How to get marketing back on track without starting from scratch

Are you losing all energy for marketing your business?

It can feel like a right pain in the bum, can’t it?

You’re doing all the things, but it feels overwhelming, thankless and then it ends up being in your to do list for far too long. When this happens, what’s the best way to re-energise your marketing without having to start again from the very beginning?

If you’re not sure whether your marketing needs fixing, a quick marketing reality check can help you see what’s working, what’s getting in the way, and where to put your focus

You don’t always need a fresh start

Most of the time, you don’t need to rip everything up and start again. You need time to pause, simplify, and refocus on what’s going to help you stand out from competitors, encourage sales, and support your business goals.

Calm workspace showing a simpler approach to marketing planning
Sometimes the best next step is to pause, simplify, and refocus.

8 easy ways to get marketing back on track

Before you throw it all out of the window, or put your marketing in the ‘too hard to do’ box, here are a few things worth looking at first.

Tip 1: Stop assuming it’s broken

A dip in energy doesn’t necessarily mean that your marketing isn’t working. Sometimes it just means that you’ve been doing too much of it on your own.

Ask yourself whether you could outsource parts of it, or whether you need a space to brainstorm things through with someone who does this all day (that’s me, by the way!)

Tip 2: Decide what marketing needs to do

What is it you’re trying to achieve from doing all this marketing?

Pick one clear outcome and let everything else wait until later. I always say get one thing working properly first, then you can build from there.

Tip 3: Remove anything that is draining your energy

If there’s a platform or a task that just feels overwhelming, zaps your energy, or makes you want to avoid marketing altogether, it’s not helping you in the long run.

If you can’t sustain it or be consistent with it, then it’s usually better to drop it.

This sort of thing often comes up in mentoring sessions – spotting what’s draining your energy and deciding what to simplify so your marketing feels doable again.

Tip 4: Think about your messaging

If you’re not sure what you’re trying to say, posting more often won’t fix it. In fact, it’s more likely to confuse people.

Getting really clear on your message makes your other marketing easier too.

Marketing ideas and priorities written on notes during a planning session
Clarity often comes from removing what’s draining you, not adding more.

Tip 5: What helps you stand out from competitors?

You don’t need to say more than everyone else. But you do need to say something clearer, more relevant and more you.

If you want a great tip on making your copy stand out, watch this video from Harry Dry and pay attention to the part about swimming lessons.

If standing out feels hard, it’s usually a strategy issue rather than a confidence issue. A bespoke marketing strategy helps clarify what makes you different without reinvesting everything. It works with what you already have and brings focus, priorities, and direction without throwing away all your previous efforts.

Tip 6: Make your marketing feel more human

Explain things simply. Answer real questions. Marketing works best when it sounds like a real person.

AI is great for brainstorming and structure, but make sure you aren’t using it word for word when creating content.

Tip 7: Accept that marketing is hard (and plan for it)

Marketing is hard, especially when you’re not a marketer. It involves decisions, visibility, creativity and confidence.

Give yourself a break and plan with this is mind. It makes it much easier to keep going.

Tip 8: Get an outsiders perspective instead of starting again

Fresh eyes and more than one brain can help you see what’s already working and what’s not getting you results.

Having someone help you decide what to keep, what to change, and what to stop can work wonders.

You’re not behind, you’re just overdue a reset

You don’t need to start again. You just need help getting your marketing back on track.

If you want a clear next step, start with the marketing reality check. And if you want support beyond that, book a discovery call and let’s chat.

Small business owner feeling calmer and more confident about marketing decisions
You’re not behind. You’re just overdue a reset.

Author

  • I’m Gill Bishop - a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. For more than 20 years I’ve been helping food, drink and lifestyle brands figure out how to get noticed, win with retailers and actually sell more stuff.

    Through my business, CherryAid Marketing, I work with everyone from kitchen table start ups, to established manufacturers. Some need a clear marketing strategy, others a category plan that makes sense to retailers, and plenty just want a sounding board who’ll keep them on track (and occasionally nag them into action)!

    I spend a lot of time in supermarkets, spotting what’s working (and what isn’t), pulling out insights and turning them into opportunities for clients. The Chartered Marketer and Fellow badges mean I’ve done the graft to back up the advice, not just years of experience but industry standards too.

    When I’m not working on client projects, you’ll usually find me writing blogs, recording my podcast, or wandering the aisles with my phone out taking photos of products.

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