The 25 Best Marketing Tips That Actually Drive Growth
Let’s be honest. You’re drowning in marketing advice.
Every guru on the internet has a “secret funnel” or a “can't-miss tactic” that promises to change your life.
The result? You're paralysed.
You’re dabbling in everything and mastering nothing. Your marketing budget evaporates, and you have little to show for it but a handful of vanity metrics.
This isn't another list of 101 shiny objects to chase. This is a filter.
These are 25 simple observations on what works currently. Get these right, and you can ignore 99% of the other noise.
- Identify your specific target audience to ensure effective marketing and avoid being ignored.
- Create an irresistible offer that markets itself, reducing reliance on extensive marketing efforts.
- Your website should facilitate user action, serving as a tool for conversions rather than just information.
- Build and nurture your email list as a vital asset, ensuring direct communication with your audience.
Part 1: The Foundations (Get These Right or Fail)
Most businesses don't have a traffic problem. They have a foundation problem. Pouring marketing spend onto a broken foundation is like trying to fill a bucket with a massive hole in it—a complete waste of time and money.
Sort these five things out first.
1. Stop Selling to “Everyone”
If your target audience is “everyone,” you're marketing to no one. It’s the single fastest route to being ignored.
You need to know exactly who you're talking to. What keeps them up at night? What's the first thing they check on their phone in the morning? What language do they use? What do they secretly fear their boss will find out?
Get painfully specific. “Female entrepreneurs aged 30-45 in the UK” is a start. “Stressed-out female service-based business owners in Manchester who are great at their craft but hate doing their accounts” is much better.
2. Your Offer is Probably Not Irresistible. Fix It.
A weak offer requires brilliant marketing. An irresistible offer markets itself.
Alex Hormozi talks about making an offer so good that people would feel stupid saying no. That should be your goal. What can you add to your core product or service that makes the value proposition completely lopsided in the customer’s favour? Can you add a guarantee that removes all risk? A bonus that solves the following problem they’ll have?
A better offer is a bigger marketing lever than a better Facebook ad.
3. Master Your One-Sentence Pitch (Your USP)
You must be able to explain what you do, for whom, and why you’re different in a single, clear sentence. This is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
- “We help Shopify stores recover abandoned carts with SMS.”
- “The only carbon-neutral coffee delivery service for London offices.”
- “Financial planning for doctors too busy to manage their own money.”
If you can’t state it this simply, your customers can’t understand it. And if they can’t understand it, they won’t buy it. Full stop.
4. Your Website Isn't a Brochure; It's a Vending Machine
Your website has one primary purpose: to get a visitor to take a specific action. Buy a product. Fill out a form. Book a call.
It's not an art gallery. It's not a corporate history lesson. Every element, headline, image, and button should guide the user towards that action. Anything else is a distraction. Cut it.
5. Price Based on Value, Not Your Costs
Stop pricing based on your time or material costs plus a bit of margin. That’s a race to the bottom.
Price is based on the value of the problem you solve for the customer. A £500 report that saves a company £50,000 in mistakes isn't expensive; it's a bargain. A logo design isn't just a few hours in Illustrator; it's the face of a business for the next decade.
Frame your price regarding the value delivered, and the conversation changes completely.
Part 2: Smart Acquisition (Turning Strangers into Visitors)
Once your foundations are solid, you must get eyeballs on your offer. But not just any eyeballs. The right ones.
6. Become the Answer (The Real Secret to SEO & Content)
Forget “keyword stuffing” and technical jargon. Modern SEO is simple: be the best, most straightforward, and most helpful answer to your customers' questions.
Think about what your ideal customer is typing into Google. Not just “plumber in Leeds,” but “why is my boiler making a rattling noise?” or “how to fix a dripping tap without calling a plumber.”
Create content that answers those questions comprehensively. That’s it. That’s the entire strategy.
7. Your Blog Isn't a Diary
No one cares about your company's anniversary or the new pot plant in the office. A business blog should serve one purpose: to answer your customers' questions.
Every single post should be a direct answer to a problem. Use tools like AlsoAsked or look at your main topics in the “People Also Ask” section in Google search results. That's your content plan, handed to you on a plate.
8. Pick One Social Media Channel and Dominate It
Being mediocre on five social media platforms is pointless. Find the one platform where your specific audience spends the most time and go all-in.
If you sell handmade jewellery, that's probably Instagram or Pinterest. If you're a B2B consultant, it's almost certainly LinkedIn. Learn the native language of that platform. Master its formats. Become a well-known voice there before you even think about adding another channel.
9. Use Paid Ads to Buy Data, Not Just Clicks
Your first paid advertising campaign's goal isn't to make a profit. It's to buy data, fast.
For a few hundred quid, you can test headlines, images, audiences, and offers in a matter of days—a process that could take months with organic content. You're paying to learn what your market responds to. The sales are a bonus. Once you find a winning combination, then you scale the spend.
10. Go Where Your Audience Already Is (Partnerships & PR)
Who already has the attention of your ideal customer? Other businesses? Bloggers? Podcasts? Newsletters?
Make a list of 50 of them. Reach out and offer to provide value to their audience. Write a guest post. Offer a unique discount for their readers. Co-host a webinar. This is often faster and cheaper than building an audience from scratch.
11. The Fastest Growth is Often Offline (Guerrilla Marketing)
In a world obsessed with digital, doing something tangible and unexpected stands out.
I once saw a local accounting firm for freelancers leave branded coffee cup sleeves at independent coffee shops with a simple message: “You handle the coffee. We'll handle your taxes.” Genius.
What's the real-world equivalent for your business? It doesn't have to be expensive. It just has to be clever and targeted.
Part 3: Conversion & Psychology (Turning Visitors into Customers)
Getting traffic is only half the battle. Now you have to persuade them to act. This is where you apply introductory human psychology.
12. Write Like You Talk (But with a Purpose)
Ditch the corporate jargon and stiff, formal language. It builds a wall between you and the reader.
Write your copy as if you're explaining your service to a friend at the pub. Use simple words—short sentences. Ask questions. Use contractions like “it's” and “you're.”
The goal is clarity and connection, not sounding “professional.” Clear and simple sells. Confusing and complex doesn't.
13. Your Landing Page Has One Job. Just One.
When a user clicks an ad or a link for a specific offer, the page they land on should be 100% focused on that offer.
That means no navigation menu. No links to your blog. No social media icons. Nothing to distract them from the single action you want them to take. It's the offer, the explanation, the social proof, and the call-to-action button. That's it.
14. Use Social Proof Like a Crowbar
People are herd animals. They look to others to validate their decisions. You need to make it screamingly obvious that other people—people just like them—have bought from you and were happy.
- Testimonials with headshots and full names.
- Logos of companies you've worked with.
- Screenshots of positive comments on social media.
- “As featured in logos.
- Case studies with real, quantifiable results.
Scatter them everywhere. It’s not bragging; it’s building trust.
15. Make Your Call to Action Impossible to Ignore
“Click here” and “Submit” are terrible calls to action (CTAs). They are lazy and communicate zero value.
Your button text should describe the value the user is getting.
- Instead of “Submit,” try “Get My Free Marketing Plan.”
- Instead of “Buy Now,” try “Start My 30-Day Trial.”
- Instead of “Sign Up,” try “Join 5,000+ Smart Entrepreneurs.”
Make it a big, brightly coloured button they can't possibly miss.
16. Remove One Piece of Friction Every Week
Friction is anything that makes the buying process harder. A form with too many fields. A slow-loading page. A confusing checkout process.
Your job is to be a friction detective. Go through your buying process every week and find one small thing that is annoying or difficult. Then, fix it. One slight weekly improvement adds to a dramatically smoother customer journey over a year.
17. Use Scarcity and Urgency (But Don't Lie)
People are more motivated by the fear of losing something than the prospect of gaining something. Scarcity and urgency tap directly into this.
- Scarcity: “Only 10 spots available.” / “Just 3 left in stock.”
- Urgency: “Offer ends Friday at midnight.” / “Price doubles in 24 hours.”
The golden rule here is to be honest. If you say there are only 10 spots, there must only be 10 spots. Fake scarcity destroys trust instantly.
Part 4: The Long Game (Building a Business That Lasts)
Rapid growth is great. Sustainable growth is better. These habits turn a flash-in-the-pan success into a genuine, durable brand.
18. Build Your Email List Like Your Business Depends On It (It Does)
Your social media followers don't belong to you. Mark Zuckerberg could shut your page down tomorrow. Your email list is your asset. It's the only audience you truly own.
Offer something valuable in exchange for an email address—a checklist, a guide, a discount code. This is called a lead magnet. Make building that list a primary goal of your website.
19. Your Brand Isn't Your Logo; It's Your Reputation
A great logo is essential—we're a design company. But your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room.
It’s the sum of every interaction: your customer service, your product quality, your tone of voice, your reliability. A strong brand reputation is the ultimate marketing advantage. It pre-sells you before a customer even lands on your website.
20. Turn Customer Service into a Marketing Department
Whenever a customer contacts you with a problem, it is a golden opportunity. If you handle it poorly, they'll tell ten people. They'll tell ten people if you hold it brilliantly—with speed, empathy, and generosity.
Empower your team to solve problems without needing approval. Send a small gift. Follow up to make sure they're happy. A shockingly good customer service experience is more memorable than any advert.
21. Ask for Reviews. Systematically.
Good reviews are a critical asset. But most happy customers won't think of leaving one unless you ask.
Build a simple, automated system to ask for a review. Send an email a week after a product is delivered or a service is completed. Make it easy for them with a direct link to Google Reviews, Trustpilot, or your platform of choice.
22. Create a Community, Not Just a Customer List
People want to belong. Facilitate connections between your customers: a private Facebook group, a Slack channel, or local meetups.
When your customers start talking to each other, your brand transforms from a simple utility into a part of their identity. Gymshark did this brilliantly with fitness enthusiasts. It creates a powerful moat around your business that competitors can't easily cross.
Part 5: Mindset & Measurement (The Stuff Everyone Ignores)
You can't improve what you don't measure. And you can't win if your head isn't in the right place.
23. Stop Guessing. Start Testing.
Is a green button better than a red one? Does “My Account” work better than “Login”? Should the headline be a question or a statement?
Don't debate it in a meeting. Test it.
Use A/B testing software (much of it is free to start) to test one change simultaneously. The data will tell you what works. Let your customers vote with their clicks. This mindset of continuous, data-driven improvement is what separates amateurs from professionals.
24. Know Your Two Most Important Numbers (LTV & CAC)
If you don't know these two numbers, you're flying blind.
- LTV (Customer Lifetime Value): How much profit, on average, does a customer generate for you over their entire relationship with your business?
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): How much does it cost you, on average, to acquire one new customer?
The game is simple: you need your LTV to be significantly higher than your CAC. A 3:1 ratio is a healthy benchmark. This simple formula tells you how much you can afford to spend to get a customer, which unlocks your ability to scale.
25. Steal Like an Artist (The Right Way)
Don't copy your competitor's tactics. Instead, figure out why their tactic is working.
Don't just copy their ad. Analyse the psychology behind the headline. Understand the pain point their copy is hitting. Look at the offer and deconstruct why it's compelling.
Steal the strategy, not the execution. Apply the underlying principle to your unique brand voice, audience, and offer. That's how you learn from the market without being a cheap imitation.
So, What Now?
The secret to rapid growth isn't more. It's less, but better.
It's not about doing all 25 of these things tomorrow. It’s about realising that chasing a hundred different “hacks” wastes energy. Pick one area—your foundations, offer, or landing page—and fix it. Then move to the next.
Clarity and relentless focus will beat frantic, unfocused activity every single time.
Staring at this list and seeing the gaps in your strategy can be a bit confronting. We spend our days observing these patterns and helping businesses apply these principles through solid strategy and design. Look at our digital marketing services to see how we approach the “doing” part.
If you've read this far and want direct input on how these ideas could apply to your business, that’s a conversation we’re always open to. You can request a quote here.
Marketing Tips (FAQs)
What is the most critical marketing tip for a startup?
Master your offer (Tip #2) and your target audience (Tip #1). If you get these two things wrong, nothing else you do will work effectively. An irresistible offer to a well-defined audience is the foundation of all growth.
How much should a small business spend on marketing?
There's no magic percentage. The better question is: “How much does it cost you to acquire a customer (CAC) and what is their lifetime value (LTV)?” (Tip #24). Once you know you can spend £50 to make £150, you should spend as much as you can afford on that channel.
What is the fastest way to get customers?
The quickest way is often to go where customers already exist (Tip #10). Partnerships, guest posting on popular blogs in your niche, or targeted outreach are typically faster than building an organic SEO or social media presence from zero.
Should I focus on SEO or social media first?
It depends on your business. SEO (Tip #6) is invaluable for long-term, sustainable traffic. If your product is highly visual or relies on community and trends, dominating one social media channel (Tip #8) might provide quicker initial traction. Ideally, you do both but start by mastering one.
How do I write copy that sells?
Write like you talk (Tip #12). Focus on the customer's problem, not your product's features. Use the “Problem, Agitate, Solve” (PAS) framework: State the problem, agitate the pain it causes, and present your product as the solution.
Is email marketing still relevant?
More than ever. It's your only marketing channel (Tip #18). Social media platforms can change their algorithms or policies overnight. Your email list is a direct line to your most engaged customers.
How do I create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?
Answer this question: “Why should my ideal customer choose me over any of my competitors?” (Tip #3). It could be your specialisation, service model, guarantee, price, or brand's mission. It must be specific and compelling.
What's the most significant marketing mistake small businesses make?
Trying to be everywhere at once. They spread themselves too thin across multiple social media platforms and marketing tactics instead of achieving excellence in one or two channels that are right for their audience.
How do I know if my marketing is working?
Track the right metrics. Ignore vanity metrics like ‘likes' or ‘impressions'. Focus on metrics that impact your bottom line: conversion rate, Cost to Acquire a Customer (CAC), and Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) (Tip #24).
Do I need a big budget for effective marketing?
No. A great offer and clever, focused execution can outperform a big budget with a weak message every time. Many powerful tactics like content marketing, basic SEO, and guerrilla marketing (Tip #11) rely more on creativity and effort than cash.
How important is a brand logo in marketing?
A logo is a vital visual shortcut to your brand, but your brand is your overall reputation (Tip #19). A great logo on a business with poor service is useless. A simple logo for a company that consistently delights customers becomes an iconic symbol of trust.
How can I get more reviews for my business?
Ask for them systematically (Tip #21). Don't just hope for them. Create a simple, automated email that goes out to customers a set period after their purchase, making it easy for them with a direct link to your preferred review platform.
