January has a funny effect on marketing.
Suddenly, everyone feels they should be doing more – or something new.
More content. More ads. More tools. More AI.
And yet, when I speak to business owners at the start of the year, the real issue is rarely effort.
It’s clarity.
Most businesses don’t actually know:
what’s working
what’s wasting time or money
what should be prioritised next
And without that clarity, any plan (no matter how ambitious) is built on guesswork.
That’s why I always start with a marketing audit. Because if you don’t know where you are, you can’t move forward.
Why a Marketing Audit Should Come Before Any “New Strategy”
A marketing audit is not about pointing fingers or listing everything that’s wrong.
It’s about answering a few fundamental questions:
What are we currently doing?
Why are we doing it?
Is it aligned with where the business actually wants to go?
Skipping this step usually leads to:
random campaigns
inconsistent messaging
duplicated efforts
tools being added instead of problems being solved
not knowing which channels are actually effective or bringing leads or sales
In other words: busy marketing, not effective marketing.
If you don’t know where you are, you can’t move forward.
What Most Businesses Get Wrong About Audits
Many people associate audits with:
long documents no one reads
overly technical reports
generic checklists
A good marketing audit is the opposite. It should be:
focused — on what actually matters for your business
practical — clear insights, not theory
decision-driven — what to stop, continue, or change
The goal is not to “score” your marketing. The goal is to make better decisions faster.
A Simple Marketing Audit You Can Start With Today
Before involving anyone external, here’s a simplified self-check you can do in under an hour.
1. Goals: Are They Clear — and Current?
Ask yourself:
What is marketing supposed to achieve this year?
Revenue growth? Visibility? Lead quality? Retention?
If the answer is vague (“more sales”, “more awareness”), that’s already a signal.
Marketing can’t be measured — or improved — without clear intent.
Dead or neglected channels quietly dilute your message.
2. Channels: What Are You Actively Using?
List all active channels:
website
social media
ads
email
partnerships
Then ask:
When was this last reviewed?
Do we know why this channel exists?
Is anyone responsible for it?
Dead or neglected channels quietly dilute your message.
3. Messaging: Is It Consistent?
Look at:
your website homepage
a recent social post
an ad or newsletter
Do they sound like the same business?
Inconsistency here often signals:
unclear positioning
multiple decision-makers
marketing done in silos
If data exists but no one uses it, it’s not helping.
4. Data: Are You Looking at the Right Numbers?
You don’t need dozens of dashboards.
You do need answers to:
Where do leads come from?
What converts?
What costs money without delivering results?
If data exists but no one uses it, it’s not helping.
5. Resources: Time, Budget, Tools
Be honest:
How much time is realistically available?
What’s the actual budget?
Which tools are used — and which are just “there”?
Most marketing problems are not budget problems: they’re prioritisation problems.
When a DIY Audit Isn’t Enough
Self-audits are a good starting point. But they have limits.
You’re too close to the business to:
challenge assumptions
spot blind spots
benchmark properly
This is where a professional marketing audit adds value.Not by adding complexity — but by adding perspective.
How I Approach Marketing Audits
When I work with clients, the audit is not a standalone exercise.
It’s the foundation.
I look at:
strategy and goals
performance and data
alignment between business and marketing decisions
The output is not “more things to do”.
It’s:
what to stop
what to fix
what to focus on next
Only then does it make sense to talk about campaigns, content, ads, or AI.
Because Forward Is Only Possible When You Know Where You Are
Marketing doesn’t fail because businesses don’t try hard enough. It fails because effort is spent in the wrong places.
If you’re planning changes this year (new tools, new channels, new ambitions), start with clarity.
Start with a marketing audit.
If you’d like an experienced, external view on where your marketing actually stands and what would make the biggest difference next, this is exactly where I can help.
Book a discovery call to see how I can support you and your business.
