The mantra of “do more with less” dominates the marketing industry. Whether it’s producing better results with a tighter budget, accomplishing a higher work volume with fewer people, or achieving more aggressive work volumes in less time, we’re all feeling the squeeze. This drive for efficiency is deeply rooted in the market we live in, but it comes with a cost: burnout, mediocrity, and often, diminished returns.
It’s an all-too-common struggle, especially in marketing, where possibilities are seemingly endless, and shiny new tactics promise to boost results. But as someone who’s been guilty of trying to do too much at once, I’ve learned that moderation often leads to better outcomes. Let’s talk about why doubling down on fewer, higher-impact strategies almost always beats spreading yourself too thin, and how to resist the urge to chase every shiny object that’s out there.
The Cost of Doing Too Much
Imagine a college student who signs up for six courses instead of the standard four. Their ambition is awesome, but what happens when midterms roll around? Their time and energy are divided, leading to lower scores across the board. Instead of excelling in a few classes, they scrape by in all of them.
Marketing isn’t much different. Your time, budget and resources are finite. The more tactics you try to execute simultaneously, the thinner your efforts are stretched. The result? Mediocre campaigns, unfulfilled potential and frustration when you fail to reach your desired goals.
Over my years in the industry, I’ve seen this play out time and time again. Companies dive headfirst into trendy marketing channels, only to end up with a scattered, ineffective program that struggles to gain traction.
The Shiny Object Syndrome
We’ve all experienced it: attending a conference or reading an article that sparks excitement about the “next big thing” in marketing. TikTok! Programmatic advertising! AI-powered personalization! These tactics aren’t inherently bad. In fact, they can be transformative for the right business. But here’s the catch: just because something is trendy doesn’t mean it’s right for your business right now. For instance if your branding is a trainwreck, investing in marketing automation will be an expensive, ineffective distraction.
The problem is rarely the tactics themselves; it’s the tendency to chase every opportunity without a good reason to do so. Without focus, your marketing becomes a mile wide and an inch deep.
Why Less Is More
When you take on too much, it’s easy to fall into mediocrity. But when you concentrate your efforts on fewer, high-impact strategies, you can achieve excellence. Here’s why:
1. Focused Resources: Every marketing tactic requires time, money and manpower. By narrowing your focus, you can allocate these resources more effectively. Instead of producing five mediocre campaigns, you can produce one or two exceptional ones.
2. Better Execution: A smaller scope allows for deeper attention to detail, higher-quality content and more thoughtful strategy. This leads to better results and a stronger connection with your audience.
3. Meaningful Measurement: When you’re juggling multiple campaigns across various platforms, measuring success becomes complex. By honing in on fewer tactics, you can more effectively track performance and make data-driven improvements.
4. Team Morale: Unrealistic expectations kill creativity and motivation. A more focused marketing program gives your in-house team or agency partner room to breathe, innovate and succeed.
In an ideal world, we wouldn’t face limitations. We could experiment with every marketing channel and invest in every shiny new tool. But that’s not the reality most of us live in. Marketing budgets are finite. Teams are small. Timelines are tight. And that’s okay. These constraints don’t have to hold you back, they just mean you have to be more strategic.
If you’re looking for guidance to narrow the focus of your marketing strategy, contact SWBR and let’s build a better plan for future growth.
