Revisiting: Why Your Marketing Isn’t Working (And What to Do About It)

Marketing is changing fast, but the foundational things that help service-based businesses grow are still the same.

In this Revisiting episode, Kristina talks about some of the biggest reasons marketing efforts fail, including unclear strategy, inconsistent visibility, trying to market everywhere at once, and spending time in the wrong places online.

If your marketing feels frustrating or inconsistent right now, this conversation is still incredibly relevant.

Want more conversations like this? Find Kristina on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@kristinastubblefield

Transcript

Kristina Stubblefield: [00:00:00] The business world and the marketing world are moving fast right now. And for most service-based businesses, marketing is not what you spend all day thinking about. You're probably busy running your business, serving clients, and trying to keep everything moving forward. But here's what I can tell you after talking with business owners every single day.

Even though marketing keeps changing, the foundational things that keep businesses growing are still the same. We've recently passed the milestone of 300 podcast episodes, and during the month of June, I'm pulling a few of my favorite conversations from the archives because these topics are still incredibly relevant today.

So in this episode, we're talking about what's actually stopping your marketing from working. Because if you're trying to grow your business, [00:01:00] get more visibility, and attract the right clients, there may be things holding you back that you just don't even realize. And honestly, some of the biggest marketing problems I see today have nothing to do with effort.

They come from lack of clarity, strategy, and consistency. Okay, ready to jump in? Let's go

Welcome to AI Simplified, the podcast for entrepreneurs, creators, and small business owners who want practical, stress-free ways to use AI in their content and marketing. I'm Kristina Stubblefield, digital marketing strategist and creator of the Pre-Bake the Oven method. Let's simplify AI so you can create faster, show up consistently, and feel confident in your content.

Does marketing feel like a never ending chore? Maybe you start [00:02:00] strong for a few weeks. But then it gets overwhelming, and you just stop altogether. Does that sound familiar? If it does, I'm here to tell you, you're not alone. Most business owners feel stuck in this very cycle. But here's the good news. Today, we're going to talk about why staying consistent is so hard.

And more importantly, how can you finally break that cycle?

By the end, you'll have simple, sustainable strategies to make consistency not only doable, but something you actually enjoy. Yes, I just said enjoy. I've worked with so many entrepreneurs and small business owners over the past 20 years who've struggled with this same problem. In fact, one of my clients went from posting sporadically to following a simple weekly schedule.

And within three [00:03:00] months, they saw a 30 percent increase in engagement and inquiries. And let me tell you, just a few small changes can make a huge difference.

Now, I want to start by talking about what's really going on when we struggle with consistency. A lot of business owners want to show up online, but they don't have a plan. So, they end up posting sporadically or just when they feel inspired. Or worse, they try to do way too much at once. You know, I had a client who was trying to post three times a day, on every platform. Honestly, she made it for about two weeks before giving up completely and you know what? I don't blame her. That's exhausting and completely un ustainable if you [00:04:00] are doing things by yourself. And here's the thing. You don't need to do everything. The key is to start small and manageable.

Pick one platform to start. Maybe it's Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn. Pay attention. You want to pick whatever works best for your business. And commit to posting two to three times a week to start. That's it. When you stay consistent, even at a small scale, you're building momentum. Is that too much? Start with one post a week, but stay consistent.

Now, let's talk about a very familiar term, overwhelm. Because, it's a big one. Have you ever fallen down the rabbit hole? of online marketing advice. [00:05:00] One guru tells you to post videos every day, while another one says you need to focus on blogs. And then someone else comes along and swears by email marketing.

It's confusing, right? I had a client who was constantly jumping from one strategy to the next. She spent so much time and money trying new things. But never stuck with anything long enough to see results. Now the truth, you don't have to do everything. Marketing doesn't need to be complicated. Wait, did I just say that?

Yes, marketing does not need to be complicated. But what you do need is a clear plan that's tailored to your business. Start with one product or service. That you want to focus on. Build your content [00:06:00] around that. It's not about doing more. It's about doing what works.

Alright, I don't know about you, but let's get into the solution. Planning. When you don't have a plan, marketing becomes reactive. You're scrambling to come up with ideas and it feels overwhelming. But, when you take just one hour a month to plan ahead, I'm here to share with you that everything changes.

Here's a simple tip to get started. Print out a blank calendar. Decide on one topic or service to focus on for the month. Then, plan two to three posts a week around that. Let me give you an example. Monday, post a photo or a graphic. Wednesday, share a quick tip or [00:07:00] a story. And if you're going to do three times a week, do one of the previous ones you didn't.

So if on Wednesday you shared a quick tip, then on Friday or Saturday, share a story. And then the best part, repeat. It's all about consistency, not perfection. Alright, let's quickly recap what all we just talked about. Inconsistency happens because of overwhelm, misinformation, and not having a plan. The solution is to start small, simplify your approach, and focus on what works. And most importantly, Commit to a plan that you can actually stick to. Now, to the fun part.

Here's your challenge for the week. Pick one platform and post something. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just take that first [00:08:00] step. 

Thanks for listening to AI Simplified. If today's episode helped you feel more confident using AI in your business, hit follow and leave a five-star review so you never miss what's next. Want to keep learning? Join our private Facebook group where we go deeper, share ideas, and simplify AI together.