If your marketing to do list looks like an all you can eat buffet – socials, emails, reels, SEO, networking, podcasts – and you’re still not seeing results, you’re not the only one.
Small business owners everywhere are over feeling overwhelmed and wondering why all that effort isn’t paying off.
You’re not bad at marketing. You’re just full.
Too much on your plate, not enough clarity on what’s actually feeding your business.
Let’s look at what’s really going on behind that marketing bloat, and how to reset before you lose your appetite altogether.
Free guide: Why your marketing isn’t working (and how to fix it)
If this already sounds too familiar, grab the free guide to find out where your marketing’s struggling. . . and what to do about it.
1. You’re full on activity, but light on direction
You’re posting, emailing, tweaking and creating, but to what end?
If you can’t answer why you’re doing something, chances are it’s busywork dressed as progress.
It’s like piling your plate with everything that looks good – a bit of this, a bit of that – then realising nothing actually goes together.
Try this: Strip it back. Pick one clear focus this month.
2. You’re following someone else’s recipe
You’ve seen what everyone else is doing – carousels, reels, seven day challenges – and you’ve jumped in too.
But what works for someone else might not be the right thing for your brand, your business, your audience…or your sanity.
Try this: Ask, “Would my ideal customer actually care about this?” If the answer’s no, scrape it off the plate.
3. You’ve forgotten to taste your own food
If you’re churning out posts just to keep up, your content’s probably lost its flavour.
You wouldn’t eat the same meal every day, so why serve your audience the same thing week after week?
Try this: Add a little freshness. Change your format, update your tone, tell a story. If it feels fun again, you’re on the right track.
4. You’re skipping the good stuff
You’re spending all your time on social, but ignoring the things that actually build results – email lists, product storytelling, customer follow-ups.
It’s like filling up on starters and forgetting the main course.
Try this: Check where your real results come from. Do more of that instead of nibbling everywhere else.
5. You’re running on fumes
If marketing feels like one more thing you “should” be doing, you’ve hit the burnout zone.
No amount of posting or tweaking will help if you’re running on empty.
Try this: Step back. Breathe. Your marketing doesn’t need more effort, it needs more focus.
The simple truth about marketing
When your marketing’s full on, you stop enjoying it. You lose focus, waste energy, and start to wonder if it’s worth it.
The fix isn’t doing more – it’s figuring out what’s working and what’s not.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start seeing what’s really happening, grab my free guide: Why your marketing isn’t working (and how to fix it)
It’ll help you pinpoint where your marketing’s not working, why it’s happening, and what to focus on next – without adding more to your plate.
Resources you’ll love
Marketing Strategy Toolkit: Build a simple, clear plan that works for your business.
You’re Not the Only One: Real small business chats about marketing, mindset and growth.
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