, make them look good.