“Why Is My Marketing NOT Working?" 7 Reasons & Solutions for Service Providers
You’ve been in business for a while, your clients LOVE what you do, and you are getting referrals.
But then why is your marketing not working? Why aren’t many ideal clients coming to you despite all the time and effort you’ve been putting into it?
It’s usually due to a combination of problems and common mistakes. But guess what?
They’re all fixable!
So, let’s look into it together to find out exactly why your marketing isn’t working (yet) and how to change that.
First things first: are you marketing the right services?
I promise: we are going to look at the main reasons why your marketing isn’t working, but we need to (hopefully) rule something out first because…
The best marketing won’t sell a bad or wrong offer.
Soooooo:
Have you got the right offers and services for your target clients?
If you’ve already sold them (for example, through referrals or cold outreach), that usually means you do. Pheew!
If it’s a new offer, on the other hand, you might want to conduct more market research first.
Are you providing a good service?
I need to be clear: being good at what you do isn’t enough to sell your services. That’s where your marketing comes into play.
Buuuut if your services are disappointing, your ideal clients might be able to tell (for example, when looking at your portfolio as a photographer, graphic designer, or copywriter, or by contacting some of your previous clients and then hearing some horror stories).
Honestly, I’m not trying to trigger your imposter syndrome! So, I’m just going to ask you: are most of your past and current clients beyond satisfied when they work with you? Do they give you good reviews and referrals? That means you’re incredible at what you do!
So, as long as you’ve got these foundations in place (if you haven’t, work on those first), it’s clear that your problem isn’t with your offers and how you deliver them: it’s how you’ve been promoting them.
7 reasons why your marketing isn’t working and how to fix them
1. Your ideal clients aren’t clear on your core brand message because… neither are you!
If I were to bump into you right now (hello!), would you be able to sum up your entire business in a compelling elevator pitch? And if I were to read the first section of your home page and your social media bios, would I find the exact same message?
If the answer is “Errrrrrrrrrrrrr”, it means your brand messaging (or lack thereof) has been sabotaging you from the inside.
You see:
your core brand message is how you deliver your value proposition and articulate the value of your business in a way that connects with your ideal clients. So, if you are not clear on that (or if you keep changing it), you can’t expect them to get it.
For example, if your website copy says “I’m a graphic designer on a mission” but your social media bios are “I offer graphic design services for solopreneurs who use Canva” and your LinkedIn headline says “I’ve completed +100 graphic design projects and social media templates for my clients”... that’s pretty confusing. Plus, none of that tells me why I should care and, most importantly, why I should pick you!
How to fix this reason why your marketing isn’t working
Get clear on how to convey exactly what you do / what type of business you run, who for, and how it benefits them, and package it in a way that sets you apart from every other competitor.
You don’t want to be “just another”: you want to be “THE” (= the obvious solution for a specific type of client looking to solve a specific problem and achieve a specific goal).
For example, “I’m the Canva graphic designer for solopreneurs. Get your bespoke, on-brand, and repeatable social media templates so that you can attract and impress your target audience without wasting +4h fiddling with Canva every week.”
2. Your marketing is mostly about you and your business
“But Giada, it’s my business and brand! Who else should it be about?”
Your ideal clients.
I mean, I get it: you are passionate about your business, and you are excited about your offers. But if that’s what you keep focusing on, that’s probably why your marketing isn’t working.
Your ideal clients are BOMBARDED with 6,000-10,000 marketing messages every day. So, if you want them to notice and absorb yours, you need to make it about them.
How to fix this reason why your marketing isn’t working
Start seeing your ideal clients as the protagonists of your brand story – “What about me?” Easy: you’re the helpful expert who will take them from their current pain point to their happy ending
Make all your marketing content relevant for them – If in doubt: put yourself in their shoes, read (or watch, listen to, etc.) what you just crafted, and ask yourself, “So what? What’s in it for me? Why should I care?” If you can’t answer it, go back to the drawing board
Don’t make the mistake of talking to your industry peers – This is a similar and super common pitfall (I was guilty of that too, in the past!): creating marketing content that’s more useful to our competitors than our ideal clients. For example, brand photographers sharing “7 tips to become a better brand photographer”, copywriters talking about famous marketers that only other copywriters know (and care) about, and so on. Instead, always start with your ideal clients in mind
3. Your marketing isn’t hooking your ideal clients
As seen before, your audience is exposed to THOUSAND of marketing messages on a daily basis. Everyone is competing for their attention online!
So, if your ideal clients can’t immediately tell that your content is for/about them?
You can’t expect them to notice it and engage with it.
How to fix this reason why your marketing isn’t working
Work on your hooks, which are the very first thing your audience sees (or hears) when they interact with your marketing content.
This really depends on where you’ve been promoting your business and how, but for example, it could be your:
First line of a LinkedIn post
Carousel/reel cover on Instagram
First few seconds of your videos
Email subject line and first paragraph
Blog post title
If possible, address your ideal clients directly (for example, “How you can grow your LinkedIn following as a web designer” rather than just “How to grow your LinkedIn following”).
If not, just make sure they can instantly tell: “This is about me!” (for example, “So, you’ve been posting on Instagram every day but not getting traction?”).
4. Your marketing messages aren’t sticking
Are you conveying the value of your services in a way that connects with your ideal clients and activates them? Can they understand what you’re telling them? And do they actually care?
Because here’s the thing…
you’re so close to your business and services that you might think something is a given. To someone who isn’t familiar with your industry or has never worked with you, though? It might not be that obvious at all!
For example, if a business coach were to tell me “I’ll supercharge your business”, it wouldn’t mean anything to me (and I hear that A LOT online!).
But if they were to say “Slugging your guts out every day and not earning as much as you’d like? Together, we’ll redesign your offer suite in 3 weeks so that you can work less, earn more, and fall back in love with your business”... NOW we’re talking!
How to fix this reason why your marketing isn’t working
Simplify your marketing messages – Get rid of vague words, jargon, and buzzwords. Start prioritising clarity instead
Talk about your industry, business, and services in a way that’s relevant to your ideal clients – Once again, make it about them (their pain points, needs, current situation, goals, and so on). For example, focus on the benefits of your services, not their features or what you personally care about
5. You’re covering too many topics
There are some people I’ve been following on LinkedIn for years, they have a strong personal brand, and I always recognise them… and yet I would NOT be able to tell you what they actually do in practice! Why?
Because their marketing is all over the place, and they’re always talking about different things.
If that’s you too, I don’t blame you: it’s a common pitfall. You’ve probably been made to feel that you should create new content from scratch every time, always talk about something new, and reinvent the wheel.
On the contrary, that means you might get a lot of engagement but not many clients from your marketing because… they don’t know what to associate you with!
How to fix this reason why your marketing isn’t working
From your promotional posts to informational newsletters and so on: every single piece of content you put out there must plant or water the seed that “This is the perfect person to solve my problem and achieve my goal!”
Get clear on around 3 messaging pillars
Amplify them through your marketing
Instead of thinking “What should I share/post about?”, start from “How can I find new ways of sharing the same messages?”
6. Your marketing isn’t feeding into your services
Don’t get me wrong: visibility is also important. You need to reach new people and get more eyeballs on your services, and that’s why content marketing can be so beneficial.
But views, likes, comments, and online traffic alone DON’T pay the bills!
If this content isn’t actually positioning your services as the obvious next step, how can you expect to get clients from it?
(You can’t)
How to fix this reason why your marketing isn’t working
As well as sharing valuable content:
Do talk about your offers and services REGULARLY
Include compelling calls to action telling your ideal clients what to do next
I know a lot of fellow women entrepreneurs in particular struggle with this: we’ve been conditioned into thinking we must always “give, give, give” and never “ask”. So, we’re often afraid we’ll come across as salesy.
But if we want our ideal clients to know about our services, remember them, and actually invest in them, we DO need to talk about them often!
And as long as your message is relevant for them, it won’t feel icky. In fact, try this mindset shift: “My ideal clients are struggling with a pesky pain point, and I have the perfect solution for it. Why would I not want to help them take action?!”
Also, for the best results, don’t expect your ideal clients to jump on a call with you after reading your content (that’s a BIG ask) or DM you without having any deets.
Instead, direct them to a sales page that answers their questions, does the selling for you, and helps you get more enquiries from your ideal clients (and less from wrong-fit prospects).
7. Your marketing isn’t consistent
This can mean two things: you’re not marketing your business often enough, or you are but your messaging is all over the place (or both at the same time).
Your audience needs to hear your same message multiple times to absorb it and feel compelled enough to take action.
So, if you only show up when you feel like it or if your message changes every time, you’re making things harder for them.
Now, I’m not saying you must post on every single social media platform every day, email your list every other day, blog weekly, record new podcast episodes every month and—Oof, that sounds stressful!
But you do need to be consistent with your marketing and messaging.
How to fix this reason why your marketing isn’t working
Get in the habit of marketing your business consistently, even when you’re fully booked with client work. In fact, why not put it in your calendar until it becomes a habit?
Focus on amplifying your core messages, NOT churning content out just for the sake of posting
Let’s make your messaging magnetic so that your marketing starts working
As you now know, you could have the best services (and I’m sure you already do), but if you’re not articulating it in a way that connects with your ideal clients, THEY. WON’T. GET IT.
So, start by fixing your core brand messages first and then amplify them with your marketing.
Would you rather do that with the help of an expert?
I’m Giada, the brand messaging strategist and copywriter for service-based women entrepreneurs. I can help you attract your ideal clients in 2 main ways:
Magnetic Messaging Compass🧭 Get clarity & your bespoke brand messaging guide in 1 week. Follow it to attract clients who already want to work with YOU and you only
🧲Magnetic Message & Web Copy Makeover✨ Brand messaging guide + website copy that actually sells for you
Let’s make your brand messaging and marketing work for you!
More #crafty blog posts on this topic:
