Weekly emails about marketing for designers and builders.

“It's been 4 months and I feel like our marketing isn't working.”

Hello First name / my friend,

 

Earlier this year, my 16-year-old next-door neighbor picked up the violin.

 

At first, it was all clumsy notes and awkward rhythms. He practiced over and over, but progress felt painfully slow—at least to me, hearing it through our apartment walls.

 

I can’t help but wonder: Is he getting better or just making noise? Progressing or spinning his wheels? How long will he keep practicing before deciding it’s not working?

 

Maybe you can relate. Starting something new feels cringe. And when progress isn’t as quick as we’d hoped, it feels like we’re wasting time, money, and energy—maybe even making a fool of ourselves.

 

And that’s what we’re digging into today. (Heads up: This email is longer than usual).

“We've been trying a new marketing strategy for four months, but I feel like it’s not working. I understand it takes time — but how much time is enough to see results? When should we pivot, quit, or double down?”
 

 

It sounds like Anthony is feeling antsy about the wait. He’s dealing with a lot of uncertainty, and I get it — there’s too much time and money at stake to blindly “trust the process.”

 

I can’t speak to his strategy specifically since I don’t have all the details. But I can share what’s normal so you can judge for yourself.

 

Imagine a waterfall. It starts with tiny droplets. Not enough to drink from, but over time, those droplets grow into a steady stream. Eventually, it’s strong and consistent enough to provide water for an entire village.

 

Marketing works the same way. It’s not a straight line; it compounds over time. Success in month one looks different from success in month nine. The more you do it, the more you can expect.

 

So, when you ask, “How much time is enough to see results?” — it depends on how much time you’ve put in. Your expectations for success need to match the time, money, and effort you’ve invested.

 

To explain this, I like to use something called Cascading Metrics.

Take a look at the last column in the chart: Sales Metrics. That’s your end goal — sales inquiries, form submissions, appointments booked, etc.

 

You probably don’t care about numbers like website hits or social media comments — all the Marketing Metrics that come before. They’re nice, but they don’t pay the bills.

 

But here’s the thing — those early metrics are the droplets. They eventually turn into sales metrics. And how well they perform now shows you what to expect later. They give you a glimpse of what’s coming.

 

 

Anthony mentioned he’s been working on his strategy for four months. According to the chart, he’s in the Visibility Metrics stage. This stage is about seeing keyword rankings, impressions, or website hits increase month after month. That’s what success looks like for him right now.

 

Between 9 and 12 months of marketing, he can expect more — like sales inquiries.

Marketing isn’t just an art — it’s a science. A good marketing strategy is based on data.

 

When Anthony said “I feel like it’s not working,” that’s usually a sign he’s not looking at the numbers. He’s guessing instead of measuring. And that tells me his strategy doesn’t have clear targets.

 

You need targets like sales inquiries, engagement, website visits, keyword rankings, and new content created. And you need those targets to be broken down for months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12. They help you see if you’re on track.

 

If you don’t have those targets, let’s talk about what’s realistic to expect. We’ll start at the bottom of the “waterfall” and work our way up.

 

If the waterfall isn’t flowing consistently, the best way to figure out why is to climb up and take a closer look.

Compare where you are in your marketing strategy with the targets you had set for this stage. The data will show you if you’re on the right track and should keep going, if you need to pivot, or if it’s time to double down.

That’s that, First name / my friend.

 

If you’re looking for a second opinion on your strategy or want a professional to help you create a data-driven strategy, I can help. Just hit reply or book a call with me.

 

See you next week,

 

Daniela

 

 

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Weekly emails about marketing for designers and builders.