In a world where most online and media platforms are saturated with advertising, it’s easy to wonder how your business could possibly be seen. Not only does it seem national advertising efforts are always present, but those on a regional and even local scale too. Sure, you can open a social media account like anyone else, but will it really make a difference? It’s almost no wonder many firms are trying to leverage social media online to get the most views.
But the question remains – are you overthinking your marketing plan? After all, as we learned from that cherished fable of The Tortoise and the Hare, sometimes, being steadfast, reliable and focused over time is better than searching for any quick fixes.
It’s very easy to want to throw everything at the wall for the purpose of seeing what sticks, but when trying to make good on your marketing effort, this might not be as helpful as you first considered. Let’s think, then, how to simplify and rationally develop a consistent approach:
Simplify Your Voice
Marketing people love to talk about brand voice, but it’s really just about being yourself while staying professional that matters most. Some businesses try too hard to sound quirky or ultra-formal, and it usually comes across as forced. Your customers can tell when you’re putting on an act, so just be more authentic if you can.
Most successful small businesses just talk to their customers like normal people. If you run a local bakery, you don’t need to sound like a Fortune 500 company trying to prepare their audience for a hostile takeover of another brand. Share what you’re making and the joy of baking, tell people about special offers, and respond to questions like you would in person. It’s much easier to keep up over time too.
Focus On Relevant Platforms
Not every business needs to be on every social media platform, and that’s where many people can go wrong. You can cross-post of course, but it’s still good to be dedicated. A B2B software company probably won’t get much value from TikTok, just like a teenage clothing brand might not need LinkedIn, so think about where your actual customers spend their time.
If you pick two or three platforms that make sense for your business and do them well, you’ll have made a good start. It’s better to have an active, engaging Facebook page than five half-empty social media accounts you never update, and this way you won’t spread yourself too thin trying to create different content for each platform.
Design Your Website Well
Your website doesn’t need all the most advanced features when you’re starting out, but it does need to work properly. Make sure people can find what they’re looking for quickly, such as your contact details, what you sell, and how to buy from you.
A clean, simple design usually works better because it allows you to size and scale to multiple screen sizes, especially now most people access the internet solely from their smartphones.
Use Effective SEO Help
SEO can seem complicated, and sometimes it is, but the basic concepts aren’t too terrible to understand. Write naturally about what your business does, use words your customers would actually search for, and keep your content fresh while matching those keywords, and you’ll have ensured a good start. Local businesses often do well just by mentioning their area and services clearly on their website. While choosing a website platform, consider if your marketing push is going to be compatible. For instance, asking is Squarespace good for SEO can help you find the best provider relevant to that platform.
That being said, you don’t need to stuff your pages with keywords or try every SEO technique you’ve seen in a YouTube video, as Google’s pretty good at figuring out what websites are for and how reliable they are these days. Just make sure your content is clear, useful, and honest about what you offer, and you’ll have made a good starting effort.
Lay Off The Memes
It’s tempting to jump on whatever’s trending, but most business memes fall flat, especially now when so many have laser-focused on this approach. They often feel like your dad trying to use teenage slang, which is somewhat funny on the surface, but also sometimes slightly embarrassing for everyone involved. Unless your brand is built around being funny, it’s usually better to skip the memes, because this can degrade your image.
Good marketing is more about being helpful and genuine than trying to go viral in 2025, as the whole “internet novelty” approach has started to wane now it’s influencing every single element of our lives. If you can share useful information, respond to customers, and post about things that actually matter to your business, that’s enough. That builds more trust than sharing the latest SpongeBob meme.
Link-Build & Develop Your Authority
Building authority online takes time, but if you do focus on it, you can build it properly and effectively. There are a few ways to do this, but unfortunately, no shortcuts.
If you can, get involved with local business groups or attend the conferences and use this as a further marketing opportunity, or work with other companies in your industry (but not direct competitors), and share your expertise when you can. If you have a blog people refer to, for instance, then you can start to curate thought leadership here. A good SEO blog might make in-depth guides after every Google update, for example, so possible clients know you can carry them through that storm.
Then of course, your link-building strategy can continue in the background, as you refer people to your authoritative content. This means you always provide a value-added approach in your marketing and SEO efforts, providing a more robust presentation of your business.
With this advice, we hope you can feel more confident in your marketing efforts, without overcomplicating it. Stick to these principles and you’ll no doubt see an improvement in your outreach.