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I am not in my usual spot writing this newsletter today. I am dashing in-between meetings and am sat in a Starbucks sipping on an oat milk flat white. I have notes from a few social media posts that I have commented on this last week and have been spotting some patternes in how many business owners approach their marketing. These patterns aren't just affecting their results, they're robbing them of time, energy, and the joy of running their businesses.
So, I want to bring to you this week, a list of the top four things that I have seen business owners making with their marketing this last week and give you a one liner fix for each of them… I hope you find it useful.
Let’s dive in…
Mistake #1 - The Complex Maze Syndrome
Picture trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded – that's what many marketing funnels look like today. From a comment on a Facebook post, I had someone book a call with me where I audited a funnel that had 38 different email sequences that were triggered in so many ways, all running simultaneously that were part of 9 different funnels. It was a mess, and I said that!
The business owner was proud of its complexity, but what was their return on ad for these funnels? That was my main question. There was no easy answer, but after looking in so many places, we worked it out to be less than 1%. In fact it was more like 0.5%.
Just over $6,000 of ad spend and in the previous 30-days, and sales of $2,900 from their funnels. The business owner said “We are building our list and more sales will come in later down the line, but we would like to see an improvement.”
My Fix: The best funnels I've seen usually have one entry, instant offers and far fewer “if this then that” funnel flows. Strip away the complexity. One journey, one flow, easy to measure, easy to tweak, adjust and change things to make things better.
Mistake #2 - The Content Overwhelm Trap
In marketing, we often creating resistance for our audience through the sheer volume of content we create. Should your audience watch your YouTube, listen to your podcast, read your blog, watch your TikTok or consume your emails?
If you create too much content, then sometimes it’s difficult to know what to look at!
Last week, someone posted in a FB group that they were not getting a great result from content marketing and needed some help. They said they were doing the following…
3 daily posts across 5 platforms, 1 weekly live broadcast on LinkedIn, that live chopped into daily video clips and a podcast published from the live broadcast.
And… here was the rub… all AI-generated text content and images. Scripts just read from any autocue that were straight from Chat-GPT.
I suggested they should do less, and make it more “human” – the response I got…
"But Ant, I need to stay visible!"
The reality? They were invisible in the noise they were creating and platforms were not getting them out there as no-one was engaging.
My Fix: I suggested they focus on creating meaningful, human content in fewer places. Quality trumps quantity every time. Bring your stories, wisdom and experiences to your content, no AI can do that!
Mistake #3 - The Automation Addiction
Don't get me wrong, I love good automation. The keyword here is "good." But I'm seeing businesses automate their humanity away.
Endless emails. Bots chatting to potential customers. Fake “live” webinars with pre-loaded comments. False scarcity countdown timers on pages… and so much more.
The dream of having an automated business, generating automated income and letting the AI do the job of relationship building is stripping businesses of building real relationships with people who are looking for help.
My Fix: Use automation to handle repetitive tasks, but keep the human touch in critical interactions as that, truly human. Your customers should never feel like they're talking to a robot, they want to talk to you.
Mistake #4 - The Lead Magnet Mismatch
This one hits close to home.
I recently downloaded a "2025 Comprehensive Marketing Guide" that turned out to be a generic collection of 37 obvious tips that had no story, no personality and nothing other than what looked like a copy and paste job from other websites.
It felt like the business tips guide equivalent of serving instant coffee to a barista (and I am just going to get another coffee…)
I wanted more than just textbook tips, I wanted content and proof of implementation to see how I could possibly learn something new.
Nothing was new. The promise was something new. A mismatch from the promise to the delivery.
My Fix: Create lead magnets that solve specific, urgent problems. Deliver on the promise and bring your own wisdom and experience to the table. They should give your audience a "quick win" that leaves them wanting more.
Your Action Steps for This Week...
1. Audit Your Marketing
o Which of these mistakes resonate most with you?
o Where are you overcomplicating things?
o What can you simplify this week?
2. Get Back to Human
o Review your automated sequences
o Add personal touches where possible
o Plan time for real engagement
Your marketing should feel clear, calm, and be reflecting your customers own needs back to them, and then show how they can engage with you to find the solutions they want.
If you're ready to simplify your marketing and create better results with less effort, get my new book, "Simplify the Funnel," walks you through exactly how to do this in your business.
Get your copy at https://www.simplifythefunnel.com/
Have a great week!
Keep it real,
PS... I'd love to hear which of these mistakes resonated most with you. Hit reply and let me know – I read and respond to every email personally.
PPS... If you found this valuable, share it with another business owner who might be feeling overwhelmed with their marketing. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the ones we need most.
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