Marketing can sometimes feel like shouting into the void—and then obsessing over how many people heard you. Likes, followers, impressions… they’re easy to see, easy to count, and tempting to fixate on. But here’s the hard truth: just because a post garnered 500 likes doesn’t mean it moved the needle for your business.

Small business owners can easily fall into this trap, mistaking vanity metrics for real results. It’s not that engagement isn’t useful—it’s that engagement alone doesn’t pay the bills. To understand if your marketing is working, it’s important to focus on metrics that connect to your business goals.

When most people hear the word brand, they think logo. Or maybe a colour palette or a fancy tagline. But branding isn’t just what your business looks like; it’s the sum of how people experience it. 

That means yes, your logo matters. But so does how you answer the phone, how easy your website feels to navigate, the tone of your emails, and even how quickly you reply to a message. Your brand is the impression people walk away with after interacting with your business. If that impression isn’t clear, consistent, and positive, you risk being overlooked—or worse, forgotten.

In marketing, consistency and creativity often are at odds with one another. Consistency says, ‘stick with the plan,’ while creativity shouts, ‘let’s shake things up.’ While many people lean one way or the other, it’s important to find balance. 

Think of it like cooking: consistency is the reliable recipe that produces the same delicious meal each time, while creativity is the unexpected ingredient that keeps things exciting. Too much of one without the other and you end up with either bland repetition or a confusing jumble.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re ‘ticking off marketing’ with a social media post, quick email blast, or sale, you’re in good company. Small business owners are the masters of action—always moving, always juggling. The problem is, marketing activity alone doesn’t equal marketing strategy. 

It’s a common trap: we equate busyness with effectiveness. Posting often, handing out discounts, or throwing money at ads doesn’t guarantee you’ll grow the business the way you want to. That’s because those are tactics. And while tactics are important, they only work when they’re anchored in a bigger plan—your strategy.