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Rethink Marketing: A Wake-Up Call for Small Business

If you own or lead a small to mid-sized (SMB) B2B business, odds are you’re feeling the tension between needing to do more marketing and the nagging feeling that it’s not working so – why would I add resources here?

Marketing feels broken. You’re spending time and money on people, consultants, software, automation, content, SEO, video… and still, leads only trickle in.

Meanwhile, tariffs are rattling supply chains. Talent is more available than it’s been in years. And AI rewrites business every day. So, what’s the answer?

It’s not another consultant or agency.

It’s not another post.

It’s not more hustle.

It’s a strategic reset  — getting back to the basics – to find your positioning and think opportunistically about marketing.

We’ve Mistaken Activity for Progress

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most small and mid-sized businesses I meet don’t have a marketing strategy – and in most cases marketing is no longer essential in their business. They have tactics stitched together by urgency, suggestions, and trends.

These businesses tend to run campaigns without clarity. Posting on LinkedIn without a plan. Launching websites that don’t align with positioning. And chasing leads that were never going to convert or require a lot of energy to win.

The solution? Step back. Zoom out.

This isn’t failure — it’s leadership. And it’s the only sane way forward in competitive markets full of noise.

Here’s what it looks like in practice:

  1. Know What’s Really Going On

Let your competitive advantages, strengths and customer needs guide your positioning and strategy. Your marketing isn’t just a reflection of your brand (reputation) – it’s a response to your environment. Today’s environment in Michigan is unpredictable and changing:

  • Tariffs are altering customer pricing expectations.
  • The opportunity to shift from general automotive to electric vehicles, aerospace or to be highly specialized.
  • AI is shifting how customers discover, research, and buy.
  • Employer leverage is back — which impacts your internal brand and culture messaging.

If your marketing plan hasn’t changed in 3 years, it’s outdated. You’re speaking to a customer that doesn’t exist anymore.

So, start fresh. Research. Talk to your best clients. Understand your competitors. Watch what’s happening across your industry.

  1. Clarify What Makes You Different — Then Market That

Digital agencies and AI can write your social posts (but only halfway) but can’t define your brand, value propositions and positioning.

This is the single biggest problem – Businesses bypass strategy and positioning, and go straight to execution.

Your advantage — what makes your brand the obvious choice — must be:

  • Clear
  • Defensible
  • Bring value to your customer
  • Consistent across every touchpoint (not just your website)

Without this no amount of marketing budget will work for long. Marketing becomes expensive noise.

Ask yourself: What do we do better than anyone else — and how do we prove it in our messaging?

  1. Align Marketing Activities with Sales Goals

It’s easy to sold on execution without a destination.

Stop before you hire the next agency to “do content.” Or try out ads “to see what happens.”

Marketing isn’t an experiment — it’s an investment. And investments need ROI.

Linking your marketing plan directly to your business model and sales pipeline is crucial which means:

  • Choosing only the marketing activities and content that support your revenue goals
  • Matching tactics to your buyer’s journey (build a sales funnel)
  • Prioritizing what’s proven, not just what’s trending
  • Being realistic about time, budget, and internal capabilities. Marketing requires a team with a strategic thinker, a project manager, a writer, a designer and a coordinator. Noone ONE person does this all – effectively. This doesn’t mean 5FTEs. This means a coordinated effort with existing team members with these skills.
  1. Stop Measuring the Wrong Things

A million impressions and 1 sale is not a win. Measure what matters:

  • How many real leads did this campaign generate?
  • Did your last email bring in calls, not just clicks?
  • What’s the cost per qualified lead?
  • Do the quote request we’re getting fit within our best and high-margin capabilities?

You Don’t Need More Marketing — You Need Effective Marketing

Let’s be honest: It’s overwhelming. Between new tech, trends, and trying to stand out in a sea of sameness, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing more just to keep up.

More isn’t better. Better is better.

And “better” starts with stepping back.

Let go of scattered efforts.

Starting today.

A Michigan Moment & Invitation

Michigan businesses are some of the most resilient and resourceful in the country. We’re not flashy. We’re not fake. We’re real builders solving real problems for real people.

And that’s exactly why this is the perfect moment to pause — not because you’re failing, but because you’re smart enough to know that the world has just changed.

It’s not about catching up anymore. It’s about realigning.

So breathe. Bring your team together. And start again — this time with a strategy and give your sales momentum.

You’re invited! B2B Michigan businesses (<500 employees) are welcome to join me during free virtual monthly marketing 10-person roundtables aimed at colleagues sharing together. Learn more about topics, the rules (no selling!) and who qualifies. Limited seats – Sign up www.marketingdepartmentinc.com/rountables.

By Karyn Olsson

CEO, Marketing Department, Inc.

Author, Momentum in Marketing

Plan:
With your strategy and platform in place, it’s time to create a plan. A well-crafted marketing plan aligns your tactics (what you’re doing) with your strategy (what you need to accomplish). It ensures everyone knows what to do, when to do it, who’s responsible, and most importantly, why. You’ll also have a clear understanding of what to measure, what success looks like, and a marketing budget that perfectly aligns with your activities.

Action: 
Now it’s time to take action. Your team can execute the plan with precision, coordination, and integration. Sales and marketing will work in harmony, promoting the same products or services to the same audience. By following the MAPS system, everyone stays aligned, making meetings more effective—and even shorter!

Optimize:
This step is all about monitoring progress, conditions and adjusting course when needed. The team will analyze all aspects of your marketing performance, look at successes and failures, make informed decisions, and follow the data. This step ensures your team maintains focus.

Establish Sales Goals:
Marketing impacts your operations, culture, revenue, service and/or products. Clear goals are crucial. During Segment 1, your team will identify three key sales goals and identify other important goals that are specific to your company. Clear goals will set the direction and create accurate expectations..

Business Intelligence:
Without data, you’re just guessing, and guesswork is not a strategy. By digging into the trends, customer needs and competitors, you’ll gain the insights needed to make smart, calculated decisions. Toward the end of this segment, your team will have a clear idea what your company does better than any competitor and identify the best opportunities now and in the future.

Strategy:
Strategy is your game plan – it is what gives a business momentum. Your strategy, positioning, and messaging become the force behind your marketing efforts—the powerful centerpiece that guides everything you do.

With a clear strategy, you’ll master the art of understanding and creating your unique market positioning while seamlessly aligning your marketing and sales efforts with your company’s goals. Once you have this clarity, you’ll achieve more, faster—riding the wave for greater success.

Platform:
Your brand platform is the foundation your brand needs to build long-term recognition and loyalty.

MAPS will guide the team to develop a cohesive message and visual platform that embodies your company’s identity. The platform shapes how the company is perceived and distinguish you from your competitors so that your business stands out with its own memorable and unique presence in the market. Your platform is tangible and will build recognition, trust and loyalty in your market.