4 steps to evaluate (and fix!) your marketing

I had my annual physical this week.

The usual bloodwork, 47 question health history, light in the eyeballs, and reflex check that always reminds me of childhood visits to the pediatrician. In fact, the room I was in must double as a pediatric space, and as I was kicking my feet waiting for the exam to start I was really tempted to read the All About Whales picture book sitting on the shelf.

I’ll admit, I’m weirdly competitive when it comes to a check-up — like somewhere there is a scorecard for who has the best blood pressure, and I need to win. Of couse, if you are going to win at anything, let’s hope it’s an annual check-up, because it’s not about fixing a problem—it’s about catching one before it gets worse.

Even if I feel fine, there could be underlying issues I’m not aware of. High cholesterol, a vitamin deficiency, or a creepy rare affliction I wouldn’t have noticed until it became a real problem.

Businesses fall into this trap all the time with marketing. Everything looks fine on the surface, but underneath? Their brand positioning is misaligned, their messaging is murky, and their marketing spend isn’t driving real results.

But by the time you see the symptoms, the problem has already been there for a while.

That’s why a regular marketing health check-up is so important. It helps you catch small misalignments before they turn into major issues.

Before we dive in, let’s talk about the #1 mistake businesses make when trying to fix their marketing.

More is Not Better

Loading up on vitamins is not going to help you if your diet sucks. You can’t eat 3 pints of ice cream and then make up for it with more time in the gym.

Most B2B agencies make the same mistake when it comes to marketing:

They assume that if they just “do more marketing” (a new website, social media, paid ads), they’ll automatically get more clients.

But here’s the hard truth: If your brand and messaging aren’t aligned, no amount of marketing spend will save you.

Before you pour more money into lead generation, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Is my brand message consistent across every platform?
2. Does my ideal client know—instantly—that I’m talking to them?
3. Can I clearly articulate what makes me different from my competitors?

If you hesitated on any of those, it’s time for a marketing clarity check. Because if your positioning is fuzzy, your audience won’t take action.

The Clarity Problem

Marketing isn’t just about visibility—it’s about clarity. When a potential client lands on your website, social profile, or marketing materials, they need to immediately know:

1. Who you are
2. Who you help
3. Why you’re different
4. Why they should care

If any of those pieces are missing, your marketing efforts will be less effective (or worse—ignored).

Here’s how to fix it before you burn through your budget.

Step 1: Audit Your Brand Consistency

The first step is to conduct a brand consistency check across all of your marketing channels. You need to know whether your website, social media, and outbound marketing efforts tell a consistent, compelling story.

Here’s a quick 10-minute audit:

1. Pull up your website, LinkedIn, and any recent marketing materials.
2. Ask someone who is not familiar with your company, but could be your ideal client to take a look, (or better yet, use AI to simulate this). Do not try to DIY this step — you can’t see the label from inside the jar — it is impossible to objectively assess your own materials because you are far too familiar with them.
3. Ask :
   • Do you know within 5 seconds what this company does?
   • Is it immediately clear who they serve?
   • Does the messaging make you feel like you are in the right place?

A surprising number of businesses fail this test. Their websites are full of jargon, vague promises, and generic statements like:

• “We help businesses grow.”
• “We create data-driven strategies.”
• “We provide cutting-edge solutions.”

These phrases could describe literally any company in the world. And that’s a problem.

Step 2: Use AI to Pressure-Test Your Messaging

One of the simplest ways to get an unbiased read on your marketing is to use AI as a stand-in for your ideal client.

Try this:

1. Copy-paste your homepage text into ChatGPT.
2. Use this prompt:

“Act as a [your ICP]. Read the following and tell me: Do you know this is for you? Is the value clear? What’s confusing?”

1. Take the AI’s feedback seriously.

If AI struggles to understand your message, so will real people.

Example: If your homepage says, “We provide cutting-edge solutions for innovative businesses,” AI (and real people) might respond:

• What kind of solutions?
• Who is this for?
• Why should I care?

If AI is asking these questions, your prospects are too. Use its feedback to rewrite your messaging so it’s crystal clear.

You can repeat this process with your LinkedIn bio, email outreach, and any landing pages. The goal is to eliminate confusion before it costs you leads.

Even better, you can then as AI to give you actionable tips to make improvements! (I’ll be diving into exactly how to do this in my next article—subscribe now so you don’t miss it!)

Step 3: Identify What’s Missing from Your Positioning

Once you’ve audited your messaging, it’s time to identify where your brand is falling short.

Ask yourself:

• Does every marketing channel align with the brand image I want?
• Does my website make it clear who I help and what results I deliver?
• Would an outsider instantly “get” my differentiator?

If the answer is “not really,” here’s what to fix:

• Inconsistent Messaging → Make sure your social media, website, and sales materials all tell the same story.
• Vague Positioning → Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Speak directly to your niche.
• Lack of Differentiation → If you sound like every other agency, prospects will choose based on price (and that’s not what you want).

Your brand isn’t just what you say—it’s what your audience remembers about you. If they can’t articulate why they should choose you, your messaging needs work.

Step 4: Create an Action Plan

Once you’ve identified the gaps, it’s time to prioritize what to fix first.

Use this simple impact vs. effort framework:

• How urgent is it to fix this problem?
• How easy is it to fix this problem?

Fix the easiest, highest-impact problems first to build momentum.

Marketing Clarity = More Clients

Marketing isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things, in the right order, with the right message.

Before you launch another campaign, get your positioning and messaging in order. Your future clients need to know why you’re the best choice—and that starts with clarity.

Need help getting your brand and marketing aligned? Let’s talk.

Or, subscribe to The Marketing Fix for more insights on how to build a marketing strategy that actually works.