In startups we grow in a hurry.
And when the marketing doesn't work, the red alert goes off:
What if we are not on the right track, what if we are investing wrongly, what if we stop everything and rethink from scratch?
Spoiler: no need to reboot.
It is necessary to optimise with a head.
The syndrome? Too much movement, too little impact
They tell us every week:
"We are doing everything, but we don't know if it is working".
We are not just talking about campaigns.
We are talking about an entire strategy without clear focus.
- There is traffic... but few leads.
- There are leads... but they do not convert.
- There is a team... but no direction and no priorities.
And that's where the problems start, when each channel pulls to one side. When campaigns live disconnected from the real funnel, when the team executes without knowing if it gets closer to the target.
The solution? Before shutting down, run diagnostics
You don't need a magic wand (or any other agency).
You need to stop, look closely and answer three questions:
- What is working (even if only a little)?
Sometimes there are channels that bring quality but not volume. Or actions that convert without anyone having measured them. - What is disconnected from business objectives?
A viral post is not growth if it doesn't convert. An event with a lot of people is useless if there is no follow-up afterwards. - What could be improved with a small adjustment?
The copy, the timing of a campaign, the segmentation, the CTA... Sometimes it's not the idea that fails, it's the execution.
5 settings that can change everything
- Sharper messages: If you don't connect with the client's real pain, everything else falls away.
- Focus on the channels that really bring in business: Not all channels are suitable for your stage. Sometimes you only need 1 or 2 that do their job well.
- Alignment with (real) sales: Marketing cannot go it alone. If sales says that leads are no good, you have to listen and adjust.
- KPIs that matter: Forget vanity. Look at CAC, channel conversion, and time-to-convert.
- A funnel that flows: From the first click to the closing, everything has to be connected: message, content, timing, nurturing?
What if the problem is not marketing?
Often the problem is not that the team does not know.
It is that no one has defined the way.
That's what we do in Lebowski as a Fractional CMO.
We are not here to add to the noise.
We are here to focus, align and make marketing work as a system, not as a tombola.
You don't need to turn it all off.
You need to understand what to keep, what to sharpen and what to cut.
Why optimise is not cutting back.
It's deciding what moves the business... and what doesn't.